Rik Van Linden (born 28 July 1949 in
Wilrijk
Wilrijk (; former, original spelling: ''Wilrijck'') is a district of the municipality and city of Antwerp in the Belgian province of Antwerp. Wilrijk had been a separate municipality before January 1, 1983; the enlarged municipality of Antwerp w ...
, Antwerp) is a
Belgian
Belgian may refer to:
* Something of, or related to, Belgium
* Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent
* Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German
*Ancient Belgian language, an extinct language ...
former
road bicycle racer
Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most common ...
. He won the
points classification in the
1975 Tour de France
The 1975 Tour de France was the 62nd edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It took place between 26 June and 20 July, with 22 stages covering a distance of . Eddy Merckx was attempting to win his sixth Tour de France, bu ...
, ahead of
Eddy Merckx
Édouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx (, ; born 17 June 1945), better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional road and track bicycle racer who is among the most successful riders in the history of competitive cycling. His victorie ...
.
Van Linden also won several stages in all of the three
Grand Tours
In road bicycle racing, a Grand Tour is one of the three major European professional cycling stage races: Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, and Vuelta a España. Collectively they are termed the ''Grand Tours'', and all three races are similar in ...
, and the
classic cycle race Paris–Tours
Paris–Tours is a French one-day classic road cycling race held every October from the outskirts of Paris to the cathedral city of Tours. It is a predominantly flat course through the Chevreuse and Loire valleys; the highest point is 200&nbs ...
twice (1971, 1973).
Through his career, he eventually won 359 races, of which 73 as junior cyclist in 1968.
Major results
Road
;1968
: 1st
Road race
Road racing, road race of road racer may refer to:
* Road racing in motorsport
* Road running on foot
* Road bicycle racing
* ''Road Race'', initial name of 1976 arcade game ''Fonz'' (video game)
* Roadracers (1994 film)
* Roadracers (1959 fi ...
, National Junior Road Championships
;1969
: 1st
Ronde van Vlaanderen Beloften
;1970
: 1st

