Freddy Maertens was born on 13 February 1952 in Nieuwpoort, Belgium. Although he did not quite meet the hopes of a nation to emulate the great Eddy Merckx, he compiled one of the great records ever in the one-day classics. He was only an average climber, which prevented him from winning much in the major tours, but he was one of the greatest ever road sprinters. After his retirement, he joined the BRT (Belgian Radio and Television) to report on major cycling events.