70’s Rider Interview: Wilfried Wesemael was out of the robust Belgian college of motorbike riders who labored had for his crew leaders, with some success of his personal thrown in. Ed Hood caught up with the person from Aalst to chew over outdated occasions.
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The 70’s and early 80’s – nice automobiles, nice music, nice bike riders and the Ti Raleigh crew. A person who was an integral a part of that mighty formation for 4 years was Wilfried Wesemael.
The Belgian from Aalst – well-known for the post-Tour criterium – had an excellent beginner profession, rode within the 1972 Munich Olympics then was knowledgeable for a decade, using for Hertekamp, varied incarnations of ‘Baron’ Jean de Gribaldy’s groups, Frisol, the mighty Raleigh crew and Safir throughout a stable skilled profession.
His greatest successes have been Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne in 1974, a stage within the Vuelta in 1975 and the general within the Tour of Switzerland in 1979. Nonetheless, he was by no means actually the identical experience once more after a horror crash on Stage Three of the 1979 Tour de France – one of many hardest days the Tour has ever seen with a dozen riders abandoning on a savage day within the Pyrenees. Due to the great places of work of Scotsman, Laurence Morgan who retains the Ti Raleigh flame burning together with his ‘Ti Raleigh Classic Biking Membership GB’ we bought the possibility to place some inquiries to Wilfried.
Jan Raas, Aad v.d. Hoek, Piet van Katwijk, Bert Oosterbosch, Joop Zoetemelk, Paul Wellens, Bert Pronk, Leo van Vliet, Herrie Knetemann, Henk Lubberding, Frankie de Gendt and Wilfried Wesemael
PEZ: You have been an excellent monitor rider as an beginner with nationwide titles to your identify – did you ever contemplate a monitor profession?
Wilfried Wesemael: Sure, I used to be an excellent monitor rider as beginner however as professional it was not straightforward to interrupt into the circuit for the winter six day races the place the cash was to be made, so I selected to go for the highway.
PEZ: Which crew did you flip professional with and the way did you get the experience?
I turned professional with the Hertekamp crew in September ‘73 after an excellent pal advisable me to the crew administration. Hertekamp, the sponsor is a well-known Belgian genever – that’s a juniper gin which is in style right here in Belgium.
PEZ: After Hertekamp you signed with the legendary determine of Jean de Gribaldy for season ‘74?
After the six days of Antwerp I acquired a suggestion from M.I.C. De Gribaldy Ludo and stayed with Jean de Gribaldy’s groups for 3 years. The crew turned Alsaver De Gribaldy in ‘75 then Miko De Gribaldy for ’76.
PEZ: You received Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne in ’74 – a giant consequence for a younger professional.
My first professional victory was Kuurne Brussels Kuurne, sure. That was an incredible day; to beat the sprinters for the victory – there have been some quick guys there – Cyrille Guimard, Walter Planckaert, Freddy Maertens. . . No person knew my identify earlier than that day however that experience gave me a spot on the crew for Paris Good two Days later.
PEZ: You rode the Tour de France in ’74.
Sure, that yr I additionally bought a spot in our squad for the Tour de France, it was all so new for me – it was the primary time I’d even seen a mountain! Nonetheless, I completed the race with 4 prime 10 stage placings, so it wasn’t a foul debut.
Tour TTT
PEZ: In ’75 you received a Vuelta stage, one other large consequence.
Sure, ‘75 noticed me take victory within the Vuelta on Stage One; it was in dash, an incredible consequence however as a result of Roger Swerts beat me by 21 seconds within the prologue, I didn’t take the chief’s jersey, he held on to it. I used to be additionally second to Marino Basso on Stage 10 and had seven different prime 10 stage placings in that Vuelta, which was held within the spring again then.
PEZ: Season ’76 regarded quiet for you?
I used to be prime 10 in Het Volk, seventh in Paris-Good and eleventh in Milan-Sanremo; then I crashed and broke my collar bone – that was my season completed albeit I rode a couple of races late season, like GP Fourmies.
With Frisol
PEZ: The Frisol crew in ’77.
Sure, ‘77 within the Frisol crew with the likes of Don Allan, Fedor den Hertog and Jan Raas was an excellent expertise. I took second place general within the Tour Mediterranean and later third place in Milan-Sanremo with Jan Raas the victor, that was such an incredible day for the crew with two of us on the rostrum. And it was a brand new begin for me.
Tour’78: Jan Raas, Wilfried Wesemael, Klaus-Peter Thaler, Aad van der Hoek, Paul Wellens, Jose de Cauwer, Henk Lubberding, Gerrie Knetemann and Gerben Karstens
PEZ: The mighty Raleigh crew for ’78.
We had good bikes, good assist; it was a really skilled, nicely organised crew.
PEZ: You bought the yr off to an incredible begin with victory within the GP of Cannes?
That was a yr of nice performances for me and the crew. Victory in Cannes was satisfying however I did a lot good work as a domestique for the crew and Jan Raas particularly, that yr. We scored a number of victories that yr and within the crew time trials we have been one of the best – a really sturdy crew.
Tour TTT
PEZ: Season ’79 noticed your greatest win, the Tour de Suisse.
Sure, that was my greatest victory; but additionally a victory of the crew – though I used to be in nice type that yr. The mountains the place no drawback to me and towards the watch; I used to be good with sixth and third locations within the race’s two time trails behind my crew mate, the late Gerrie Knetemann who received them each.
PEZ: You received a criterium in Nottingham, England in 1980; Raleigh’s house city – that will need to have been a pleasant victory.
Sure, it was satisfying, I’d had bronchitis earlier that yr so it was good to return again and win on the sponsor’s doorstep. However I used to be in a giant crash the place I sustained a foul again damage and broke my ankle within the Tour de France in 1979 on Stage Three, proper after my Suisse win. I had punctured and was chasing to get again to the peloton, on a descent within the mist I went over the sting and fell 5 metres. I used to be by no means actually the identical once more after that.
PEZ: Your final yr was with Safir in 1982. . .
Sure, however that wasn’t a cheerful expertise and I finished racing. I opened a snack bar which I ran proper up till final yr when Covid stopped the whole lot. However once I look again on my skilled biking profession, I’ve no regrets.
# With because of Wilfried and Laurence. #
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