Description

Vermeer-Thijs Cycling Team

Overview:

Vermeer-Thijs was a Belgian professional cycling team active from 1978 to 1982, with its roots in the province of Antwerp. Until 1980, the team was known as Mini-Flat, with Vermeer-Thijs joining as a co-sponsor.

History:

The main sponsor, Vermeer-Thijs, was a furniture store based in Westerlo, Antwerp. The team was the successor to the Maes Pils team from the 1960s and 1970s. Vermeer-Thijs became involved in 1980 as a co-sponsor alongside Mini-Flat, a veranda manufacturer. The team’s kit resembled the Australian national jersey, featuring green sleeves with a central green-yellow stripe bordered by black lines, topped with sponsor logos.

Mini-Flat had already been a co-sponsor of the previous team, which was supported by the Alken-Maes brewery. The team was initially led by Roger Swerts, a former teammate of Eddy Merckx at Molteni. Between 1980 and 1982, Swerts shared management duties with Lucien Willekens, who left the team after the 1980 season. Another key figure was Etienne Oyen from Limburg, who had been Swerts’ team manager at Splendor in 1978.

In 1981 and 1982, Jos Deschoenmaecker—former teammate of Merckx and Swerts in the 1970s and a trusted lieutenant of Merckx—rode for Vermeer-Thijs, where he concluded his professional career.

Notable Riders:

The team featured several prominent cyclists over the years:

• Eddy Planckaert began his professional career with Vermeer-Thijs.
• Stan Tourné, one of the most successful track cyclists of his time, also raced for the team.
• André Boonen, father of future cycling star Tom Boonen, was part of the roster.
• The Planckaert brothers—Eddy, Walter, and Willy—raced together in 1980.
• Michel Pollentier, winner of the 1977 Giro d’Italia, joined the team in 1981.
• The van Houwelingen brothers, Jan and Adri, rode for the team in its final season.
• Fons De Wolf achieved significant wins while with the team.
• Roland Liboton, a cyclo-cross legend, rode for Vermeer-Thijs, winning the Cyclo-Cross World Championship in 1980 and again in 1982 while representing the team.

Tour de France Highlights:

• 1981: Pol Verschuere won Stage 7 in Concarneau, Brittany, ahead of Ad Wijnands and William Tackaert.
• 1982: Adri van Houwelingen claimed victory in Stage 18 through the Alps, finishing in Saint-Priest with a ten-minute lead over Sean Kelly, Leo van Vliet, and other chasers.

Major Victories:

• 1979: Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne – Walter Planckaert
• 1981:
  • Milan–San Remo – Fons De Wolf (a spectacular win in one of cycling’s most prestigious monuments)
  • Stage 4, Tour de Suisse – Jan Bogaert
  • Stage 6, Tour de Suisse – Fons De Wolf
• 1982:
  • Omloop Het Volk – Fons De Wolf
  • Le Samyn – Jos Jacobs
  • Stage 7, Tour de France – Pol Verschuere
  • Stage 18, Tour de France – Adri van Houwelingen

Notable Cyclists:

• Belgium: André Boonen, Jos Deschoenmaecker, Fons De Wolf, Roland Liboton, Eddy Planckaert, Walter Planckaert, Willy Planckaert, Michel Pollentier, Stan Tourné, Pol Verschuere
• Netherlands: Adri van Houwelingen, Jan van Houwelingen

Source: nl.Wikipedia.org