Omnium, National Amateur Track Championships
;1971
: 1st
Paris–Tours
Paris–Tours is a French one-day classic road cycling race held every October from the outskirts of Paris to the cathedral city of Tours. It is a predominantly flat course through the Chevreuse and Loire valleys; the highest point is 200&nbs ...
: 2nd
Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen
Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen (Championship of Flanders) or Koolskamp Koerse is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in September in Koolskamp (part-municipality of Ardooie), West Flanders, Belgium. Since 2005, the race is organized as a ...
: 2nd
Omloop der Zennevallei
Omloop is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Geert Omloop (born 1974), Belgian road racing cyclist
* Laura Omloop (born 1999), Belgian pop singer
* Wim Omloop
Wim Omloop (born 5 October 1971) is a Belgian former cyclist. He ...
: 3rd
GP di Larciano
: 8th
Trofeo Matteotti
Trofeo Matteotti is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in Pescara
Pescara (; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Abruzzese, Pescàrë; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Pescarese, Piscàrë) is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, ...
: 9th
Scheldeprijs
The Scheldeprijs is a cycling race in Flanders and the Netherlands which starts in Terneuzen, crosses the Scheldt River, and finishes in Schoten. Until 2018 it was held entirely in Belgium. The event, ranked as a 1.HC race on the UCI Europe Tou ...
;1972
:
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consist ...
:: 1st Stage 2
:: 2nd Points Classification
: 1st Stage 5a
Tirreno–Adriatico
Tirreno–Adriatico, nicknamed the "Race of the Two Seas", is an elite road cycling stage race in Italy, run between the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic coasts. Traditionally held in the early part of the season, it is considered to be an important pre ...
: 3rd GP van Malderen
: 8th
Paris–Tours
Paris–Tours is a French one-day classic road cycling race held every October from the outskirts of Paris to the cathedral city of Tours. It is a predominantly flat course through the Chevreuse and Loire valleys; the highest point is 200&nbs ...
: 9th
Amstel Gold Race
The Amstel Gold Race is an annual one-day classic cycle races, classic road bicycle race, road cycling race held in the province of Limburg (Netherlands), Limburg, Netherlands. It traditionally marks the turning point of the Classic cycle races#S ...
: 10th
Brussel-Ingooigem
;1973
: 1st
Paris–Tours
Paris–Tours is a French one-day classic road cycling race held every October from the outskirts of Paris to the cathedral city of Tours. It is a predominantly flat course through the Chevreuse and Loire valleys; the highest point is 200&nbs ...
:
Giro d'Italia
:: 1st Stages 7 & 17
:
Paris–Nice
Paris–Nice is a professional cycling stage race in France, held annually since 1933. Raced over eight days, the race usually starts with a prologue in the Paris region and ends with a final stage either in Nice or on the Col d'Èze overlook ...
:: 1st Stages 2, 3b (
TTT), 5 & 5a
:
Tour of Belgium
The Tour of Belgium ( nl, Ronde van België; french: Tour de Belgique) is a five-day bicycle race which is held annually in Belgium, and is part of the UCI ProSeries.
It was held annually between 1908 and 1981, except during both world wars. Be ...
:: 1st Prologue (
TTT)
:
Giro di Sardegna
:: 1st Stages 1, 2 & 4b
: 1st Puivelde Koerse
: 2nd
Grand Prix Pino Cerami
Grand Prix Pino Cerami is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in April in Hainaut, Belgium. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. Giuseppe 'Pino' Cerami, after whom the race is named, is a former Belg ...
: 3rd Overall
Vuelta a Andalucía
The Vuelta a Andalucía (Tour of Andalusia) or Ruta del Sol (Route of the Sun) is a regional Spanish road bicycle race first held in 1925. Since 2005, it has been a 2.1 category race on the UCI Europe Tour. The race became a part of the new UCI P ...
:: 1st Prologue & Stages 1, 4 & 6
: 3rd
Paris–Brussels
The Brussels Cycling Classic (known until June 2013 as Paris–Brussels) is a classic cycle races, semi classic European Road bicycle racing, bicycle race, one of the oldest races on the international calendar.
History
Paris–Brussels was first ...
: 4th
Milan–San Remo
Milan–San Remo (in Italian ''Milano-Sanremo''), also called "''The Spring classic''" or "''La Classicissima''", is an annual road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance of 298 km (~185.2 miles) it is ...
: 10th
E3 Harelbeke
E3 Saxo Bank Classic, previously known as E3 BinckBank Classic, E3 Harelbeke, Harelbeke–Antwerp–Harelbeke and E3-Prijs Vlaanderen, is an annual road cycling race in Flanders, Belgium. The race starts and finishes in Harelbeke, covering 203 ki ...
;1974
: 1st

Overall
Giro di Sardegna
:
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España (; en, Tour of Spain) is an annual multi-stage bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia, the ...
:: 1st Stages 3 & 4
: 10th Overall
Paris–Nice
Paris–Nice is a professional cycling stage race in France, held annually since 1933. Raced over eight days, the race usually starts with a prologue in the Paris region and ends with a final stage either in Nice or on the Col d'Èze overlook ...
:: 1st

