In the bag: Ireland’s Shay Elliott takes the 1959 Het Volk from a two-up gallop
With the first Belgian classic of the year Omloop Het Niewsblad – formerly Omloop Het Volk - upon us, we look back at the 1959 edition, won by the legendary Shay Elliott. In this short extract from Graham Healy’s book on Elliott – ‘The Life and Death of Ireland’s First Yellow Jersey’ – the Irish great only decides to ride at the last minute.
Having broken his frame in Ghent-Wevelgem, under old rules this might have disqualified him from the rest of Flanders week. But finding himself eligible and with a new bike put together quickly, he made his way somewhat reluctantly to the start line of the 210km race.
The newspaper Het Volk had established the race in the previous decade in response to rival daily newspaper Het Nieuwsblad’s sponsorship of the Tour of Flanders.
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Despite being eligible, Shay was uncertain about starting; he simply didn’t feel comfortable on the only spare bike available to him. But in the morning he decided to try out the bike again, by cycling from the team hotel at Courtrai to the start in Wevelgem, and found it more to his liking. He decided to go ahead and start the race at least. And how fortunate that he did.
There was heavy snow during the race, and only 64 of the 175 starters would make it to the finish. Shay, perhaps unexpectedly, found himself in great form, and when the race reached the steep climb of the famous Muur van Geraardsbergen, he was able to drop the entire field, bar one rider;
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the Belgian Fred de Bruyne.
De Bruyne was one of the most formidable classics specialists in the peloton; a previous winner of Milan–San Remo, Liège–Bastogne–Liège, Paris–Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders. Despite his strong sprint, Shay would clearly have been second favourite in this two-horse race, if the pair made it to the finish together.
Having escaped together, Shay and de Bruyne worked well to stay ahead of the peloton for the final 30 kilometres. Riders of the calibre of Rik Van Looy, Wim van Est and Rik Van Steenbergen were not able to make any impression on their lead.
Coming into the finishing straight in Ghent, a few kilometers from De Bruyne’s home town of Berlare, Shay managed to force de Bruyne to lead out the sprint. Despite the Belgian’s speed, Shay was easily able to get around him to take his first ever classic win, albeit not one of the more established monuments.
He had achieved one of his aims for the season, and was delighted after the race, as he talked about his win to journalists.
He’d already shown that he was capable of competing with the best on the short climbs or pave of the classics. Now this, he felt, was his breakthrough, and more classic victories would follow.
Shay’s win in Het Volk was the first win for a non-Belgian. Fausto Coppi was first over the line in the 1948 edition, but was disqualified for taking a wheel from the Belgian Walschott, who was not on his team. Not only was it Shay’s first classic win, but it was also the first ever for an English speaker.
"Shay Elliott; The life and death of Ireland's first yellow jersey" By Graham Healy with Richard Allchin is published by Sport and Publicity-Mousehold Press. (With foreword by Pat McQuaid and Sean Kelly.)
To buy it from Easons for €17.10, click here
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