Frans De Mulder

Frans De Mulder (17 December 1937 in Kruishoutem – 5 March 2001 in Deinze) was a professional road racing cyclist from Belgium between 1958 and 1963.

De Mulder is most famous for winning the overall title and four stages the 1960 Vuelta a España. He bested fellow countryman Armand Desmet and Spaniard Miguel Pacheco across 3566 km in 17 stages.

A medical examination in 1963 revealed that he had a shortage of red blood cells. After a six-month rest period, De Mulder no longer had the strength to return. At the age of just 26, he disappeared from the peloton.

After his cycling career, luck wasn't on his side. In a serious accident in the port of Antwerp, a heavy cable snapped and landed on him, paralyzing his arm. He died in 2001 from a heart attack at the age of just 63.

His brother Marcel De Mulder was also a professional cyclist.

Major results

Source: 1959 1st Stage 5a Tour de l'Ouest 3rd Liège–Bastogne–Liège 4th Milan–San Remo 4th Brussels–Ingooigem 7th Paris–Roubaix 7th La Flèche Wallonne 1960

1st Stages 4, 7, 16 & 17a 2nd Gent–Wevelgem 3rd Omloop van het Houtland 5th Harelbeke–Antwerp–Harelbeke 6th Tour of Flanders 6th Dwars door België 7th Overall Tour de Luxembourg 1st Stage 4 7th Milan–San Remo 7th Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne 10th Brussels–Ingooigem 1961

8th Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne 1962 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré

1st Stage 7 3rd Overall Tour de Luxembourg 3rd Harelbeke–Antwerp–Harelbeke 4th Road race, National Road Championships 5th Omloop Het Volk 7th Overall Four Days of Dunkirk 9th Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne 9th De Kustpijl 1963 1st Nokere Koerse 3rd Overall Tour of Belgium 1st Stage 3b (ITT) 5th De Kustpijl 8th GP Stad Zottegem

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

+ Legend — Did not compete DNF Did not finish