Victor Linart

Victor Linart

Victor Linart (born May 26, 1889 in Floreffe , † October 23, 1977 in Verneuil-sur-Avre ) was a Belgian cyclist and four-time world champion.

At the age of 14, Victor Linart won his first bike race in his hometown at a fair. He did a commercial apprenticeship at an ice cream factory, but soon found that winning a bike race could earn him a month's salary. In 1908, Victor Linart started as an amateur at the Ronde van Limburg and finished second, winning the Ardennes Tour . In 1909 he became a professional and competed as such in races until 1933; he also focused on standing races during these years . When the black-haired, dark-skinned Linart broke his nose in a fall in Berlin in 1912 and it subsequently remained flat, he was nicknamed "Sioux".

Linart raced in the United States during World War I; he supplied the prisoners in Floreffe prison with parcels.

Linart was 15 times Belgian professional standing champion, for the last time in 1931. In 1913 Linart won the title of European champion of standing. In 1920 he finished second at the UCI rail world championships in Antwerp , and the following year he became world champion in Copenhagen . He was able to repeat this success three times, in 1924 in Paris , 1926 in Milan and in 1927 on the cycling track in the stadium at the zoo in Elberfeld (now part of Wuppertal). In the following years he took a second and two third places at world championships.

In 1933 Linart ended his cycling career. He settled in France, opened a timber trade and took French citizenship in 1937. Both in his hometown of Floreffe and in his later place of residence Verneuil-sur-Avré in France streets were named after Linart. In Verneuil-sur-Avre, the cycling tourism race “Challenge Victor Linart” is held every year.

Web links

• Victor Linart in the database of Radsportseiten.net

Individual evidence

1. ^ Verlag der Radwelt (ed.): Sport album of the Rad world . Strauss-Verlag, Berlin 1911, p. 55 .
2. ↑ Bloggen.be: "Victor Linart" accessed on May 8, 2010 (Dutch)
3. ↑ eclairagesouterrain.com: "Victor Linart" accessed on May 8, 2010 (French)