Roger De Vlaeminck was born on 24 August 1947 in Eeklo, Belgium. He is one of the great cyclists in history, but one who had to battle Eddy Merckx for supremacy throughout his career. He is one of the great professional cyclists also to have claimed cyclo-cross championships, winning the amateur world title in 1968 and professional in 1975. Such ability enabled him to win the bone-shattering Paris-Roubaix four times (1972, 1974, 1975, 1977) - still a record - and defeat Merckx several times in the process, including by the record winning margin in the race, 5 minutes and 21 seconds in 1970. He was second in the 1975 world professional road race.