Gerard Debaets

Gerard Debaets (17 April 1898^[1][2][3] – 27 April 1959) was a Belgian racing cyclist.^[4] He won the Tour of Flanders in 1924 and 1927 and the Belgian national road race title in 1925.^[5] He also specialized in track cycling, winning a total of 18 six-day events, including six times the most prestigious Six Days of New York.^[6] Debaets was a resident of Fair Lawn and North Haledon, New Jersey, where he died in 1959 of a heart attack.^[7][8]

Gerard Debaets

Personal information
Born	(1898-04-17)17 April 1898 Heule, Belgium
Died	27 April 1959(1959-04-27) (aged 60) North Haledon, New Jersey, United States
Team information
Role	Rider
Professional teams
1924	Labor-Dunlop
1925	Individual
1926	Alcyon-Dunlop
1927	Opel-ZR III / JB Louvet-Wolber
1928	Alcyon-Dunlop
1929-40	Individual
Major wins
One-day races and Classics National Road Race Championship (1925) Tour of Flanders (1924, 1927) Paris–Brussels (1925) Track Championships US National Track Championships Derny (1924)

Major results

Road

1923

1st Tour of Flanders independents

1924

1st Tour of Flanders

1st París-Arrás Tour

1st Overall Critérium des Aiglons

1st Stages 1 & 2

2nd Paris–Brussels

2nd Jemeppe–Bastogne–Jemeppe

4th Overall Tour of Belgium

8th Scheldeprijs

10th Paris–Roubaix

1925

1st Road race, National Interclubs Championships

1st Paris–Brussels

2nd Bordeaux–Paris

3rd Sclessin–Houffalize–Sclessin

4th Giro della Provincia di Milano

5th GP Wolber

6th Paris–Roubaix

1926

1st Brussels–Paris

8th Overall Tour of the Basque Country

1927

1st Tour of Flanders

2nd Hannover–Bremen–Hannover

3rd Sclessin–Houffalize–Sclessin

1928

2nd Criterium des As

Track

1924

1st United States National Track Championships Derny

1925

1st Six Days of New York-2 (with Alfons Goossens)

1927

1st Six Days of Detroit (with Anthony Beckman)

1928

1st Six Days of New York-1 (with Franco Giorgetti)

1st Six Days of Chicago-1 (with Anthony Beckman)

3rd Six Days of Chicago-3 (with George Dempsey)

1929

1st Six Days of New York-2 (with Franco Giorgetti)

1st Six Days of New York-3 (with Franco Giorgetti)

1930

1st Six Days of New York-1 (with Gaetano Belloni)

1st Six Days of Chicago-1 (with Anthony Beckman)

1931

3rd Six Days of New York-2 (with Franco Giorgetti)

3rd Six Days of Chicago-2 (with Franco Giorgetti)

1932

3rd Six Days of Chicago-2 (with Alfred Letourneur)

3rd Six Days of Philadelphia-2 (with Alfred Letourneur)

1933

1st Six Days of Chicago-1 (with Alfred Letourneur)

1934

1st Six Days of New York-2 (with Alfred Letourneur)

1st Six Days of Chicago-2 (with Alfred Letourneur)

1st Six Days of Buffalo-2 (with Alfred Letourneur)

1st Six Days of Philadelphia (with Alfred Letourneur)

1st Six Days of Montreal (with Alfred Letourneur)

1st Six Days of Toronto-1 (with Alfred Letourneur)

1935

2nd Six Days of New York-1 (with Ewald Wissel)

1936

3rd Six Days of New York-2 (with Alvaro Giorgetti)

1937

3rd Six Days of Buffalo-2 (with Tino Reboli)

1938

3rd Six Days of Chicago-1 (with Tino Reboli)

3rd Six Days of Chicago-2 (with Tino Reboli)

3rd Six Days of Chicago-3 (with Marcel Guimbretiere)

References

1. "Heule, Burgerlijke stand akten 1893-1900, 1898 geboorteakte 60". Belgian State Archives. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
2. Cattebeke, Hannes "Gerard Debaets, de gouden jaren van de koers". Uitgeverij Kannibaal. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
3. "Vergeten wielerheld herleeft, boek brengt eerbetoon aan Gerard Debaets". Het Laatste Nieuws. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
4. "Gérard Debaets". Pro Cycling Stats. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
5. "Gérard Debaets". Cycling Archives. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
6. "Gérard Debaets". FirstCycling.com. 2023.
7. Gabriele, Michael C. The Golden Age of Bicycle Racing in New Jersey, p. 93. The History Press, 2011. ISBN 9781596294271. "Following his retirement in 1945, he opened a bicycle shop in Paterson and resided in Fair Lawn and North Haledon."
8. Staff. "Gerard Debaets Is Dead at 61; Won 18 Six-Day Bicycle Races", The New York Times, 28 April 1959. Accessed 11 September 2015. "North Haledon, N. J., April 27 - Gerard Debaets, a member of NORTH HALEDON, N. J., April 27--Gerard Debaets, a member of winning teams in eighteen six-day bicycle races and the holder of several national bicycle championships, died today of a heart attack at his home, 139 Oakwood Avenue."

External links

• Gerard Debaets at Cycling Archives (archive)