| Race details | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | 4 April 1976 | ||||||||||||
| Stages | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Distance | 261 km (162.2 mi) | ||||||||||||
| Winning time | 6h 10' 00" | ||||||||||||
| Results | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
← 1975 1977 → | |||||||||||||
The 60th running of theTour of Flanderscycling race in Belgium was held on Sunday 4 April 1976. BelgianWalter Planckaert won beforeFrancesco Moser andMarc Demeyer.[1][2] It was the last time the race started in its original starting place,Ghent. The finish was inMeerbeke (Ninove).
TheKoppenberg climb, stirring much controversy for its steep and unevenly cobbled surface, was included in the route for the first time. Only the first five riders managed to make it all the way riding, the rest had to shoulder their bikes to the top. Cycling legendEddy Merckx was seen strolling helplessly through a tangle of riders and spectators.[3]
In the final kilometers a group of five headed to the finish.Freddy Maertens andRoger De Vlaeminck, two of Belgium's star riders, were favourites to win the sprint, but the two did not get on and let themselves jointly be dropped 4 km before the finish.Walter Planckaert won in a three-man sprint before ItalianFrancesco Moser andMarc Demeyer. De Vlaeminck beat Maertens for fourth place, recognizing his mistake, but stated "he did not want Maertens to win".[4][5]
There were nine categorized climbs in this edition:
| Cyclist | Team | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Walter Planckaert (BEL) | Maes–Rokado | 6h 10' 00" |
| 2 |  Francesco Moser (ITA) | Sanson | s.t. |
| 3 | Marc Demeyer (BEL) | Flandria–Velda | s.t. |
| 4 | Roger De Vlaeminck (BEL) | Brooklyn | + 16" |
| 5 | Freddy Maertens (BEL) | Flandria–Velda | s.t. |
| 6 | Willy Teirlinck (BEL) | Gitane–Campagnolo | + 22" |
| 7 | Eric Leman (BEL) | Zoppas–Splendor | s.t. |
| 8 | Walter Godefroot (BEL) | IJsboerke–Colnago | s.t. |
| 9 | Frans Verbeeck (BEL) | IJsboerke–Colnago | s.t. |
| 10 | André Dierickx (BEL) | Maes–Rokado | s.t. |
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