Patrick Sercu

Patrick Sercu (27 June 1944 – 19 April 2019)^[1] was a Belgian cyclist who was active on the road and track between 1961 and 1983. On track, he won the gold medal in the 1 km time trial at the 1964 Summer Olympics, as well as three world titles in the sprint in 1963, 1967 and 1969. On the road, he earned the green jersey in the 1974 Tour de France. Sercu is the record holder for the number of six-day track race victories, having won 88 events out of 223 starts between 1961 and 1983; several of these wins were with cycling great Eddy Merckx.^[2] He also won six stages at the Tour de France and eleven stages at the Giro d'Italia.^[3][4]

Patrick Sercu

Sercu in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Patrick Sercu
Nickname	Emperor of the oval
Born	(1944-06-27)27 June 1944 Roeselare, West Flanders, Belgium
Died	19 April 2019(2019-04-19) (aged 74) Roeselare, West Flanders, Belgium
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	76 kg (168 lb)
Team information
Current team	Retired
Discipline	Track and road
Role	Rider
Rider type	Sprinter
Professional teams
1964	Bertin–Porter 39–Milremo
1964–1966	Solo–Superia
1967	Flandria–DeClerckx
1968–1969	Faemino–Faema
1970–1972	Dreher
1973–1976	Brooklyn
1977	Fiat France
1978–1979	Marc Zeepcentrale–Superia
1980	Marc–VRD
1981–1902	IWC–Imex
1983	Imex–Neuhaus
Major wins
Grand Tours Tour de France Points classification (1974) 6 individual stages (1974, 1977) Giro d'Italia 13 individual stages (1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976) Stage races Giro di Sardegna (1970) One-day races and Classics Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen (1972) Elfstedenronde (1973) Halle–Ingooigem (1974) Dwars door West-Vlaanderen (1974) Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne (1977) Track Championships National Track Championships Madison (1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977) Omnium (1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1982) Sprint (1965, 1967, 1968, 1969) Derny (1976) European Track Championships Omnium (1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1980) Madison (1969, 1970, 1975, 1977, 1978) Derny (1977) World Track Championships Sprint (1967, 1969)
Medal record Representing  Belgium Men's track cycling Olympic Games 1964 Tokyo 1000 m time trial World Championships 1963 Liege Amateur's sprint 1967 Amsterdam Sprint 1969 Antwerpen Sprint 1965 San Sebastián Sprint 1968 Rome Sprint European Championships 1965 Brussels Omnium 1967 Gent Omnium 1968 Gent Omnium 1969 Gent Madison 1969 Charleroi Omnium 1970 Köln Madison 1970 Gent Omnium 1971 Brussels Omnium 1972 Gent Omnium 1973 Köln Omnium 1975 Rotterdam Madison 1976 Rotterdam Omnium 1977 Kopenhagen Madison 1977 Antwerp Omnium 1977 Rotterdam Derny 1978 Milan Madison 1980 Gent Omnium 1982 Gent Madison 1972 Antwerp Madison 1978 Rotterdam Derny 1979 Vienna Omnium 1980 Vienna Derny 1968 Bremen Madison 1971 Gent Madison 1976 Zürich Madison 1979 Kopenhagen Madison 1981 Milan Omnium 1982 Zürich Omnium

With 38 national and 15 European championship titles, he is considered as one of the most successful track cyclists ever.^[5]

In total, he won no less than 1,206 races, of which 168 road races and 1,038 track races.^[6]

Biography

Early life

At a young age, Patrick Sercu was pushed towards the track by his father Albert, himself a successful rider. "He was afraid I would break down too quickly on the road", Patrick Sercu himself said about that.

With his fast legs, Sercu was also born for explosive work on the track. In 1962, aged 18, he won his first national titles, in the sprint and madison events. At 19, Sercu became world amateur sprint champion in Rocourt, near Liège.

Sercu after winning the 1963 World amateur sprint championship in Rocourt

A year later, the still very young Sercu captured gold at the kilometre in Tokyo, his only participation in the Games as only amateurs were allowed to compete in the cycling events at the time. That year, he was the star attraction at the Manchester Wheelers' Club Race Meet at the Fallowfield track in Manchester.^[7]

Professional career

After the Olympics, professional life and also increasingly the road races beckoned for Sercu. Super team Solo–Superia, which also included Eddy Merckx, Rik Van Looy and Rik Van Steenbergen, brought in the West-Fleming.

While on the road he still lacked power and speed, on the track he was increasingly successful. Between 1965 and 1969, he won two more golds and two more silver medals at the World Sprint Championships, each time after a duel with his Italian rival Giuseppe Beghetto.

