Patrick Sercu

Patrick Sercu (27 June 1944 – 19 April 2019) 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. He also won six stages at the Tour de France and eleven stages at the Giro d'Italia.

In 1962, aged 18, Sercu won his first national titles, in the sprint and madison events. Two years later he was the star attraction at the Manchester Wheelers' Club Race Meet at the Fallowfield track in Manchester.

After retiring from competitions Sercu became organizer of road races and director of the Six Days of Ghent and the former Six Days of Hasselt. Sercu died on 19 April 2019, aged 74.

Major results

• Olympic kilometre 1964
• World Championships sprint 1963 (amateur), 1967, 1969 (2nd: 1968)
• 500 m flying start record: 1964 (29" 66)
• Kilometre standing start record: 1964, 1972 (1' 06" 76)
• Kilometre flying start record: 1967 (1' 02" 46), 1973 (1' 02" 40)
• European omnium champion: 11 wins (2nd: 1979)
• European madison champion: six wins
• European derny champion: one win
• National sprint champion: seven wins
• National omnium champion: 15 wins
• National madison champion: 14 wins (seven with Eddy Merckx, one with Rik Van Looy)
• National derny champion: one win
• Flanders road champion: 1972
• West Flanders road champion: 1975
• Tour of Sardinia: 1970
• Cagliari-Sassari: 1972
• Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne: 1977
• Criterium Zolder: 1965
• Criterium Bourcefranc: 1966
• Criterium Tortoretto: 1971
• Criterium Lignano1972
• Criterium Rouergue: 1974
• Criterium Nantes : 1976
• Criterium Mol : 1980
• Criterium Hank: 1978
• Memorial Tom Simpson: 1967
• Grand Prix de la Banque: 1971
• Grand Prix Union de Dortmund : 1979
• Circuit of Central Flanders: 1968
• Circuit de la Vallée de la Lys: 1969
• Circuit des 11 Villes: 1973
• Circuit of the Flemish Ardennes: 1975
• Circuit du port de Dunkerque: 1975
• Circuit des Régions Frontières: 1978
• Circuit of South-West Flanders: 1980
• 6 stages Tour de France
• 11 stages Giro d'Italia
• Points Tour de France: 1974
• PointsTour Méditerranéen: 1977
• Points Dauphiné Libéré: 1977

Six-day wins

Championships

Italian classics

Non-Italian classics

Stage races

Other races

Track

• 1964 – Solo-Superia
• 1964 – Bertin-Porter 39-Milremo
• 1965 – Solo-Superia
• 1966 – Solo-Superia
• 1967 – Flandria-Declerck
• 1968 – Faema
• 1969 – Faema
• 1970 – Dreher
• 1971 – Dreher
• 1972 – Dreher
• 1973 – Brooklyn
• 1974 – Brooklyn
• 1975 – Brooklyn
• 1976 – Brooklyn
• 1977 – FIAT France
• 1978 – Marc-Zeepcentrale-Superia
• 1979 – Marc-Zeepcentrale-Superia
• 1980 – Marc-Carlos-VRD
• 1981 – IWC-IMEX
• 1982 – IWC-IMEX
• 1983 – IMEX-Neuhaus