Pole demeuter

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500 cc FN racing machine from 1932

Leopold "Pol" Demeuter (born May 9, 1904 in Ganshoren , † July 2, 1934 in Germany ) was a Belgian motorcycle racer .

Career

Pol Demeuter began his racing career in 1926 as an amateur . After a quick initial success, he decided to become a professional racing driver and was hired by the motorcycle manufacturer Rush . In 1929 he became a works driver at Saroléa , for which he was immediately very successful. At the beginning of the 1930 season, an accident put the Belgian out of action for the rest of the year. In 1931 he was the Belgian 500 cc champion on Saroléa .

For the 1932 season Pol Demeuter moved to FN , but was not very successful there in his first year. In 1933 he achieved three 500 cc victories, including the Circuit de Floreffe and the Grand Trophy de l'Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse in Mettet .

Demeuter started the 1934 racing season with four wins, winning the 500cc races in Mettet, Floreffe and the Grand Prix des Frontières in Chimay, as well as the Belgian championship title in Spa-Francorchamps . Pol Demeuter secured his fifth win in the fifth race of the season at the XI. European Grand Prix of the FICM on June 23, 1934. The race was held that year as part of the Dutch TT in Assen , the Netherlands , and Demeuter thus won the title in the 500 cc class of the European Road Championship . The Belgian won ahead of his compatriot and team-mate Erik Haps , who started under the pseudonym Noir after Haps fell while in the lead on the last lap.

The accident site: the Sachsenring around Hohenstein-Ernstthal

The following weekend, Pol Demeuter had a serious accident in the 500 cm³ race for the German Grand Prix for motorcycles , which took place on the Badberg-Viereck (today's Sachsenring ) in Hohenstein-Ernstthal . On that hot day in the Queckenberg curve , the last curve before the start and finish, he slipped on a patch of tar and fell. Demeuter was admitted to a nearby hospital with fractures in both legs. At first glance, his condition was described as not critical. In truth, however, both legs were shattered and should have been amputated . This operation did not take place, however, as Demeuter's condition deteriorated rapidly during the night and he died in the early morning of July 2, 1934.

In addition to Demeuter, Noir and the 500cc European champion of the previous season , Gunnar Kalén from Sweden , had a fatal accident in the race.

title

References

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Jules Tacheny: 1934 - Année de sacre, Année de cendres. www.jules-tacheny.be, accessed on February 11, 2009 (French).
  2. ^ A b Vincent Glon: Le Circuit de Floreffe (Belgique). racingmemo.free.fr, accessed February 11, 2009 (French).
  3. ^ A b Vincent Glon: Trophy de l'Entre-Sambre-et-Meuse - Mettet (Belgique). racingmemo.free.fr, accessed February 11, 2009 (French).
  4. ^ Vincent Glon: Le Grand Prix des Frontières - Chimay (Belgique). racingmemo.free.fr, accessed February 11, 2009 (French).
  5. ↑ Vincent Glon: L'Histoire de la course moto; 5th partie: Les Grand Prix d'Europe. (1924-1937); 1934. racingmemo.free, accessed February 11, 2009 (French).
personal data
SURNAME Demeuter, Pol
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Demeuter, Leopold (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Belgian motorcycle racer
DATE OF BIRTH May 9, 1904
PLACE OF BIRTH Ganshoren
DATE OF DEATH July 2, 1934
Place of death Germany