Briek Schotte (1919-2004)

benjo maso

How fitting that Briek Schotte died during the Ronde van Vlaanderen.
Although he had won other important races (Paris-Tours, Paris-Bruxelles
Gand-Wevelgem, and Worldchampionship) he has always been been identified
with the Ronde. Not only because he paticipated 20 times in a row, winning
twice (1942 and 1948), but also because he personified almost perfectly the
"national spririt" of the Flemish people, propagated by Karen van
Wijnendaele, the founder of the Ronde: not in the least elegant or stylish,
but hard-working, tough and honest.
Schotte was the son of a poverty-stricken farmer. He had five brothers
and sisters and because the family couldn't afford a bicycle for all six,
every day young Briek had to take two of his brothers on his bike when he
went to school, five miles from his home. It must have been a good training,
because when he was fifteen, he discovered he could beat most other boys in
local races. He also discoverd that on a bike he could make much more money
than as a farm-hand. However, he realized he had to have some training if he
wanted to become a professional. Because he had to do his nine-hours working
day at the farm of his parents, he started at four or five in the morning to
have some spare hours in the afternoon. No wonder, later in his career he
was considerd one of the toughest riders of the peloton. He proved it in the
terrible stages in the Alpes of the TdF of 1948 when it was freezing and
snowing. He wasn't a climber at all, but he was only beaten by Gino Bartali.
'
Schotte's style as a rider was unique. He bent over his handlebars as a
predator over his prey, the upper body part of his body shaked constantly
from the left to the right, and every movement seemd to cost an incredible
effert. Moreover, he moaned constantly as loud as a woman tennis player. One
of his collegues told once: when I had a weak moment, I only had to look at
Schotte to feel much better. His style seemed not very efficient, but that
didn't impede him to become one of the best riders of his generation. What's
more, he as one the very few who didn't use doping, he never bought or sold
a race and - as one of his collegues said - he was honest beyond belief.
May he rest in peace.

Benjo Maso


His results in the Ronde van Vlaanderen:

1940: third.
1941: abandoned after 3 flats
1942: won
1943: 18th
1944: second
1945: 23d
1946: third
1947: abandoned after two flats
1948: won
1949: third
1950: second
1951: abandoned (sick)
1952: third
1953: 15th
1954: 21st
1955: 24th
1956: 8th
1957: 21st
1958: 6th
1959: abandoned after he broke his frame.