Sercu with wife, after winning the 1967 World Championship Sprint

He was also an instant winner in the Six Days. With Eddy Merckx at his side, he won his first of 11 Six Days in Ghent in 1965. Until the early 1980s, Sercu would remain the uncrowned king of the Six Days.

With 88 final victories, Sercu leads the eternal rankings. "It's Merckx's fault there weren't more", he later said jokingly. After all, Merckx could not ride a full winter programme due to his busy schedule.

Gradually, Sercu began to find his feet on the road as well. In 1970, he rode his first major tour, the Giro, and took his first stage win. Twelve more stage wins in the Italian Tour would follow in the following years.

By the mid-1970s, Sercu had become one of the most renowned sprinters in the peloton. In his first participation in the Tour at the age of 30, he snatched 3 stages as well as the green jersey. Three years later, he would bring his total in the Tour to six stage wins. By then, he had already won the overall classification of another stage race Giro di Sardegna in 1970, and the points classification of the Critérium du Dauphiné and La Méditerranée in 1977.

Retirement

Patrick Sercu in 1998

Patrick Sercu retired from competitions in 1983. He became organizer of six days events and omniums all over the world,^[3] and director of the Six Days of Ghent and the former Six Days of Hasselt.^[8][9] After a few years with unstable health, Sercu died on 19 April 2019, aged 74.^[10]

Riding Style

Sercu had the special quality not only to have a very fast sprint, but he could also maintain that top speed for a long time. He celebrated his greatest success there with one kilometer time trial, where he often outwitted the stockier, more explosive types in a long sprint. It earned him the world records in the shorter distances. Moreover, everything seemed to come very easily to him, often to the chagrin of his opponents. With his unequalled recuperation ability, he was able to participate in more than ten six-days in a winter season. In the years that he combined the track with the road, he competed in more than 200 races every year.

The six-day combination with Eddy Merckx was a success. Merckx was able to maintain a high, constant pace for a long time, while Sercu often finished it off with his final sprint.^[11]

Major results

Road

1964

1st Gent–Wevelgem Amateur race

1965

1st Criterium Zolder

1966

1st Criterium Bourcefranc

1967

1st Memorial Tom Simpson

1968

1st Omloop van Midden-Vlaanderen

2nd Ronde van Limburg

1969

1st Omloop Leiedal

1st Stage 5 Tirreno–Adriatico

3rd Omloop der Vlaamse Gewesten

1970

Giro d'Italia

1st Stage 5

2nd Coppa Sabatini

2nd Milano–Vignola

2nd Giro di Calabria

2nd Nokere Koerse

3rd Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria

3th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico

1st Stage 5

1st Overall Giro di Sardegna

1st Stage 4

1971

1st Izegem koers

Giro d'Italia

1st Stages 13 & 14

1st Stage 2 Giro di Sardegna

1st Criterium Tortoretto

2nd Coppa Bernocchi

1st Stage 1 Tour de Romandie

1st GP Roeselare

2nd Grote 1-MeiPrijs

2nd Milano–Vignola

2nd Giro di Campania

3rd Sassari-Cagliari

1972

1st Omloop van het Houtland

1st Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen

1st Criterium Lignano

2nd Coppa Bernocchi

2nd Paris–Camembert

1st Stage 3 Tirreno–Adriatico

3rd Overall Giro di Sardegna

1st Stage 6

3rd Sassari-Cagliari

1973

1st Maaslandse Pijl

Giro d'Italia

1st Stage 9

1st Stage 2 Giro di Puglia

1st Elfstedenronde

1st Sassari-Cagliari

2nd Milano–Vignola

1974

Tour de France

1st Points classification

1st StageS 3, 4 and 10

1st Halle–Ingooigem

Giro d'Italia

1st Stages 1, 10 & 12 (ITT), 7 & 15 (ITT)

1st De Kustpijl

1st Dwars door West-Vlaanderen

1st Criterium Rouergue

2nd Giro di Sicilia

2nd Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

5th Overall Giro di Sardegna

1st Stages 2, 3 and 5

1975

1st Izegem Koers

1st Circuit of Dunkirk (fr)

Giro d'Italia

1st Stages 2, 13 and 18

Tour de Romandie

1st Stages 2 and 5

Tirreno–Adriatico

1st Stage 4

1st Dwars door West-Vlaanderen

1st Stage 3 Giro di Sardegna

2nd Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

2nd Milano–Vignola

2nd Grand Prix Cemab (fr)

