Sylvere Maes

NationalityBelgian
BornAugust 27, 1909 in Zele, Belgium
DiedDecember 5, 1966 in Ghent, Belgium
Height1.81 m
Weight77 kg
Professional career1932-1949
TeamsAlcyon, Alcyon-Dunlop, Flandria, Labor-Dunlop, Mercier-Hutchinson, Rochet
Major winsTour de France (1936, 1939), Paris-Nice (1937), Critérium des As (1935), Liège-Bastogne-Liège (1935, 1939), Paris-Brussels (1935), Tour of Flanders (1939), Paris-Roubaix (1939)

Sylvere Maes was a Belgian professional cyclist who was born in Zele, Belgium, on August 27, 1909. From 1932 to 1949, he rode for teams including Alcyon, Alcyon-Dunlop, Flandria, Labor-Dunlop, Mercier-Hutchinson, and Rochet.

The fact that Maes won the Tour de France twice, in 1936 and 1939, is his claim to fame. He was an all-around cyclist with excellent climbing and time-trial abilities. In addition to his Tour de France victories, he won other one-day classics, notably Liège-Bastogne-Liège twice, in 1935 and 1939, Paris-Roubaix, and the Tour of Flanders in 1939.

Maes was noted for his tenacity and mental fortitude, which enabled him win the Tour de France for the second time in 1939. The race was place during a particularly difficult time in Europe, when tensions were building in advance of World War Two. Despite this, Maes was able to retain his concentration and win the race by more than 10 minutes.

Maes worked as a cycling coach and a salesman for the bike company Flandria after his retirement.

These are Sylvere Maes’s greatest accomplishments:

YearAchievement
1935Critérium des As winner
1935Liège-Bastogne-Liège winner
1935Paris-Brussels winner
1936Tour de France winner
1937Paris-Nice winner
1939Tour de France winner
1939Liège-Bastogne-Liège winner
1939Tour of Flanders winner
1939Paris-Roubaix winner

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