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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Ferdinand Bracke | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1939-05-25)25 May 1939 (age 86) Hamme, Belgium | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current team | Retired | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Discipline | Road/Track | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Rider | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Professional teams | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1962–1973 | Peugeot–BP–Dunlop | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1974 | Maes Pils | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1975 | TI–Raleigh | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1976–1977 | Lejeune–BP | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1978 | Splendor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Major wins | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Grand Tours
Other
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Medal record
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Ferdinand Bracke (born 25 May 1939) is aBelgian former professionalroad andtrackcyclist who is most famous for holding the World Hour Record (48.093 km)[1] and winning theoverall title at the 1971Vuelta a España in front ofWilfried David of Belgium andLuis Ocaña of Spain.[2] He also became world pursuit champion on the track in 1964 and 1969.[3][4]
Bracke was born inHammeEast Flanders, Belgium, on 24 May 1939.[5] Arouleur andtime trialist, he emerged as an amateur in 1962 by winning the tenth stage of thePeace Race. In May of the same year he won theGrand Prix des Nations, a time trial race. He turned pro on 26 September 1962, joining thePeugeot-BP-Dunlop team headed by Gaston Plaud.
In the following years he obtained numerous prestigious victories on road: he won theTrofeo Baracchi, together withEddy Merckx, in 1966[6] and 1967,[7] a stage in the1966 Tour de France and the final time trial of the1976 Tour de France. He finished in third place in the general classification at the1968 Tour de France.[8] In 1971 he won theVuelta a España, beating compatriotWilfried David (who placed second) and SpaniardLuis Ocaña (who placed third).[8][2]
He became world champion in track pursuit in1964 in Paris[9] and again in Antwerp in1969,[9] then winning second place in1972 and1974 and placing third in1973. On 30 October 1967 he recorded thehour record with 48,093 kilometers at theOlympic Velodrome inRome, becoming the first cyclist to reach the milestone of 48 kilometers.[10] The record, broken the following year byOle Ritter, remained the best performance ontrack below 600 meters of altitude for a long time.
In 1978 he ended his cycling career and took over a furniture business with his wife.[11] On 17 February 1979, Bracke was bid farewell to cycling at a cycling gala in the Sports Palace inGhent.[12]
In 1967 Bracke was votedBelgian Sportsman of the Year[13] (the first in history to receive this award) and was awarded theBelgian Sports Merit Award.[14][15]
Interclubs road race,National Road Championships
National Road Championships
OverallVuelta a España
Individual pursuit,UCI World Championships Individual pursuit,National Track Championships
Individual pursuit,National Track Championships
Individual pursuit,UCI World Championships
Omnium,European ChampionshipsIndividual pursuit,UCI World Championships
World Hour Record – 48.093km Individual pursuit,National Track Championships Omnium,National Track ChampionshipsIndividual pursuit,UCI World Championships Omnium,National Track Championships
Omnium,National Track Championships Individual Pursuit DernyIndividual pursuit,UCI World Championships Individual pursuit,National Track ChampionshipsIndividual pursuit,UCI World Championships Derny,European ChampionshipsIndividual pursuit,UCI World Championships Individual pursuit,National Track Championships Madison (withWilly Debosscher) Derny Omnium,National Track Championships| Discipline | Record | Date | Velodrome | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hour Record | 48,093 km | 30 October 1967 | Velodromo Vigorelli,Milan (Italy) | [16] |
| Records | ||
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| Preceded by | UCI hour record (48.093 km) 30 October 1967-10 October 1968 | Succeeded by |
 UCI Track Cycling World Champions –Men's individual pursuit | |
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