Omer Verschoore

Omer Verschoore

Omer Verschoore (born December 2, 1888 in Moorslede , † June 6, 1931 in Paris ) was a Belgian cyclist .

Omer Verschoore was a professional racing driver from 1911 to 1914. During this time he was able to achieve two great successes: he won at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and became Belgian road racing champion, both in 1912. In 1914 he competed in the Tour de France , but gave up during the tenth stage.

The Belgian road championship in 1912 was held according to a new mode: the drivers had to complete several races for which points were awarded. The races were Liège-Bastogne-Liège (1st), Liège-Charleroi (3rd), Paris-Brussels (8th), The Star of Charleroi (1st) and the Tour of Belgium (6th). This system turned out to be unattractive to the spectators, and the following year they reverted to the one-day race mode. It was not until 1923 that the points system was reintroduced for two years.

Omer Verschoore was one of 15 children; his parents ran the “Het Brouwershof” café in Moorslede. When the First World War broke out , he volunteered for the military with some of his brothers; his brother Maurice fell. During the war, Verschoore met a French woman whom he married and with whom he moved to Paris. There he died a tragic accidental death in 1931: During the Paris colonial exhibition in Vincennes , he was pushed against a wall by a tractor.

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 , p. 48f.

Web links

• Omer Verschoore in the Radsportseiten.net database