“It was about time I won a race in my own country”, said Luc Leman with a wink after he had caught his breath following that fierce final.

However, it was touch and go for Eric’s younger brother. He struggled from the start of the last lap with a defective rear wheel and therefore didn’t give himself a chance in the sprint. That’s exactly why he decided to go full throttle from the moment the Nokerse stones and the short but not to be underestimated climb still had to be taken. His competitors were unable to keep up with this relentless final sprint, and Luc recorded his fourth victory of the season (three of which were in France) with a lead of several lengths.

There was no shortage of riders and spectators in sunny Nokere. The town was simply crawling with cycling enthusiasts, even as the sweaty sports representatives handed out the 156th and final race number. Even then, everyone was excitedly telling each other that there were a lot of foreigners, led by none other than Tour winner Bernard Thevenet, while the national team supposedly had Willy Teirlinck as its leader!

In the first of the ten scheduled laps, Pol Lannoo, Pol Verschuere, and Frenchman Meslet made a breakaway. They pedaled furiously to gain a full minute’s lead, but in the fourth lap they had to give up in the face of the increasingly impressive peloton, half of which was using Nokere as ultimate training for the Flèche Wallonne.

Eric Jacques, Ludo Hesters, and Pol Verschuere tried again shortly after, but they were unsuccessful. In the sixth lap, Geert Malfait, Thuur Van de Vijver, Frenchman Chassang, Dutchmen Wim De Waal and Jan Aling, and national champion Willy Teirlinck also came back empty-handed after a fierce attack, but then it happened.

The seventh lap had barely begun when, after a barrage of attacks, a group formed at the front consisting of Bruno Jaremko, Geert Malfait, Willy Abeloos, Willy Vanneste, Lucien De Brauwer, Jose Vanackere, Rona Demeyer (who was later sidelined due to a puncture), Luc Leman, Lucien Van Impe, Serge Van Daele, Urbain Van der Flaes, the Frenchmen Meslet and Le Guilloux.

They raced so furiously that they gained a 1’20” lead on the ever-growing pack, but in the final lap that difference was greatly reduced. On the one hand, because the leading group thought they had it in the bag, and on the other hand, because the pack started chasing them down with surprising ferocity.

Nevertheless, the escapees were still able to keep the pack behind them. We have already explained how Luc Leman became Marc Demeyer’s successor.

Jan Cornard

Result :

1. Luc LEMAN the 150 km in 3 h 30 min
2. Lucien Debrauwere on 5″
3. Geert Malfait
4. Serge Van Daele
5. Willy Abbeloos
6. Bruno Jaremko
7. Lucien Van Impe
8. Jose Van Ackere
9. Willy Vanneste
10. Maurice Le Guiloux
11. Urbain Van der Flaes
12. Alain Meslet
13. Willy Planckaert op 35″
14. Cor Priem
15. Herman Van der Slagmolen
16. Raf Constant
17. Gert Harings
18. Marc Renier
19. Frank Arijs
20. Willy De Geest
21. Ludo Van Staeyen
22. Albert Hulzebosch
23. Benny Schepmans
24. Jan Aling
25. Fernand Hermie
26. Jos Huysmans
27. Theo Smit
28. Willy Teirlinck
29. Daniël Verplancken
30. Marc Meernhout