Points Classification
:: 1st Stage 7a
: 1st
Omloop der Zuid-West-Vlaamse Bergen
: 2nd
Grote Prijs Jef Scherens
Grote Prijs Jef Scherens is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in September in Leuven, Belgium. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. The race is named after the seven-time professional sprint world ...
: 2nd Omloop Schelde-Durme
: 3rd
Omloop Het Volk
: 3rd
Grand Prix Pino Cerami
Grand Prix Pino Cerami is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in April in Hainaut, Belgium. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. Giuseppe 'Pino' Cerami, after whom the race is named, is a former Belg ...
: 3rd GP van Malderen
: 5th
Scheldeprijs
The Scheldeprijs is a cycling race in Flanders and the Netherlands which starts in Terneuzen, crosses the Scheldt River, and finishes in Schoten. Until 2018 it was held entirely in Belgium. The event, ranked as a 1.HC race on the UCI Europe Tou ...
: 6th
Grand Prix of Aargau Canton
Grand Prix of Aargau Canton (german: Grosser Preis des Kantons Aargau) is a semi classic European bicycle race held in Aargau canton, one of the more northerly cantons of Switzerland.
The race consists of fifteen laps around the Swiss town of ...
: 7th
Tour of Flanders
The Tour of Flanders ( nl, Ronde van Vlaanderen), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road cycling race held in Belgium every spring. The most important cycling race in Flanders, it is part of the UCI World Tour and orga ...
: 7th
Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen
Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen (Championship of Flanders) or Koolskamp Koerse is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in September in Koolskamp (part-municipality of Ardooie), West Flanders, Belgium. Since 2005, the race is organized as a ...
: 8th
Paris–Tours
Paris–Tours is a French one-day classic road cycling race held every October from the outskirts of Paris to the cathedral city of Tours. It is a predominantly flat course through the Chevreuse and Loire valleys; the highest point is 200&nbs ...
: 9th
Road race
Road racing, road race of road racer may refer to:
* Road racing in motorsport
* Road running on foot
* Road bicycle racing
* ''Road Race'', initial name of 1976 arcade game ''Fonz'' (video game)
* Roadracers (1994 film)
* Roadracers (1959 fi ...
, National Road Championships
;1975
:
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consist ...
:: 1st
Points classification
:: 1st Stages 1b, 19 & 21
: 1st
Milano–Vignola
The Milano–Vignola was a professional road bicycle race held annually in the Province of Modena, Italy. The last edition took place in 1996, becoming the Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli in 1997.
Winners
...
: 1st Stage 5
Giro d'Italia
: 1st Stage 3a
Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
The Catalan Cycling Week (''Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme'' in Catalan) was a multi-stage road bicycle race held in Catalonia, Spain. Held annually from 1963 until 2005, it was run as a 2.HC race on the UCI Europe Tour in the second half of March ...
: 1st
GP Union Dortmund
: 2nd
Grand Prix Pino Cerami
Grand Prix Pino Cerami is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in April in Hainaut, Belgium. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. Giuseppe 'Pino' Cerami, after whom the race is named, is a former Belg ...
: 3rd
Gent–Wevelgem
Gent–Wevelgem, officially Gent–Wevelgem – In Flanders Fields, is a road cycling race in Belgium, held annually since 1934. It is one of the classic races part of the Flemish Cycling Week, run in late March on the last Sunday before the Tou ...
: 3rd
Dwars door West-Vlaanderen
Dwars door West-Vlaanderen is a road bicycle race through the Belgian province of West Flanders.
History
The race was originally created unter the name Omloop der Vlaamse Ardennen (''English'': Tour of the Flemish Ardennes
The Ardennes (f ...
: 5th
Tour of Flanders
The Tour of Flanders ( nl, Ronde van Vlaanderen), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road cycling race held in Belgium every spring. The most important cycling race in Flanders, it is part of the UCI World Tour and orga ...
: 7th
Brabantse Pijl
The Brabantse Pijl ( en, Brabant Arrow, french: italic=yes, Flèche Brabançonne or ''Flèche Branconne'') is a Flanders Classics road bicycle race held annually in Flemish Brabant and in Walloon Brabant, Belgium. Since 2005, the race has been o ...
;1976
: 1st
Milano–Vignola
The Milano–Vignola was a professional road bicycle race held annually in the Province of Modena, Italy. The last edition took place in 1996, becoming the Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli in 1997.
Winners
...
: 1st
Giro di Campania
: 1st Stage 5a
Tirreno–Adriatico
Tirreno–Adriatico, nicknamed the "Race of the Two Seas", is an elite road cycling stage race in Italy, run between the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic coasts. Traditionally held in the early part of the season, it is considered to be an important pre ...
: 1st Stage 1
Giro di Puglia
The Giro di Puglia ( en, Tour of Apulia) was a road bicycle racing stage race
A race stage, leg, or heat is a unit of a race that has been divided in several parts for the reason such as length of the distance to be covered, as in a multi-d ...
