Noël Van Tyghem told us before the start of Paris-Roubaix that he was back in full health, riding strongly, and was convinced he would distinguish himself. The setbacks proved otherwise. He undoubtedly arrived yesterday at the generally successful 11th Grand Prix Nokere Sport to confirm his statement with a resounding victory. There were also a number of well-known foreign riders among the starters – including Riotte, the victim of a crash that went better than initially feared.

Van Tyghem heeft de overwinning ook behaald. Op een even schitterende als oververdiende wijze. De geladen Langemarkenaar, die op bepaalde dagen kan fietsen als een waarachtig kampioen, was de topfiguur uit de door hem gemaakte en beheerste wedstrijd.

Van Tyghem broke away twice. The first time after 40 km, resulting in over 60 competitors (including Frans Verbeeck, who took up the race as training in anticipation of the Flèche Wallonne) losing all chance. The second time was 25 km from the finish, when W. Teirlinck, A. Dierickx, Karstens, Bal, Bellone, W. David, Baert, and Vianen, among others, were in his company and eager to win. He knocked them all off his wheel, except for the surprisingly agile Claude Magni, who gave many Belgians a lesson in cycling in the final stages. Even a powerful finisher like Gerard Vianen couldn’t catch him.

In the sprint, Noël triumphed decisively, as he had been superior throughout the stage.

Their 86 colleagues didn’t give the returning E. Moreels, J. Spruyt, G. Van Damme, M. Van den Bossche, and A. Dierickx much trouble during the first hour yesterday. The strong field of participants, which the organizers certainly hadn’t anticipated – nor had they anticipated the good weather – remained closed.

Only after 40 km did N. Van Tyghem, the standout, and D. Pauwels break away, pursued by Herrygers, who quickly caught up with them. The three were reinforced 15 km further on by P. Vandenneste, D. Verplancke, E. Moreels, and J. Corletti, the Frenchman being one of the most active. The seven breakaway riders performed so well that they were exactly 1’40” ahead by halfway.

Then things got serious. The Dutchmen Bal, Karstens, and Vianen, along with A. Dierickx, Vrijders, Baert, Catteeuw, Schroeters, Bellone, Abbeloos, Fierens, and W. Teirlinck, launched a powerful counterattack, and before we had even gone 100 km, they caught up with the first group. The peloton followed at 1’15” from the peloton. Zwaenepoel, Janbroers, Vanrijmenant, Van Bruaene, Romain Maes, Zelck, Minckewicz, Debrauwer, Van der Vleuten and Van Beers worked their way away from this peloton, then Legeay, Magni, W. David, Benjamins and M. Maes, and finally H. Vermeeren, Soenens, M. Demeyer, and Buckaki, but only Minckewicz, W. David, Magni, Van Rijmenant, Romain Maes, Soenens, and Zelck managed to catch up with the 17-man leading group – Moreels and Abbeloos had lost touch beforehand – at the cost of a great effort.

A sprint of 24, including quite a few fast and consequently dangerous Dutch riders? No. The confident Noël Van Tyghem apparently didn’t want this. He was, we repeat, the clear winner in Nokere. He attacked for the second time after 125 km. Only Claude Magni, who had returned from the back at the last minute and surprised us in the final with his anger and tenacity, could keep up with him, but not beat him. If Briek Schotte’s rider also “cuts” like that on Thursday and, for example, gets away in an early breakaway, then he’ll be a factor, even if he’s not a climbing specialist.

Willem Van Wijnendaele

Result : 91 professional cyclist

1. Noël Van Tyghem the 150 km. in 3 h 49 min
2. Claude Magni (F) on 10 sec.
3. Gerard Vianen (Nl) on 25 sec.
4. Dirk Baert on 45 sec.
5. Willy Teirlinck on 1 min. 10 sec.
6. August Herrijgers
7. Andre Dierickx
8. Jos Schroeters on 1 min. 20 sec.
9. Theo Fierens
10. Robert Mintkiewicz (F)
11. Herman Vrijders
12. Gerben Karstens (Nl)
13. Daniel Verplancke
14. Romain Maes
15. Gerry Catteeuw
16. Cor Bal (Nl)
17. Gilbert Bellone (F)
18. Wilfried David
19. Fernand Van Rijmenant
20. Pol Vanden Neste
21. Daniel Pauwels
22. Johny Soenens
23. Lucien Zelck
24. Joseph Carletti (F)
25. Ben Janbroers (Nl)
26. Raf Van Bruaene
27. Richard Buckaki (Nl)
28. Ronny De Bisschop
29. Henk Benjamins (Nl)
30. Jos Vandervleuten (Nl)

Noël Vantyghem (Ypres, 9 October 1947 – De Panne, 10 June 1994) was a Belgian cyclist.

Vantyghem’s greatest victory came in 1972, when he won the cycling classic Paris-Tours. This led him to the legendary statement:
“Together with Eddy Merckx, I won every classic there was to win. I won Paris-Tours, and he won everything else.”

After his active cycling career, Vantyghem worked for many years as a mechanic in various teams of Walter Godefroot.

Major victories

1968: Belgian Road Champion, Amateurs

1970 : GP Fourmies

1972: Paris-Tours, 2nd stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk, Schaal Sels

1973 : Nokere Koerse