As we entered the final 10 km, 12 riders – the best – were still gathered. Van Springel was up against two not-to-be-underestimated “clans.” On the one hand, Eric Leman, surrounded by the strong Ronny Van Marcke, De Boever, Van Leeuwen, and Demuynck, and on the other, his three teammates E. Opdebeeck, Fons Debal, and M. Eyers, all three on fire and all equally eager for victory.

Van Springel’s only chance was to lose his opponents at the last minute, and we genuinely believed that Erik Leman, who had been the fastest in the sprint, would prevent this and that he would also have a lot of trouble with Eyers and Rosiers. This proved no problem for Herman. He attacked three times in quick succession. The third time, he took 50 meters. He was immediately exhausted. At the finish, he had 20 seconds, although Leman and Eyers desperately defended themselves.

He was a brilliant winner. Not only the unchallenged leader in the final, but also consistently among the leaders in the preceding 140 km.

Johan Demuynck, who had delivered a powerful performance last year not far away on almost the same roads in the national road championship, had indeed come to Nokere with the firm intention of distinguishing himself as a professional cyclist. The agile Waarschoot native, who had already ridden as sharply as in the most recent Tour of Flanders, proved to be the most persistent and deserving attacker over the first 100 km: his fighting spirit paid off.

He initially broke away from Eyers, Dierickx, Hutsebaut, Janbroers, Ongenae, Rosiers, Willekens, Van Springel, Van Bruaene, Vrijders, Van Leeuwen, Goossens, Leman, Georges Claes, Wagtmans, Debal, Karstens, De Boever, and Mahieu. But against general expectations, the peloton, which had reacted furiously, quickly came back.

Demunyck tried again around kilometer 65. This time, Janbroers and R. Van Marcke joined him. When the three were almost a minute ahead, the counteroffensive broke out. Rosiers, Van Springel, Opdebeeck, De Boever, Debal, Van Leeuwen, Eyers, Leman, Hutsebaut, Vanden Bossche, and Miel Lambrechts managed to join the three leaders. Vanden Bossche had to stay behind due to a breakdown, and the Dutchman Janbroers was dropped due to weakening.

The lively and therefore highly enjoyable race was decided immediately. The 12 leaders were never overtaken. Van Springel won after a very convincing attack.

Willem Van Wijnendaele

Result : 110 professional cyclists

1. Herman Van Springel 150 km. in 3 h 36 min.
2. Eric Leman on 30 “
3. Maurice Eyers on 40″
4. Roger Rosiers on 45″
5. Alfons De Bal on 55″
6. Englebert Opdebeeck
7. Hubert Hutsebaut
8. Ronny Van Marcke
9. Emiel Lambrecht
10. Harrie Van Leeuwen (nl)
11. Johan De Muynck
12. Jaak De Boever
13. Jaak Clauwaert on 1’40”
14. Georges Claes
15. Gerben Karstens (nl)
16. Herman Vrijders
17. Gustaaf Van Roosbroeck
18. Marc Desmet
19. André Dierickx
20. Rolf Thalmann (D)
21. Dieter Puschel (D)
22. Derk Harrison (GB)
23. Romain Furnière
24. Lucien Van Impe
25. Eric Spahn (D)

Herman Van Springel (Ranst, 14 August 1943) was a Belgian professional cyclist from 1965 to 1981. His nickname was Monsieur Bordeaux-Paris.

He became especially popular through races he nearly won. In the 1968 Tour de France, the time-trial specialist from the Belgian Kempen region seemed almost certain of victory on the final day, with a 16-second lead over Jan Janssen. But things turned out quite differently. Herman Van Springel blocked in the closing stages, while Janssen was just then really getting going. This cost Van Springel the overall victory: he missed out on the Tour de France victory by 38 seconds. He also finished second in the 1971 Giro d’Italia and third in the 1970 Vuelta a España. He also missed out on victory twice in Paris-Roubaix. At the 1968 World Championships, he was defeated by Italian Vittorio Adorni, and Herman Van Springel had to settle for the silver medal.

In 1971, Van Springel signed a contract with Eddy Merckx’s Molteni team. The Kempen native thus became a domestique for the cannibal, only occasionally allowed to ride for his own gain. In 1972, the domestique was dropped from the Tour de France team at the very last minute, having already signed a contract with Rokado for the following year. In the period following the Tour de France, he was banned from major races and was the only member of his team to start in Zottegem: he still managed to take victory.

Meanwhile, Herman van Springel had acquired the nickname “Monsieur Bordeaux-Paris.” With seven victories in Bordeaux-Paris, Herman van Springel holds the record for the monster Bordeaux-Paris race. Around 2 a.m., he gathered with sleepy eyes in the darkness of Bordeaux. Then, in Poittiers, he rode his moped and cycled 560 km to Paris. In 1974, he shared first prize with Frenchman Régis Délépine after taking a wrong turn.

He won five Tour de France stages and in 1973 (as a non-sprinter) still took the green jersey in the points classification. Herman van Springel’s impressive list of victories includes almost all the major one-day races. He won Gent-Wevelgem (1966), the Tour of Lombardy (1968), the Omloop Het Volk (1968), Paris-Tours (1969), the Grand Prix of Nations (1969, 1970), the Trofeo Baracchi (1969), the Brabantse Pijl (1970, 1974), the Zurich Championship (1971), the Belgian Championship (1971), and the E3 Prize (1974). In the Grand Tours, he achieved stage victories and podium finishes. He finished third in the 1970 Vuelta a España and second in the 1971 Giro d’Italia. In the seventeen years that Herman Van Springel was a professional cyclist, he won a total of 136 road races.