1976

Giro d'Italia

1st Stages 1, 2 and 11

1st Stage 4 Giro di Puglia

1st Stage 5 Giro di Sardegna

1st Criterium Nantes

3rd Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

1977

Tour de France

1st Stages 8, 9 (TTT), 14 and 15

Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré

1st Points classification

1st Stages 3, 4, 5 and 8

Paris–Nice

1st Stages 8 and 10

1st Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne

3rd Overall Giro di Sardegna

1st Stages 2 and 3

La Méditerranéenne

1st Points classification

1st Stages 4 and 5

2nd E3 Harelbeke

1978

1st Stage 2 Tour of Belgium

1st Omloop van de Grensstreek

1st Criterium Hank

1979

1st GP Union Dortmund

1st Stage 6 Deutschland Tour

1980

1st Omloop van het Zuidwesten

1st Criterium Mol

Track

Jean-Pierre Monseré and Patrick Sercu in the 1970 Six Days of Brussels

1962

Belgian National Championships

1st Amateur Sprint

1963

1st Men's Amateur sprint, UCI Track World Championships

Belgian National Championships

1st Amateur Madison (with Romain De Loof)

1st Amateur Sprint

1st Amateur Omnium

1st Brussels Omnium (with Eddy Merckx)

1st Roucourt Sprint

1964

Summer Olympics

1st Men's track time trial

World Record Flying 500 m time trial amateurs (29"66)

World Record 1 km time trial amateurs (1'06"76)

Belgian National Championships

1st Amateur Madison (with Eddy Merckx)

1st Amateur Sprint

1st Amateur Omnium

1st Brussels Omnium (with Eddy Merckx)

1st Cologne Omnium (with Eddy Merckx)

1st Antwerp Omnium (with Eddy Merckx)

1st Forest-Vorst Omnium (with Eddy Merckx)

1965

1st European Track Championships – Omnium

Belgian National Championships

1st Omnium

1st Amateur Madison (with Eddy Merckx)

1st Sprint

2nd Men's sprint, UCI Track World Championships

1st Six Days of Ghent (with Eddy Merckx)

2nd Six Days of Brussels (with Eddy Merckx)

3rd Six Days of Antwerp (with Emile Severeyns and Theo Verschueren)

1966

Belgian National Championships

1st Omnium

1st Madison (with Eddy Merckx)

1st Six Days of Frankfurt (with Klaus Bugdahl)

1st Antwerp Omnium (with Eddy Merckx

1st Rocourt Omnium (with Eddy Merckx

1st Ostend Omnium (with Eddy Merckx

1st Brussels Omnium (with Eddy Merckx

1st Ghent Omnium (with Eddy Merckx, Rik Van Steenbergen and Noël Van Clooster

2nd Six Days of Ghent (with Klaus Bugdahl)

2nd Six Days of Antwerp (with Eddy Merckx and Klaus Bugdahl)

3rd Six Days of Milan (with Leandro Faggin)

3rd Six Days of Zürich (with Klaus Bugdahl)

3rd Six Days of Amsterdam (with Jan Janssen)

1967

1st Men's sprint, UCI Track World Championships

1st European Track Championships – Omnium

World Indoor Record Flying 1 km time trial (1'01"23)

Belgian National Championships

1st Omnium

1st Madison (with Eddy Merckx)

1st Sprint

2nd Derny

1st Six Days of Cologne (with Klaus Bugdahl)

1st Six Days of Ghent (with Eddy Merckx)

1st Six Days of Charleroi (with Ferdinand Bracke)

1st Six Days of Montreal I (with Emile Severeyns)

1st Six Days of Münster (with Klaus Bugdahl)

1st Madison Ostend (with Eddy Merckx)

1st Madison Rocourt (with Eddy Merckx)

2nd Six Days of Antwerp (with Eddy Merckx and Klaus Bugdahl)

2nd Six Days of Dortmund (with Klaus Bugdahl)

2nd Six Days of Berlin II (with Eddy Merckx)

2nd Six Days of Zürich (with Klaus Bugdahl)

2nd Six Days of Milan (with Klaus Bugdahl)

3rd Six Days of Berlin I (with Klaus Bugdahl)

3rd Six Days of Bremen (with Klaus Bugdahl)

3rd Six Days of Frankfurt (with Klaus Bugdahl)

3rd Six Days of Montreal II (with Emile Severeyns)

1968

European Track Championships

1st Omnium

3rd Madison (with Klaus Bugdahl))

Belgian National Championships

1st Omnium

1st Madison (with Eddy Merckx)

1st Sprint

1st Six Days of London (with Peter Post)

1st Six Days of Frankfurt (with Rudi Altig)

1st Six Days of Dortmund (with Rudi Altig)

2nd Men's sprint, UCI Track World Championships

2nd Six Days of Zürich (with Peter Post)