:
Giro d'Italia
:: 1st Stages 3 & 15
: 1st
:nl:Memorial Fred De Bruyne
: 2nd
Gent–Wevelgem
Gent–Wevelgem, officially Gent–Wevelgem – In Flanders Fields, is a road cycling race in Belgium, held annually since 1934. It is one of the classic races part of the Flemish Cycling Week, run in late March on the last Sunday before the Tou ...
: 6th
Milan–San Remo
Milan–San Remo (in Italian ''Milano-Sanremo''), also called "''The Spring classic''" or "''La Classicissima''", is an annual road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance of 298 km (~185.2 miles) it is ...
: 6th
Rund um den Henninger Turm
Rund is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Cathleen Rund (born 1977), German swimmer
* Hanno Rund (1925–1993), German mathematician
* Thorsten Rund (born 1976), German road and track cyclist
See also
* Rand (surname)
* Ru ...
;1977
: 1st
Milano–Torino
Milano–Torino is a semi classic European single day cycling race, between the northern Italian cities of Milan and Turin over a distance of 199 kilometres. The event was first run in 1876 making it the oldest classic race in the world. The ev ...
: 1st Stage 2a
Giro d'Italia
: 1st Stage 4
Tirreno–Adriatico
Tirreno–Adriatico, nicknamed the "Race of the Two Seas", is an elite road cycling stage race in Italy, run between the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic coasts. Traditionally held in the early part of the season, it is considered to be an important pre ...
: 1st Circuit de Niel
: 2nd Overall
Giro di Sardegna
:: 1st Stage 4
: 2nd
Acht van Chaam
Acht van Chaam ( en, Eight of Chaam) is an elite men's and women's professional road bicycle racing event held annually in Chaam, Netherlands. The first edition was in 1932 and since 1992 the event also includes a women's race.
Results
Men
...
: 2nd
Ronde van Limburg
: 2nd Maaslandse Pijl
: 4th
Milan–San Remo
Milan–San Remo (in Italian ''Milano-Sanremo''), also called "''The Spring classic''" or "''La Classicissima''", is an annual road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance of 298 km (~185.2 miles) it is ...
;1978
: 1st
Milano–Vignola
The Milano–Vignola was a professional road bicycle race held annually in the Province of Modena, Italy. The last edition took place in 1996, becoming the Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli in 1997.
Winners
...
: 1st Stage 5a
Tirreno–Adriatico
Tirreno–Adriatico, nicknamed the "Race of the Two Seas", is an elite road cycling stage race in Italy, run between the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic coasts. Traditionally held in the early part of the season, it is considered to be an important pre ...
: 10th Overall
Giro d'Italia
:: 1st Stages 1, 5 & 6
:
Giro di Puglia
The Giro di Puglia ( en, Tour of Apulia) was a road bicycle racing stage race
A race stage, leg, or heat is a unit of a race that has been divided in several parts for the reason such as length of the distance to be covered, as in a multi-d ...
:: 1st Stage 3
: 5th
Milan–San Remo
Milan–San Remo (in Italian ''Milano-Sanremo''), also called "''The Spring classic''" or "''La Classicissima''", is an annual road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance of 298 km (~185.2 miles) it is ...
: 7th
Gent–Wevelgem
Gent–Wevelgem, officially Gent–Wevelgem – In Flanders Fields, is a road cycling race in Belgium, held annually since 1934. It is one of the classic races part of the Flemish Cycling Week, run in late March on the last Sunday before the Tou ...
;1979
: 3rd
Grand Prix Pino Cerami
Grand Prix Pino Cerami is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in April in Hainaut, Belgium. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. Giuseppe 'Pino' Cerami, after whom the race is named, is a former Belg ...
: 7th Overall
Giro di Puglia
The Giro di Puglia ( en, Tour of Apulia) was a road bicycle racing stage race
A race stage, leg, or heat is a unit of a race that has been divided in several parts for the reason such as length of the distance to be covered, as in a multi-d ...
;1980
: 1st Stage 7a
Paris–Nice
Paris–Nice is a professional cycling stage race in France, held annually since 1933. Raced over eight days, the race usually starts with a prologue in the Paris region and ends with a final stage either in Nice or on the Col d'Èze overlook ...
:2nd
Grand Prix de Cannes
: 3rd
E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
E3 Saxo Bank Classic, previously known as E3 BinckBank Classic, E3 Harelbeke, Harelbeke–Antwerp–Harelbeke and E3-Prijs Vlaanderen, is an annual road cycling race in Flanders, Belgium. The race starts and finishes in Harelbeke, covering 203 kil ...
;1981
: 1st Ruddervoorde Koerse
:2nd Omloop van Neeroeteren
: 10th
Le Samyn
Le Samyn is an annual single-day road bicycle race in Belgium, held usually in late February or early March. The event was created in 1968 as ''Grand Prix de Fayt-le-Franc'', named after the former municipality where it started and finished. In 1 ...
;1982
: 3rd
Milano–Torino
Milano–Torino is a semi classic European single day cycling race, between the northern Italian cities of Milan and Turin over a distance of 199 kilometres. The event was first run in 1876 making it the oldest classic race in the world. The ev ...
Track
;1969
:3rd National Track Championships Juniors, Omnium
;1970
:1st

