{"id":5784,"date":"2024-03-03T12:11:27","date_gmt":"2024-03-03T12:11:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vintagefiets.be\/?p=5784"},"modified":"2024-03-03T12:29:08","modified_gmt":"2024-03-03T12:29:08","slug":"de-ontnomen-wereldtitel-van-claude-criquielion-op-het-wk-1988-in-ronse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vintagefiets.be\/en\/de-ontnomen-wereldtitel-van-claude-criquielion-op-het-wk-1988-in-ronse\/","title":{"rendered":"The world title taken from Claude Criquielion at the 1988 World Championships in Ronse"},"content":{"rendered":"

A while ago there was a survey in a Flemish newspaper about who was the best Belgian rider after Eddy Merckx and I believe it was a battle between Roger De Vlaeminck and Claude Criquielion with the latter coming out on top. Unfortunately I can't find anything more about this information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Claude Criquielion in 1984 as the brand new professional world champion<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Criquielion, who unfortunately died far too early at the age of only 58 due to a long-term illness, was a fantastic all-round rider with victories in, among others, the Tour of Flanders, the Fl\u00e8che Wallonne, the Clasica San Sebastian, the 1984 World Championship in Barcelona, a 3rd place in the 1980 Vuelta and a 5th place in the 1986 Tour de France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tragic 1988 World Championship in Ronse<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Criquielion will always be remembered for the tragic incident at the 1988 World Championship in Ronse. Who doesn't remember the images of Claudy walking across the finish line on foot with a broken bicycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Criquielion would probably have become world champion again, had he not been beaten in the final sprint by the Canadian cyclist Steve Bauer<\/strong> who pushed him into the crush barriers. Criquielion fell and his 2nd world title was gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The third fellow escapee, the Italian Maurizio Fondriest<\/strong>, was able to get past Bauer who had stopped and thus grabbed the world title. Bauer was shouted at by Belgian supporters, Criquielion appealed to the jury, but Fondriest was later honored on stage as the new world champion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Criquielion, like all Belgian supporters, felt robbed and decided to start a lawsuit against Steve Bauer. This lawsuit, which lasted no less than 8 years, resulted in a hangover for Criquielion. He lost and had to pay the legal costs himself, which amounted to around \u20ac12,500.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 1988 World Championships in Ronse remain a black page for both Criquielion, which has never been able to forget the incident, and for Belgian cycling with a world title taken away. Eddy Planckaert once said that Criquielion thanked him after his victory in Paris Roubaix in 1990 because he had beaten Bauer in the sprint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belga Sport made a broadcast about this that you can watch on YouTube or below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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