2nd Six Days of Cologne (with Eddy Merckx)

2nd Six Days of Ghent (with Rik Van Looy)

2nd Six Days of Montreal (with Emile Severeyns)

3rd Six Days of Antwerp (with Jan Janssen and Klaus Bugdahl)

3rd Six Days of Charleroi (with Rik Van Looy)

1969

1st Men's sprint, UCI Track World Championships

European Track Championships

1st Omnium

1st Madison (with Peter Post)

Belgian National Championships

1st Madison (with Rik Van Looy)

1st Sprint

1st Six Days of London (with Peter Post)

1st Six Days of Frankfurt (with Peter Post)

1st Six Days of Dortmund (with Peter Post)

1st Six Days of Antwerp (with Rik Van Looy and Peter Post)

1st Six Days of Bremen (with Peter Post)

2nd Six Days of Cologne (with Peter Post)

2nd Six Days of Berlin (with Peter Post)

2nd Six Days of Ghent (with Alain van Lancker)

2nd Six Days of Milan with Eddy Merckx)

2nd Six Days of Montreal (with Emile Severeyns)

3rd Six Days of Zürich (with Alain van Lancker)

1970

European Track Championships

1st Omnium

1st Madison (with Eddy Merckx)

Belgian National Championships

1st Omnium

1st Madison (with Norbert Seeuws)

1st Six Days of London (with Peter Post)

1st Six Days of Cologne (with Peter Post)

1st Six Days of Bremen (with Peter Post)

1st Six Days of Ghent (with Jean-Pierre Monseré)

2nd Six Days of Berlin (with Albert Fritz)

2nd Six Days of Antwerp (with Romain Deloof and Alain van Lancker)

3rd Six Days of Zürich (with Sigi Renz and Jürgen Schneider)

1971

European Track Championships

1st Omnium

3rd Madison (with Graeme Gilmore))

Belgian National Championships

1st Omnium

1st Madison (with Jean-Pierre Monseré)

1st Six Days of London (with Peter Post)

1st Six Days of Ghent (with Roger De Vlaeminck)

1st Six Days of Frankfurt (with Peter Post)

1st Six Days of Berlin (with Peter Post)

1st Six Days of Rotterdam (with Peter Post)

2nd Six Days of Bremen (with Peter Post)

2nd Six Days of Brussels (with Roger De Vlaeminck)

3rd Six Days of Dortmund (with Peter Post)

3rd Six Days of Grenoble (with Ferdinand Bracke)

1972

European Track Championships

1st Omnium

2nd Madison (with Julien Stevens))

World Record 1 km time trial (1'07"35)

Belgian National Championships

1st Omnium

1st Madison (with Roger De Vlaeminck)

1st Six Days of London (with Tony Gowland)

1st Six Days of Ghent (with Julien Stevens)

1st Six Days of Dortmund (with Alain van Lancker)

2nd Six Days of Antwerp (with Rik Van Linden and Alain van Lancker)

2nd Six Days of Milan with Gianni Motta)

2nd Six Days of Bremen (with Peter Post)

3rd Six Days of Munich (with Alain van Lancker)

1973

European Track Championships

1st Omnium

World Outdoor Record Flying 1 km time trial (1' 02" 40)

Belgian National Championships

1st Madison (with Julien Stevens)

1st Six Days of Cologne (with Alain van Lancker)

1st Six Days of Dortmund (with Eddy Merckx)

1st Six Days of Milan with Julien Stevens)

1st Six Days of Ghent (with Graeme Gilmore)

1st Six Days of Grenoble (with Eddy Merckx)

2nd Six Days of London (with Gianni Motta )

2nd Six Days of Rotterdam (with Eddy Merckx)

1974

Belgian National Championships

1st Omnium

1st Madison (with Eddy Merckx)

1st Six Days of London (with René Pijnen)

1st Six Days of Dortmund (with René Pijnen)

1st Six Days of Antwerp (with Eddy Merckx)

2nd Six Days of Cologne (with Wilfried Peffgen)

2nd Six Days of Ghent (with Sigi Renz)

2nd Six Days of Rotterdam (with Eddy Merckx)

3rd Six Days of Bremen (with Graeme Gilmore)

3rd Six Days of Grenoble (with René Pijnen)

1975

European Track Championships

1st Madison (with René Pijnen)

Belgian National Championships

1st Omnium

1st Madison (with Eddy Merckx)

1st Six Days of Zürich (with Günther Haritz)

1st Six Days of Berlin (with Dietrich Thurau)

1st Six Days of Bremen (with René Pijnen)

