1971 Gent-Wevelgem - Georges Pintens

Winning the Milan-Turin competition among others, burly Georges Pintens was able to look back on a successful springtime. Rapid speeds galore in the Ghent-Wevelgem classic that year, with even a competition record being established: 44.1 kilometres per hour. The route along the coast and the passage through the hills of West Flanders did not cause the riders to spread out. Five riders managed to break away in Wervik. Georges Pintens went on the attack from this fivesome and he kept up this performance until reaching the finishing line. The finish came none too soon, as Roger De Vlaeminck won the sprint in the shadow of the winner Pintens. And to think that the cyclist from Antwerp almost dropped out of the race earlier on after a crash. He thought he might have fractured his shoulder, but with his teammates' moral and physical support, he managed to bounce back. The result speaks for itself.