The diminutive Bjorg Lambrecht thread *** R.I.P.***

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Lotto riding with Bjorg/Matchbox stickers.

 

[Armchair cyclist]

I'm guessing 'Matchbox' was a nickname on account of his size?

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

I'm guessing 'Matchbox' was a nickname on account of his size?

Yes, i've seen tweets by Adam Hansen and André Greipel among others, use that nickname. I would also assume it was given due to his size.

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Lots of pictures of the funeral in the link below. Greipel, Benoot, Vanhoucke, Campenaerts & Vanendert were pallbearers.

Fotoreeks: wielerwereld neemt afscheid van Bjorg Lambrecht | sporza

Vandaag wordt Bjorg Lambrecht begraven. Veel vrienden, familie en collega's wonen de plechtigheid in de kerk van Knesselare bij.

sporza.be

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

This will probably be my last post in this thread. Maybe it will be the last post in this thread full stop. But i wanted to share this last bit, which i only just read now, while it's from last week.

It's a post by Kevin Inkelaar, the Dutch 22 year old (currently riding Tour de l'Avenir) who is a former team-mate of Bjorg. I knew they rode for Lotto in the past, but i didn't know they were best friends.

Bjorg,

Normaal schrijf ik niet echt berichten op social media. Ik had wat tijd nodig om dit te kunnen schrijven.

Toen mijn telefoon ging stond mijn wereld stil. Ik verlies meer dan mijn beste vriend. Ik verlies iemand met wie ik iedere dag contact heb, mijn rots in de branding, mijn steun en toeverlaat. Ik heb het niet over het grote wielertalent Bjorg Lambrecht maar over iemand met een nog grotere persoonlijkheid. Namelijk Bjorg, mijn vriend.Iemand die altijd klaar staat. Iemand die er is met wind in de rug maar ook met tegenwind. Je bent een karaktervol iemand. Voor velen een voorbeeld. Jouw positiviteit, jouw glimlach, het kenmerkt je.

Waar er normaal met jou tranen van het lachen zijn, zo zijn er nu tranen van verdriet. Je bent 24/7 in mijn gedachten en je zult voor altijd in mijn hart blijven. Er zijn veel vragen die onbeantwoord zullen blijven. Want waarom Bjorg? Maar wat ik wel weet, is dat jij mijn ‘star’ zal blijven. Mijn eerste gedachten zijn bij Kurt, Anje, Britt, Carmina, Sam en alle mensen dicht bij Bjorg.

Translated:

Bjorg,

I usually don't write posts on social media. I needed some time to write this.
When my phone rang, my world stood still. I'm losing more than my best friend. I'm losing someone, with whom i had contact every day, someone who had my back, someone i could rely on.
I'm not talking about the big cycling talent Bjorg Lambrecht, but about someone with an even bigger personality. You Bjorg, my friend. Someone who's always there for you. In good times and bad. You are a charismatic person. An example to many. Your positivity and your smile are your trademarks.

The usual tears of laughter in your presence, have turned into tears of sorrow. You are in my thoughts 24/7 and will remain forever in my heart. Many questions will remain unanswered. Because why Bjorg? But what i do know, is that you'll always be my 'star'. My first thoughts go out to Kurt, Anje, Britt, Carmina, Sam and all those close to Bjorg.

 

[RedheadDane]

Lotto Soudal U23 rider Ruben Apers just completed the first leg of a ride to Paris and back.

He wasn't supposed to have done it alone...

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Lotto Soudal U23 rider Ruben Apers just completed the first leg of a ride to Paris and back.

He wasn't supposed to have done it alone...

Apers was one of the three riders who were hit by a van last year. One of the other two riders, was Stef Loos... who didn't survive the accident.

 

[RedheadDane]

Apers was one of the three riders who were hit by a van last year. One of the other two riders, was Stef Loos... who didn't survive the accident.

That was earlier this year...

 

[chinaski]

Local BHG fan club founded a cross to commemorate Bjorg. You can see in the pictures the spot where it happened, and also the reflector (?) which probably caused the crash.

Miesiąc po śmierci Bjorga Lambrechta. Polscy kibice postawili krzyż w miejscu tragedii

Piękny gest grupy kibiców i kolarzy-amatorów. Zorganizowali się, załatwili wszystkie potrzebne pozwolenia, kupili krzyż i dokładnie miesiąc po tragedii na trasie Tour de Pologne spotkali się w Bełku, aby upamiętnić młodego Belga.

sportowefakty.wp.pl

 

[Armchair cyclist]

BHG?

 

[chinaski]

Bora...

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1190197295918309381

View: https://twitter.com/Tour_de_Pologne/status/1190197295918309381

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1201908764678479872

View: https://twitter.com/tourofnorway/status/1201908764678479872

 

[Tomek86]

In this special time, we remember...