1st Six Days of Ghent (with Eddy Merckx)

1st Six Days of Antwerp (with Eddy Merckx)

1st Six Days of Grenoble (with Eddy Merckx)

2nd Six Days of Dortmund (with Eddy Merckx)

2nd Six Days of Frankfurt (with Dietrich Thurau)

2nd Six Days of Munich (with Eddy Merckx)

3rd Six Days of London (with Alain van Lancker)

3rd Six Days of Rotterdam (with Alain van Lancker)

1976

European Track Championships

1st Omnium

3rd Madison (with Klaus Bugdahl))

Belgian National Championships

1st Omnium

1st Madison (with Eddy Merckx)

1st Derny

1st Six Days of Milan with Francesco Moser)

1st Six Days of Antwerp (with Eddy Merckx)

1st Six Days of Dortmund (with Freddy Maertens)

1st Six Days of Rotterdam (with Eddy Merckx)

1st Six Days of Maastricht (with Graeme Gilmore)

2nd Six Days of Berlin (with René Pijnen)

2nd Six Days of Munich (with Graeme Gilmore)

2nd Six Days of Ghent (with Ferdi Van Den Haute)

3rd Six Days of Bremen (with Graeme Gilmore)

3rd Six Days of Grenoble (with Felice Gimondi)

1977

European Track Championships

1st Omnium

1st Madison (with Eddy Merckx)

1st Derny

Belgian National Championships

1st Omnium

1st Madison (with Ferdi Van Den Haute)

1st Six Days of Zürich (with Eddy Merckx)

1st Six Days of Antwerp (with Freddy Maertens)

1st Six Days of Ghent (with Eddy Merckx)

1st Six Days of London (with René Pijnen)

1st Six Days of Berlin (with Eddy Merckx)

1st Six Days of Munich (with Eddy Merckx)

1st Six Days of Maastricht (with Eddy Merckx)

2nd Six Days of Grenoble (with Eddy Merckx)

3rd Six Days of Dortmund (with Wilfried Peffgen)

3rd Six Days of Frankfurt (with Klaus Bugdahl)

3rd Six Days of Rotterdam (with Freddy Maertens)

3rd Six Days of Herning (with Ole Ritter)

1978

European Track Championships

1st Madison (with Gregor Braun)

2nd Derny

Belgian National Championships

1st Omnium

1st Six Days of Ghent (with Gerrie Knetemann)

1st Six Days of Frankfurt (with Dietrich Thurau)

1st Six Days of Berlin (with Dietrich Thurau)

1st Six Days of Munich (with Gregor Braun)

1st Six Days of Grenoble (with Dietrich Thurau)

2nd Six Days of Milan with Giuseppe Saronni)

3rd Six Days of Dortmund (with Dietrich Thurau)

3rd Six Days of Herning (with Niels Fredborg)

1979

European Track Championships

2nd Omnium

3rd Madison (with Dietrich Thurau)

Belgian National Championships

1st Omnium

1st Six Days of London (with Albert Fritz)

1st Six Days of Zürich (with Albert Fritz)

1st Six Days of Cologne (with Gregor Braun)

1st Six Days of Dortmund (with Dietrich Thurau)

1st Six Days of Berlin (with Dietrich Thurau)

1st Six Days of Munich (with Dietrich Thurau)

1st Six Days of Rotterdam (with Albert Fritz)

1st Six Days of Hanover (with Albert Fritz)

2nd Six Days of Frankfurt (with Dietrich Thurau)

2nd Six Days of Ghent (with Stan Tourné)

2nd Six Days of Groningen (with Albert Fritz)

3rd Six Days of Milan with Felice Gimondi)

3rd Six Days of Bremen (with Dietrich Thurau)

3rd Six Days of Antwerp (with Roger De Vlaeminck and Rik Van Linden)

3rd Six Days of Grenoble (with Bernard Vallet)

3rd Six Days of Maastricht (with Albert Fritz)

1980

European Track Championships

1st Omnium

2nd Derny

1st Six Days of Milan with Giuseppe Saronni)

1st Six Days of Dortmund (with Gregor Braun)

1st Six Days of Berlin (with Gregor Braun)

1st Six Days of Bremen (with Albert Fritz)

1st Six Days of Ghent (with Albert Fritz)

1st Six Days of Herning (with Gert Frank)

2nd Six Days of Maastricht (with Albert Fritz)

2nd Six Days of Hanover (with Dietrich Thurau)

3rd Six Days of Rotterdam (with Albert Fritz)

3rd Six Days of London (with Albert Fritz)

3rd Six Days of Cologne (with Albert Fritz)

