| Freddy Maertens |
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In Italy in 1976 , he won in front of Italians Francesco Moser and Tino Conti. In Prague in 1981 , he beat Italian Giuseppe Saronni and France 's Bernard Hinault . He was also second in the 1973 World Championship race. Maertens also won the '' in the Tour De France three times ( 1976 , 1978 and 1981 ). In 1976 he won a record-equalling eight stages of the Tour de France; the following year (1977), he took seven stages in the Giro D'Italia . Outside the Grand Tour s, his stage race victories included the Paris-Nice (1977), the Quatre Jours De Dunkerque (1973, 1975, 1976 and 1978), the Tour of Andalucia (1974, 1975), Tour of Belgium (1974, 1975), Tour of Luxembourg (1975), Tour of Sardinia (1977) and Vuelta y Catalunya (1977). However, despite his sprinting dominance during the 1970s, Maertens did not win a one-day 'Monument' Classic , coming closest with second places in the Tour Of Flanders ( 1973 ) and Liège-Bastogne-Liège ( 1976 ). His other major one-day road race victories included:
Maertens is widely believed to have been one of the best Sprinter s in the world, and is credited with having nurtured another great sprinter Sean Kelly during the latter's early professional career. He was also an accomplished rider in Individual Time Trial s, winning the Grand Prix Des Nations in 1976. He also won the season-long '' Super Prestige Pernod International '' competition in 1976 and 1977. Maertens was known to have pushed very high gears on his bike, which some critics say caused him to burn out early and retire at a relatively young age. In response, he said that the higher gears allow him to descend without too much strain to his heart. In the 1973 World Championship in Barcelona , Spain , fellow Belgian Eddy Merckx accused Maertens of having chased him down in the final lap while Merckx had a good chance of staying away, resulting in Italian Felice Gimondi winning the title. Maertens responded that Merckx had sabotaged his ride because Maertens was riding Shimano components and that the other two rode Campagnolo components. In recent interviews Maertens and Merckx said that they have since reconciled their differences. FURTHER READING "Fall From Grace" by Freddy Maertens and Manu Adriaens, ISBN 1-898111-00-6, 1993, Ronde Publications, Hull. (Probably now out of print - but available second hand on the net.)
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