Duerloo Survives the Weather
The 19th edition of the Tour of Flanders was held April 14, 1935.
Harsh weather in Gent greeted 140 riders on the start list in 1935. The high winds and cold rain caused half the field to abandon the race by the midway point of the race.
Thirty kilometers into an aggressive race, the peloton began to break into smaller groups.
Race Status:
Defending champion Gaston Rebry (Bel) pushed an aggressive pace in a six-rider breakaway through the high winds coming off the North Sea in Ostend (65 km / 260 km).
Rebry and Cornelius Leemans rode away from the rest of the breakaway further down the coast in Kortrijk (100 km / 260 km).
A puncture slowed Rebry but after a hard effort he caught the solo Leemans on the climb of the Kwaremont (200 km / 260 km).
Steadily, a chase group of eight closed on the two leaders and reconnected in the closing kilometers. Into the finishing streets in Wetteren Louis Duerloo (Génial Lucifer) launched a brilliant attack and held on to win a six-rider sprint. He won the 1935 Tour of Flanders victory.
SPECIAL NOTE: From the beginning of the Tour of Flanders the popularity of the race grew. In the late 1920's anyone with a car or motorbike could follow the race. In the mid-30's the caravans were so large they were dangerous. A press car collided with a trolley causing several deaths during the race in 1935. The promoters were forced to increase mobile police to keep cars from directly following the race.
Flanders April 14, 1935 |
260 Km, Gent-Wetteren |
1.
Louis DUERLOO (Bel) 7h27'00” |
2.
Eloi Meulenberg (Bel) |
3.
Cornelius Leemans (Bel) |
Starters: 140 |
Finishers: 28 |
Average Speed: 34.900 km/h |
|
RVV 1934  RVV 1936
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