1981

European Track Championships

3rd Omnium

Belgian National Championships

2nd Points race

1st Six Days of Milan with Francesco Moser)

1st Six Days of Cologne (with Albert Fritz)

1st Six Days of Ghent (with Gert Frank)

1st Six Days of Grenoble (with Urs Freuler)

2nd Six Days of Bremen (with Albert Fritz)

2nd Six Days of Hanover (with Gert Frank)

3rd Six Days of Zürich (with René Pijnen)

3rd Six Days of Rotterdam (with Albert Fritz)

1982

European Track Championships

1st Madison (with René Pijnen)

3rd Omnium

Belgian National Championships

1st Omnium

1st Six Days of Antwerp (with Roger De Vlaeminck)

1st Six Days of Berlin (with Maurizio Bidinost)

1st Six Days of Rotterdam (with René Pijnen)

2nd Six Days of Milan with Francesco Moser)

2nd Six Days of Cologne (with Gregor Braun)

2nd Six Days of Bremen (with Gert Frank)

2nd Six Days of Zürich (with Danny Clark)

2nd Six Days of Herning (with René Pijnen)

3rd Six Days of Ghent (with Roger De Vlaeminck)

3rd Six Days of Maastricht (with Gerrie Knetemann)

1983

1st Six Days of Rotterdam (with René Pijnen)

2nd Six Days of Milan (with Moreno Argentin)

2nd Six Days of Bremen (with Albert Fritz)

2nd Six Days of Antwerp (with Etienne De Wilde)

Records

Overview

• World Record flying 500 m time trial (amateurs): 1964
• World Record 1 km time trial (amateurs): 1964
• World Record flying 1 km time trial: 1967
• World Record 1 km time trial: 1972
• World Outdoor Record flying 1 km time trial: 1973
• Most European championships wins: 15
• Most national track championships wins: 38
• Most Six Days wins: 88
• Most Six Days of Ghent wins: 11
• Most Six Days of London wins: 9

Details

World records

Discipline	Record	Date	Velodrome	Ref
Flying 500 m time trial amateurs	29"66	28 July 1964	Ordrupbanen Ordrup, Denmark	[12]
1 km time trial amateurs	1'06"76	12 December 1964	Palais Des Sports Brussels, Belgium	[12]
Flying 1 km time trial	1'01"23	3 Februari 1967	Sportpaleis Antwerpen, Belgium	[13]
1 km time trial	1'07"35	2 December 1972	Hallenstadion Zürich, Switzerland	[12]
Flying 1 km time trial outdoor	1'02"46	17 September 1973	Velodromo Vigorelli Milan, Italy	[14]

