Albert Ramon

Albert Ramon (born November 1, 1920 in Brugge , † March 21, 1993 in Eeklo ) was a Belgian cyclist .

Albert Ramon was a professional cyclist from 1941 to 1951. In 1946 he won the overall ranking of the Tour of Belgium , the course of which suffered from stormy weather, so that of 140 starters only 19 reached the finish. In 1947 he won the National Sluitingsprijs and took second place in the Tour of Belgium in the same year . In 1948 he was second on the Tour of Flanders , and in 1949 he won Paris-Tours . In 1950 he became Belgian road racing champion.

Ramon could not develop his qualities as a racing driver during the occupation in World War II . In 1943 he came into the focus of the Gestapo and was not allowed to race; when he was about to be drafted as a slave laborer, he went underground. His father was arrested instead.

In 1951 Albert Ramon was hit by a car while racing in Waarschoot and was so badly injured that there was fear for his life. He was operated on 17 times. Fausto Coppi visited him at his sick bed and gave him a necklace blessed by the Pope. Ramon recovered, but his legs remained paralyzed and he was forced to sit in a wheelchair. He died of a cardiac thrombosis on March 21, 1993 while watching Milan-Sanremo on television .

literature

• Herman Laitem, Jozef Hamels: De Tricolore Trui. 1882-2007. 125 Jaar Belgian Campaign Schappen. Pinguin Productions et al., Balegem et al. 2008, ISBN 978-90-73322-21-9 , pp. 120f.

Web links

• Albert Ramon in the database of Radsportseiten.net