"Rik Van Looy passed away peacefully yesterday on the birthday of his wife Nini, who passed away in January 2021, surrounded by his family after a short illness," his family said in a statement. "The farewell will take place privately."
"Rik was a very big champion, an absolute icon of cycling. His palmares is incredible. He was also one of the founders of the Flemish Cycling School in Herenthals. He did a lot for our sport," Merckx told the Flemish media.
"At the beginning of my career he was very difficult to beat, I had to fight hard against him. Rik was a super champion who was almost unbeatable in the classics. I am glad that I was able to race against him."
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