Six-day wins

Timeline

Nr	Year	Race	Partner	Win
1	1965	Ghent	Eddy Merckx	1
2	1966	Frankfurt	Klaus Bugdahl	1
3	1967	Cologne	Klaus Bugdahl	2
4	1967	Montréal	Emile Severeyns	1
5	1967	Ghent	Eddy Merckx	2
6	1967	Münster	Klaus Bugdahl	3
7	1967	Charleroi	Ferdinand Bracke	1
8	1968	Rotterdam	Peter Post	1
9	1968	London	Peter Post	2
10	1968	Frankfurt	Rudi Altig	1
11	1968	Dortmund	Rudi Altig	2
12	1969	Bremen	Peter Post	3
13	1969	Antwerp	Peter Post and Rik Van Looy	4
14	1969	London	Peter Post	5
15	1969	Dortmund	Peter Post	6
16	1969	Frankfurt	Peter Post	7
17	1969	Charleroi	Norbert Seeuws	1
18	1970	Cologne	Peter Post	8
19	1970	Bremen	Peter Post	9
20	1970	London	Peter Post	10
21	1970	Ghent	Jean-Pierre Monseré	1
22	1971	Rotterdam	Peter Post	11
23	1971	London	Peter Post	12
24	1971	Berlin	Peter Post	13
25	1971	Frankfurt	Peter Post	14
26	1971	Ghent	Roger De Vlaeminck	1
27	1972	London	Tony Gowland	1
28	1972	Dortmund	Alain van Lancker	1
29	1972	Ghent	Julien Stevens	1
30	1973	Cologne	Alain van Lancker	2
31	1973	Milan	Julien Stevens	2
32	1973	Dortmund	Eddy Merckx	3
33	1973	Grenoble	Eddy Merckx	4
34	1973	Ghent	Graeme Gilmore	1
35	1974	Antwerp	Eddy Merckx	5
36	1974	London	René Pijnen	1
37	1974	Dortmund	René Pijnen	2
38	1975	Bremen	René Pijnen	3
39	1975	Antwerp	Eddy Merckx	6
40	1975	Berlin	Dietrich Thurau	1
41	1975	Grenoble	Eddy Merckx	7
42	1975	Ghent	Eddy Merckx	8
43	1975	Zürich	Günter Haritz	1
44	1976	Rotterdam	Eddy Merckx	9
45	1976	Antwerp	Eddy Merckx	10
46	1976	Milan	Francesco Moser	1
47	1976	Dortmund	Freddy Maertens	1
48	1976	Maastricht	Graeme Gilmore	2
49	1977	Copenhagen	Ole Ritter	1
50	1977	Antwerp	Freddy Maertens	2
51	1977	London	René Pijnen	4
52	1977	Berlin	Eddy Merck	11
53	1977	Munich	Eddy Merckx	12
54	1977	Ghent	Eddy Merckx	13
55	1977	Zürich	Eddy Merckx	14
56	1977	Maastricht	Eddy Merckx	15
57	1978	Berlin	Dietrich Thurau	2
58	1978	Frankfurt	Dietrich Thurau	3
59	1978	Grenoble	Dietrich Thurau	4
60	1978	Munich	Gregor Braun	1
61	1978	Ghent	Gerrie Knetemann	1
62	1979	Cologne	Gregor Braun	2
63	1979	Rotterdam	Albert Fritz	1
64	1979	Hanover	Albert Fritz	2
65	1979	London	Albert Fritz	3
66	1979	Berlin	Dietrich Thurau	5
67	1979	Dortmund	Dietrich Thurau	6
68	1979	Munich	Dietrich Thurau	7
69	1979	Zürich	Albert Fritz	4
70	1979	Bremen	Albert Fritz	5
71	1980	Copenhagen	Albert Fritz	6
72	1980	Copenhagen	Albert Fritz	7
73	1980	Berlin	Gregor Braun	3
74	1980	Dortmund	Gregor Braun	4
75	1980	Ghent	Albert Fritz	8
76	1980	Herning	Gert Frank	1
77	1981	Cologne	Albert Fritz	8
78	1981	Copenhagen	Albert Fritz	9
79	1981	Milan	Francesco Moser	2
80	1981	Grenoble	Urs Freuler	1
81	1981	Ghent	Gert Frank	2
82	1982	Rotterdam	René Pijnen	5
83	1982	Copenhagen	René Pijnen	6
84	1982	Antwerp	Roger De Vlaeminck	2
85	1982	Berlin	Maurizio Bidinost	1
86	1982	Munich	René Pijnen	7
87	1983	Rotterdam	René Pijnen	8
88	1983	Copenhagen	Gert Frank	3

Partners

• 15 events with Eddy Merckx

• 14 with Peter Post

• 10 with Albert Fritz

• 8 with René Pijnen

• 7 with Dietrich Thurau

• 3 with Klaus Bugdahl & Gert Frank

• 2 with Rudi Altig, Roger De Vlaeminck, Alain van Lancker, Julien Stevens, Graeme Gilmore, Francesco Moser & Freddy Maertens

Track Championships

Champion	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983
Olympic: kilometre	1°
World track championships: sprint				1°	2°	1°
World Road Championships											rit.
European Track Championships: madison					3°	1°	1°	3°	2°			1°		3°	1°	1°	3°	3°		1°
European Track Championships: derny														1°		2°
European Track Championships: omnium		1°		1°	1°	1°	1°	1°	1°	1°			1°	1°		2°	1°	3°
:Belgian National Championships: madison		1°	1°		1°	1°	1°	1°	1°	1°	1°	1°	1°	1°
:Belgian National Championships: derny													1°
:Belgian National Championships: omnium		1°	1°	1°	1°			1°	1°		1°	1°	1°	1°	1°	1°			1°
:Belgian National Championships: sprint		1°		1°	1°	1°
National road championship											5°
National road championship points																	2°		4°