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Didn't want to bump this topic one year after his death. After the Fabio Jakobsen crash (later the same day), i was glad i hadn't.

But now a book has been released about Bjorg, with anecdotes, impressions, stories of over 70 people, colleagues and family.

Boek brengt eerbetoon aan Bjorg Lambrecht: "Speelse, sociale, lieve sloddervos" | sporza

"Een mooie herinnering en een echt eerbetoon." Zo noemen de ouders van Bjorg Lambrecht het boek "Ik had een droom" dat vandaag in de rekken ligt. Meer dan 70 collega's, vrienden en familieleden halen er herinneringen in op aan de renner, die vorig jaar op 22-jarige leeftijd het leven liet in de...

translate.google.com

 

[Jagartrott]

It still hurts.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

The title is heartbreaking in itself

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

3 years...

Ploegmaats herdenken Bjorg Lambrecht: "3 jaar onwerkelijkheid en gemis" | sporza

Op 5 augustus 2019 liet Bjorg Lambrecht het leven in de Ronde van Polen. De talentvolle Lambrecht wordt nog elke dag gemist. Zijn collega's en ploeg Lotto-Soudal staan stil bij zijn overlijden van 3 jaar geleden.

sporza.be

 

[Skijumper Roglic fan]

Lambrecht was super strong already. Very impressive results from the beginning on.

Would have been a candidate for a victory in LBL, or races like Basque Country.

Very sad story…

 

[Zoef-Lightning]

Lambrecht was a talented young rider. A better version of Sevenant, but a lesser version of Ayuso and certainly of Pogacar.

I don't think he had the talent and "the engine" to shine in a Grand Tour or to win in Liège or Itzulia. Yet it is a regrettable loss for the (Belgian) cycling world.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Lambrecht was a talented young rider. A better version of Sevenant, but a lesser version of Ayuso and certainly of Pogacar.

I don't think he had the talent and "the engine" to shine in a Grand Tour or to win in Liège or Itzulia. Yet it is a regrettable loss for the (Belgian) cycling world.

A particularly thoughtless post, lacking in both an understanding of racing and in tact.

Lambrecht won Ronde de l'isard as a first year u23 aged just 19, and his record the following year was exceptional, including a win in LBL u23. He was beating guys like Vlasov, Pogacar etc that year.

And as a 21 year old neo Pro he was winning .HC races

As a 22yo he is competing for victories in the ardennes classics.

Its always a tragic discussion of what-ifs. But Bjorg Lambrecht could absolutely have challenged for the biggest races in the sport.

I didn't watch cycling for a month after what happened. And I was no huge fan of Lambrecht. But his promise was obvious and he was just a young guy chasing his dream. Impossible to believe what happened

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Why on earth would you compare him to Ayuso or Pogacar? He was much more of an Alaphilippe - Higuita mix. He could have won a bunch of big races, because he was a very good climber (even if not the best) and very punchy & quick at the line.

 

[laarsland]

Bjorg was just hitting his stride. I was planning on having him on my FirstCycling-team for the Vuelta.

He had oodles of talent. Whether or not he was going to turn into a Bardet, Alaphilippe or Ivan Sosa is what we’ve all been robbed of finding out.

I’m not easily moved, but those pictures from his funeral still has me tear up.

 

[Zoef-Lightning]

A particularly thoughtless post, lacking in both an understanding of racing and in tact.

Lambrecht won Ronde de l'isard as a first year u23 aged just 19, and his record the following year was exceptional, including a win in LBL u23. He was beating guys like Vlasov, Pogacar etc that year.

And as a 21 year old neo Pro he was winning .HC races

As a 22yo he is competing for victories in the ardennes classics.

Its always a tragic discussion of what-ifs. But Bjorg Lambrecht could absolutely have challenged for the biggest races in the sport.

I didn't watch cycling for a month after what happened. And I was no huge fan of Lambrecht. But his promise was obvious and he was just a young guy chasing his dream. Impossible to believe what happened

thoughtless ? Please explain.

Believe me. With decades of experience I think I can properly assess the qualities of young riders.

As I wrote. A talented young rider (as you prove with examples). But certainly not of Pogacar's level, probably not of Bernal's level either. A good climber, but not a top climber. Also too few time trial capacities. A potential top ten rider of major stage races. To win tough one day races like Liège or Lombardia (after a solo, because not a sprinter) his engine was also a bit too light.

It is a well-known phenomenon that after his death a talented person is valued more and more by some. But that is not based on objective facts.

 

[RedheadDane]

Went back to the beginning of the thread - so hopeful, so much potential - and after the 2019 FW there was some discussion about whether he had made a tactical error, and well...

His podium will come, not like today was his last-ever chance.

Oh, that stings now!

In fact I think I might have said this before, but what gets me every single time is that look of youthful excitement he seemed to have. The picture on the front cover of that book logic posted about up-thread is a good example.