National Track Championships Amateurs, Omnium
;1972
: 2nd
Six Days of Antwerp with (
Patrick Sercu
Patrick Sercu (27 June 1944 – 19 April 2019) was a Belgian cyclist who was active on the road and track between 1961 and 1983. On track, he won the gold medal in the 1 km time trial at the 1964 Summer Olympics, as well as three world title ...
and
Alain van Lancker)
:3rd

National Track Championships, Madison (with
Norbert Seeuws)
;1973
:2nd

National Track Championships, Derny
:3rd
European Track Championships – Madison (with
Julien Stevens)
;1974
:2nd

National Track Championships, Madison (with
Julien Stevens)
: 2nd
Six Days of Antwerp (with
René Pijnen)
;1975
:2nd

National Track Championships, Madison (with
Julien Stevens)
;1976
:National Track Championships
::2nd

Madison (with
Dirk Baert
Dirk Baert (born 14 February 1949) is a Belgian retired road and track cyclist. On track, he won one gold and two bronze medals in the individual pursuit at the world championships in 1971, 1972 and 1975. He competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics ...
)
::3rd

Omnium
::3rd

Derny
: 2nd
Six Days of Milan (with
Felice Gimondi
Felice Gimondi (; 29 September 1942 – 16 August 2019) was an Italian professional racing cyclist. With his 1968 victory at the Vuelta a España, only three years after becoming a professional cyclist, Gimondi, nicknamed "The Phoenix", was the ...
)
: 3rd
Six Days of Antwerp (with
Graeme Gilmore)
;1977
:2nd

National Track Championships, Derny
: 1st
Six Days of Milan (with
Felice Gimondi
Felice Gimondi (; 29 September 1942 – 16 August 2019) was an Italian professional racing cyclist. With his 1968 victory at the Vuelta a España, only three years after becoming a professional cyclist, Gimondi, nicknamed "The Phoenix", was the ...
)
: 3rd
Six Days of Antwerp (with
René Pijnen)
;1978
:National Track Championships
::1st

Derny
;1979
:National Track Championships
::1st

Derny
: 2nd
Six Days of Antwerp (with
Patrick Sercu
Patrick Sercu (27 June 1944 – 19 April 2019) was a Belgian cyclist who was active on the road and track between 1961 and 1983. On track, he won the gold medal in the 1 km time trial at the 1964 Summer Olympics, as well as three world title ...
and
Roger De Vlaeminck
Roger De Vlaeminck (; born 24 August 1947) is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist. He was described by Rik Van Looy as "The most talented and the only real classics rider of his generation". Nicknamed “The Gypsy” because he was born ...
)
External links
*
*
Official Tour de France results for Rik Van Linden
{{DEFAULTSORT:Van Linden, Rik
1949 births
Belgian male cyclists
Living people
Belgian Tour de France stage winners
Belgian Giro d'Italia stage winners
Belgian Vuelta a España stage winners
People from Wilrijk
Cyclists from Antwerp