Track races

Races	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983
Omnium Cherbourg											1°
Amsterdam six			3°
Antwerp six		2°	2°	2°	3°	1°	2°	rit.	2°		1°	1°	1°	1°	rit.	2°	rit.		1°	2°
Berlin six		5°	5°	3°	4°	2°	2°	2°	4°	rit.		1°	2°	1°	1°	1°	1°	4°	1°
Bremen six				3°	5°	5°	1°	2°	2°	4°	3°	1°	3°	2°	6°		1°	2°	2°	2°
Brussels six		2°					rit.	2°
Charleroi six				1°	3°	1°
Cologne six				1°	2°	2°	1°			1°	2°	rit.				1°	3°	1°	2°	5°
Copenhagen six														1°	rit.	3°	1°	1°	1°	1°
Dortmund six			4°	2°	3°	1°	6°		1°	1°	1°	2°	1°	3°	3°	3°	1°	6°	6°
Essen six		4°	4°
Frankfurt six			1°		1°	1°	rit.	1°	4°			2°	5°	1°	1°	2°		rit.
Ghent six		1°	2°	1°	2°	2°	1°	1°	1°	1°	2°	1°	2°	1°	1°	2°	1°	1°
Grenoble six										1°	2°	1°	3°	2°	1°	3°	4°	1°
Groningen six																2°
Hanover six																1°	2°	2°
Herning six														3°	3°		1°	4°	2°
London six					1°	1°	1°	1°	1°	2°	1°	2°		1°	5°	1°	3°
Maastricht six													1°	1°	4°	3°	2°		3°
Milan six			3°	2°		2°		4°	2°	1°			1°		2°	3°	1°	1°	2°	2°
Monaco six									3°	4°	rit.	2°	2°	1°	1°	1°	rit.		1°
Montréal six				1°	2°	2°
Münster six				1°
Rotterdam six					1°			1°		2°	2°	3°	1°	3°	4°	1°	3°	3°	1°	1°
Zürich six			3°	2°	2°	3°		4°	4°	8°		2°	3°	1°	4°	1°	8°	3°	2°

Italian classics

Classics	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983
Giro del Piemonte						4°
Giro di Campania								2°
Giro di Toscana													62°
Milan–San Remo						11°		31°	27°	5°	116°	11°	7°	8°
Milano–Torino								10°					7°
Milano–Vignola							2°	2°		2°		2°

Non-Italian classics

Classics	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983
Flèche Wallonne						15°
Gent–Wevelgem						9°	5°		49°		20°
Tour of Flanders							7°	44°		9°	9°
Paris–Roubaix						8°	18°
Paris–Tours									11°

Stage races

Races (stage races)	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983
Deutschland Tour																12° (1)
Tour of Belgium							rit.								rit. (1)
Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré														70° (4)
Tour of the Mediterranean														(2)
Giro d'Italia							90° (1)	69° (2)	rit.	97° (1)	rit. (3)	67° (3)	rit. (3)
Giro di Puglia										(1)			(1)
Tour of Romandy								(1)				(1)
Tour of Sardinia							1° (1)	15° (1)			5° (3)	(1)		3° (2)
Paris–Nice														(2)
Tirreno–Adriatico						(1)	6° (1)		(1)			(1)	(1)
Tour de France											89° (3)			rit. (3)

Other road aces

Races	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970	1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980	1981	1982	1983
Acht van Chaam												3°
Bellariva-Rimini								3°
Brussels-Ingooigem											1°	5°
Brussels-Meulebeke								4°
Cagliari-Sassari								3°	1°	1°
Circuito degli Assi di Pavullo								4°
Circuito di Cotignola							3°
Circuit of the Port of Dunkirk												1°
Circuit of South-West Flanders																	1°
Circuit of Central Flanders					1°
Tour of the Vallée de la Lys						1°
Tour of the Flemish Ardennes											1°	1°
Tour des Régions Frontières															1°
Elfstedenronde										1°
Coppa Bernocchi								2°	2°
Coppa Sabatini							2°
Criterium degli Assi di Nogaro											5°
Criterium Bourcefranc			1°
Criterium Callac											9°
Criterium Hank															1°
Criterium Lignano									1°
Criterium Mol																	1°
Criterium Nantes													1°
Criterium Rouergue											1°
Criterium Tortoretto								1°
Criterium Zolder		1°
Freccia Mosana										1°
Ronde van Limburg					2°
Giro di Calabria							2°
Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria							3°
Giro di Sardegna							1°		3°					3°
Giro di Sicilia											2°
Gran Premio Cemab												2°
GP Roeselare						4°		1°
GP Union Dortmund																1°
Harelbeke-Antwerp-Harelbeke										6°				2°
Het Volk						5°						2°	3°	7°
Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne														1°
Memorial Tom Simpson				1°								1°
Paris–Camembert								2°	2°
Petegem-Deinze																			9°

Honours

• Honorary Citizen of Izegem: 1996
• Introduced in the Olympiapark München Walk of Stars: 2003^[15]
• A velodrome, Wielerbaan Patrick Sercu in Bruges: 2007^[16]
• A velodrome, Wielerpiste Defraeye-Sercu in Roeselare: 2011^[17]
• Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee Order of Merit: 2014^[6]
• Patrick Sercu trophy: from 2019^[18]
• A street, Patrick Sercudreef in Izegem: 2020^[19]