Frans Melckenbeeck

Frans Melckenbeeck (15 November 1940 – 28 October 2025) was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer. In 1962, Melckenbeeck won one stage of the Tour de France, and in 1963 he won Liège–Bastogne–Liège. He won four stages in the 1964 and 1965 Vuelta a España. Melckenbeeck also competed in the team pursuit at the 1960 Summer Olympics.

In total, Melckenbeeck collected 240 victories, 64 of which as a professional rider. He also achieved success on the cycling tracks.

A cycling race, the Grand Prix Frans Melckenbeek, is organized every year in his hometown of Lede. In 2018, Melckenbeeck became an honorary citizen of the municipality.

Melckenbeeck died on 28 October 2025, at the age of 84.

Major results

1958 1st Omloop der Vlaamse Gewesten Amateurs race 1st Overall Étoile des Débutants 1st Stages 1, 3 & 4 1960 1st Bruxelles–Lede 1961 5th UCI Road World Championships Amateur road race 1961

1st Overall Ronde van Limburg (for under age 26) 2nd Overall Tour of Belgium amateurs 1st Stages 5 & 6 1st Overall Tour du Berry 1st Stages 2 & 3 (ITT) 1st Paris–Vailly 1st Kampioenschap van Oost-Vlaanderen 1st Grand Prix Somalia 2nd Grand Prix Neuville 2nd Gent–Wevelgem Amateurs 1962 1st Schelde-Dender-Leie 1st Lede 1st Mere 1st Stage 1 Tour de Luxembourg 1st Stage 5 Four Days of Dunkirk 1st Mol 2nd Paris–Tours 2nd Berlare 3rd Overall Tour du Nord 1st Stage 2 3rd Gullegem Koerse 1963 Tour de France: 1st Stage 4 1st Stage 2 Tour du Nord 1st Liège–Bastogne–Liège 1st GP Brasschaat 1st GP Gemeente Kortemark 1st Omloop Gemeente Melle 1st Stage 5 Four Days of Dunkirk 1st Grote 1-MeiPrijs 1st Stages 2, 4 & 7 Tour du Sud-Est 1st GP Roeselare 1st Provencial interclub championship 1st Aalst 1st Lede 1st Ninove 1st GP Gemeente Kortemark 2nd Tour of Flanders 2nd Schelde-Dender-Leie 2nd Boucles de l'Aulne

3rd Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen 3rd Schaal Sels 1964 1st Grand Prix de Fourmies 1st Stage 1 Tour de Picardie 1st Grand Prix d'Isbergues 1st Omloop Het Volk 1st GP Gemeente Kortemark 1st Lede 1st Grote Prijs Marcel Kint Vuelta a España 1st stages 3, 6 and 17 1st Omloop Het Volk 1st GP Roeselare 1st Stage 4 Paris–Nice 1st Temse 1st Zwevegem 1st Lede 1st Kortemark 2nd Schelde-Dender-Leie 2nd Grand Prix d'Aix-en-Provence 2nd Grand Prix de Saint-Raphaël

3rd Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne 1965 Vuelta a España: 1st Stage 10a 1st GP Monaco 1st Erembodegem-Terjoden 1966 1st Omloop van de Vlasstreek 1st Omloop Gemeente Melle 1st Stage 4 (TTT) Tour of Belgium 2nd Omloop van het Waasland 1967 1st Stages 3 & 4 (TTT) Tour of Belgium 1st Provencial interclub championship 1st Westouter 1968 1st Grote Prijs Stad Zottegem 1st Erembodegem-Terjoden 1st Herzele 1st Handzame 1969 1st Lede 1st Moorsele 1970 1st Roubaix-Cassel-Roubaix 1971 1st Omloop van Oost-Vlaanderen 1st Temse 3rd Schelde-Dender-Leie 1972 1st Ninove