Criquielion fighting for his life after stroke

frenchfighter

Feb 16, 2015 – Belgium’s former world cycling champion Claude Criquielion is fighting for his life after suffering a severe stroke on Monday morning, organisers of the Grand Prix Criquielion have announced.

AFP/Yuzuru Sunada
The 58-year-old is in a “desperate state” and has been hospitalised in Aalst where he is in critical condition, according to several Belgian dailies including L’Avenir and SudPresse. Criquielion was a professional road racer between 1979 and 1991 and won the world road race championship at Barcelona in 1984.

He nearly added a second title in 1988, at Renaix in his homeland, when he was leading a sprint finish down the stretch only to be knocked over by Canadian Steve Bauer which allowed Italian Maurizio Fondriest to go on and unexpectedly take the rainbow jersey.

Criquielion, whose best finish in the Tour de France was fifth in 1986, also won the Belgian championship in 1990 as well as the 1987 Tour of Flanders and Fleche Wallone in 1985 and 1989.

deejay

Sad News but if ever a man could fight on a bike then Claudy would be near the front.
I thought you had missed a win in Liege but it's just me having a thing about whenever his name is mentioned I think of him charging past on Côte de la Redoute a couple of times.
Oh I do so, wish him well.

specialgueststar

thats bad news and so young

his world champ decking should of course been in the best photos bit

I was just reading about him in The Monuments - a Wallonian

jimmythecuckoo

A real shame...

RichN95.

Sadly it's being reported that he has died. Only 58, poor bloke

FJS

Sad news.

He'll always be remembered for that lost World Championship, the incident with Steve Bauer, more than the World Championship he actually won on Montjuich

jimmythecuckoo

RIP Criq the Lion.

jimmythecuckoo

http://sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrennen/1.2242284

frenchfighter

joelsim

RIP fella

andyp

Sad news. Quite often the bridesmaid rather than the bride, but he is one of the few (the only?) Walloon to win Flanders and was a quality rider.

iainf72

andyp wrote:

Sad news. Quite often the bridesmaid rather than the bride, but he is one of the few (the only?) Walloon to win Flanders and was a quality rider.

And so solid in the Ardennes races, as well as good record in GT's

Sad news for sure.

tlw1

rip

frenchfighter

@velonews
Follow
Meersman at Algarve: "I didn't know him personally, but know he was a big champion, and I dedicate this to Claude."

dolan_driver

Very sad news.

Criquielion was good friends with Sean Kelly, having ridden together early in their respective careers at Splendor. Even though they were rivals in later years, they would often form alliances that benefited both riders. Criquielion contributed to Kelly's 1985 Tour of Lombardy win while the two of them combined in the 1987 Tour of Flanders and Criquielion won that day.

DD.

dolan_driver

That might be Kelly on his shoulder so this might be the 85 Tour of Lombardy.

DD.

frenchfighter

Yes.

frenchfighter

Another shot of them here:


From this great writeup:
http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/features/ ... OdUXvmsVQ0

specialgueststar

Kelly looks like he's on 18 mm

Paul 8v

RIP :-(

deejay

frenchfighter wrote:

Another shot of them here:

Typical Hard man weather with those two setting the pace.
Great picture - toe clips and straps with bottles, in the Ardennes perhaps.
RIP Claude, nice to have watched you.

frenchfighter

Good piece covering Roche's thoughts:
http://cyclingtips.com.au/2015/02/roche ... man-racer/

timoid.

frenchfighter wrote:

Good piece covering Roche's thoughts:
http://cyclingtips.com.au/2015/02/roche ... man-racer/

The last few paragraphs depressed me. A 59 year old man having a fatal stroke is very sad, but not that unusual.

RIP Claude