Claude Criquielion

Summary

Claude Criquielion (11 January 1957 – 18 February 2015) was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer who raced between 1979 and 1990. In 1984, Criquielion became the world road race champion in Barcelona, Spain on a gruelling course. He had five top-ten finishes in the Tour de France.

Claude Criquielion
Criquielion in 2014
Personal information
Full nameClaude Criquielion
Born(1957-01-11)11 January 1957
Lessines, Belgium
Died18 February 2015(2015-02-18) (aged 58)
Aalst, Belgium
Team information
Current teamRetired
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Professional teams
1979Kas–Campagnolo
1980–1989Splendor
1990–1991Lotto–Superclub
Managerial teams
2000–2004Lotto–Adecco
2005–2006Landbouwkrediet–Colnago
Major wins
Stage races
Tour de Romandie (1986)

One-day races and Classics

World Road Race Championships (1984)
National Road Race Championships (1990)
La Flèche Wallonne (1985, 1989)
Tour of Flanders (1987)
Clásica de San Sebastián (1983)
Medal record
Representing  Belgium
Men's road bicycle racing
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1984 Barcelona Elite Men's Road Race

Criquielion was well placed to win a medal in the 1988 world road race championship in Belgium. However, he crashed in sight of the line when another competitor, Steve Bauer of Canada, clashed with him. The third rider, Maurizio Fondriest, went on to win. Bauer was disqualified and Criquielion sued Bauer for assault, asking for $1.5 million in damages in a case that lasted more than three years before the judge ruled in Bauer's favor.

At the national championship race in 1985, he tested positive for Pervitin, but received no repercussions. The head of the laboratory at Ghent University, which had administered the analysis, subsequently resigned his post in the Medical Commission of the Belgian Cycling Association (KBWB) in protest.[1]

Criquielion was directeur sportif of the Lotto–Adecco team from 2000 to 2004. His son, Mathieu Criquielion, turned professional for the Landbouwkrediet-Colnago team in 2005; Claude Criquielion became the team's manager.

From 2006 until his death Criquielion was an alderman for the liberal MR in Lessines.

During the night of 15–16 February 2015, Criquielion suffered a cerebrovascular accident and he was hospitalized in critical condition.[2] Criquelion died at 9:00 AM on 18 February 2015 in a hospital in Aalst.[3][4]

Career achievements edit

Major results edit

1979
1st   Escalada a Montjuïc
1st   Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
1st Escalada a Montjuïc
9th Overall Tour de France
1980
Tirreno–Adriatico
1st Stage 4
Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
1st Stage 3b
3rd Overall Vuelta a España
1981
9th Overall Tour de France
1982
1st Brabantse Pijl
4th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
5th Overall Paris–Nice
9th Giro di Lombardia
1983
1st Clásica de San Sebastián
8th Tour du Haut Var
1984
1st   Road race, UCI Road World Championships
1st Grand Prix Eddy Merckx
1st   Escalada a Montjuïc
Tour de Luxembourg
1st Stage 1
1st Escalada a Montjuïc
2nd Grand Prix de Wallonie
3rd Critérium des As
7th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
7th Giro di Lombardia
9th Overall Tour de France
1985
1st La Flèche Wallonne
1st Polynormande
2nd Road race
2nd Liège–Bastogne–Liège
2nd Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen
3rd Grand Prix de Wallonie
3rd Critérium des As
6th Tour of Flanders
8th Amstel Gold Race
1986
1st   Overall Tour de Romandie
1st   Mountains classification
1st Combined classification
1st   Overall Midi Libre
1st Grand Prix du Midi Libre
1st Stage 2 and 4
Points classification
3rd La Flèche Wallonne
3rd Super Prestige Pernod
4th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
5th Overall Tour de France
8th Tour of Flanders
9th Amstel Gold Race
1987
1st Grand Prix José Samyn
1st Tour of Flanders
1st GP de Fayt-le-Franc
Tour de Luxembourg
1st Stage 4
2nd La Flèche Wallonne
3rd Liège–Bastogne–Liège
3rd Super Prestige Pernod
7th Giro di Lombardia
10th Overall Paris–Nice
1988
1st Critérium des As
1st Grand Prix de Wallonie
1st GP de Purnode
1st Grand Prix du Midi Libre
1st Stage 2
2nd Tour du Vaucluse
3rd Amstel Gold Race
5th Gent–Wevelgem
8th Züri–Metzgete
1989
1st La Flèche Wallonne
1st GP Michel Goffin à Huppaye
2nd Amstel Gold Race
5th E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
7th Overall Giro d'Italia
1990
1st   Road race, National Road Championships
2nd Tour du Haut Var
8th Tour of Flanders
6th Giro di Lombardia
9th Overall Tour de France
1991
2nd Liège–Bastogne–Liège
2nd La Flèche Wallonne
7th Overall Paris–Nice

Source[5][6]

Grand Tour general classification results timeline edit

Grand Tour 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990
  Vuelta a España 3 DNF
  Giro d'Italia 7
  Tour de France 9 13 9 DNF 18 9 18 5 11 14 36 9

References edit

  1. ^ "Affaire-Criquelion krijgt een staartje" [Affair Criquelion gets a tail]. de Volkskrant (in Dutch). 8 August 1985. p. 8. Retrieved 2 April 2020 – via Delpher.
  2. ^ Ex-wereldkampioen wielrennen Criquielion kritiek na hersenberoerte
  3. ^ Claude Criquielion overleden
  4. ^ Claudy Criquielion: Cyclist whose many wins were overshadowed by a race he famously lost and the ensuing legal fall-out
  5. ^ "Palmarès de Claude CRIQUIELION (Bel)". Mémoire du Cyclisme.
  6. ^ "Claude Criquielion – Victories". WVCycling.

External links edit

  • Claude Criquielion at Cycling Archives
  • Official Tour de France results for Claude Criquielion
  • Palmares on Cycling Base Archived 22 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine (in French)