View source for Stan Ockers

{{Short description|Belgian cyclist (1920–1956)}}
{{Infobox cyclist
| name = Stan Ockers
| image = Stan Ockers (1951).jpg
| caption = Ockers at the 1951 Tour de France
| fullname = Constant Ockers
| nickname = 
| birth_date = {{birth date|1920|2|3|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Borgerhout]], Belgium
| death_date = {{death date and age|1956|10|1|1920|2|3|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Antwerp]], Belgium
| discipline = {{ubl|[[Road bicycle racing|Road]]|[[Track cycling|Track]]}}
| role = Rider
| ridertype = Sprinter
| amateuryears1 = 
| amateurteam1 = 
| proyears1 = 1941
| proteam1 = Individual
| proyears2 = 1942
| proteam2 = {{UCI team code|Helyett|1942}}
| proyears3 = 1943–1945
| proteam3 = [[Métropole (cycling team)|Métropole]]
| proyears4 = 1946
| proteam4 = [[Métropole (cycling team)|Metropole–Dunlop]]
| proyears5 = 1947
| proteam5 = {{UCI team code|Groene Leeuw|1947}}
| proyears6 = 1947–1949
| proteam6 = [[Mondia (bicycle company)|Mondia]] and Garin–Wolber
| proyears7 = 1950
| proteam7 = [[Métropole (cycling team)|Metropole–Dunlop]] and [[Terrot (cycling team)|Terrot–Wolber]]
| proyears8 = 1951
| proteam8 = [[Girardengo (cycling team)|Girardengo]] and [[Terrot (cycling team)|Terrot–Wolber]]
| proyears9 = 1952–1954
| proteam9 = {{UCI team code|Peugeot|1952}} and [[Girardengo (cycling team)|Girardengo–Clement]]
| proyears10 = 1955–1956
| proteam10 = [[Elvé (cycling team)|Elvé–Peugeot]]
| proyears11 = 1956
| proteam11 = [[Girardengo (cycling team)|Girardengo–Icep]]
| majorwins = '''[[Grand Tour (cycling)|Grand Tours]]'''
:'''[[Tour de France]]'''
::[[Points classification in the Tour de France|Points classification]] ([[1955 Tour de France|1955]], [[1956 Tour de France|1956]])
::4 individual stages ([[1950 Tour de France|1950]], [[1954 Tour de France|1954]], [[1956 Tour de France|1956]])
'''[[Race stage|Other stage races]]'''
: [[Roma–Napoli–Roma]] (1956)
'''[[Classic cycle races|One-day races and Classics]]'''
: [[UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race|World Road Race Championships]] ([[1955 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race|1955]])
: [[La Flèche Wallonne]] ([[1953 La Flèche Wallonne|1953]], [[1955 La Flèche Wallonne|1955]])
: [[Liège–Bastogne–Liège]] ([[1955 Liège–Bastogne–Liège|1955]])
: [[Scheldeprijs]] (1941, 1946)
'''Track Championships'''
:[[Belgian National Track Championships|National Championships]]
::Madison (1955)
'''Other'''
: [[Challenge Desgrange-Colombo]] (1955)
| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry|{{BEL}}}}
{{MedalSport|Men's [[road bicycle racing]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|World Championships}}
{{MedalGold |[[UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race|1955 Frascati]]|Professional road race}}
{{MedalBronze |[[UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race|1953 Lugano]]|Professional road race}}
}}

'''Constant ("Stan") Ockers''' (3 February 1920 – 1 October 1956) was a [[Belgium|Belgian]] professional racing [[cycle sport|cyclist]].

He was runner-up in the [[Tour de France]] in 1950 and 1952, and the best [[cycling sprinter|sprinter]] in that Grand Tour in 1955 and 1956. In 1955 he won the [[Classic cycle races|Classic]] "Ardennes double" by winning [[La Flèche Wallonne]] and the [[Liège–Bastogne–Liège]] in the same year.  At this time, the races were run on successive days as "[[Weekend ardennais|Le Weekend Ardennais]]". He also won the [[World Cycling Championship]] that year.
[[File:Voorbereidingsplaatjes Tour de France , Amsterdam Stan Ockers, Bestanddeelnr 906-5736.jpg|thumb|300px|Ockers and family at the start of the [[1954 Tour de France]]]]
Ockers did not have the most congenial riding style - he was known as a crafty cyclist who often took advantage of other people's work - but he more than made up for this through his contact with the public. Stan Ockers always remained himself, had time for everyone and thus became one of the most popular riders of his generation, together with [[Rik Van Steenbergen]] and the young [[Rik Van Looy]].

At the opening of the 1956 Antwerp track season, Ockers crashed heavily. He did not see how [[Ernest Sterckx]] had returned to the track after a mechanical failure, looked back and drove full into his opponent. Ockers suffered a fractured skull and four broken ribs. The Antwerp folk hero fell into a coma, regained consciousness twice more but died of his injuries two days later on 1 October. Antwerp was in mourning, even 11-year-old [[Eddy Merckx]] was in shock at the death of his great idol. Tens of thousands of Antwerp people saluted the corpse of their ''Stanneke'' whose body was buried in Antwerp [[Sportpaleis]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=14 May 2019 |title=De Giro komt vandaag aan in Frascati: wat weet u nog van Stan Ockers en welke is de link met Victor Campenaerts? |trans-title=The Giro arrives in Frascati today: what do you remember about Stan Ockers and what is the link with Victor Campenaerts? |url=https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20190513_04398115?&articlehash=fnNojdU%2FwOT%2BRHqysKenp4FyZ9r8Tkm2smFHv%2F1g40VhLNjDp1NqLz1YeKb94RnX%2FQldB6AkMOZDr1iRWvcurowQs2lwxFkXg6NtVcoxvxXUZwNtVaF9zx7lgJ9rVW4%2B2hx2oTMlUX9%2BL6%2FJVGnxXgf3D1E%2FM%2F0F9CH9wB0vZEv0QBXILiiGdK1SnluZcL%2B75a%2BTyOW%2BY8Zv0S0y6wpB%2B%2B9FA2PjcqdOQw9zW1liAR9lViI9t3zEA5xrq%2BstbLMsySThyEJA2Ff3IDyF%2F5BscOCdfzjc6gBVbapi44a1r9h4JQfVCYH7FuHBW2lvBzE11Kuehpx%2Fh4kujawCdOWRHg%3D%3D |website=[[Het Nieuwsblad]] |language=nl}}</ref>

A year later, a [[monument]] was built in [[Les Forges, Sprimont]], in the south of Belgium.

==Career achievements==
===Major results===
=== Road ===
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
;1941
: 1st [[Scheldeprijs]]
: 1st Antwerp Province championship
;1943
: 3rd [[1943 Liège–Bastogne–Liège|Liège–Bastogne–Liège]]
: 3rd [[Schaal Sels]]
;1944
: 1st Bruxelles-Everbeek
: 4th Overall Omloop van België
;1946
: 1st [[Scheldeprijs]]
: 1st [[Heist-op-den-Berg]]
: 1st Bruxelles–Sint-Truiden
: 1st Antwerp Province championship
: 5th [[1946 Gent–Wevelgem|Gent–Wevelgem]]
;1947
: 3rd Overall [[1947 Tour de Suisse|Tour de Suisse]]
: 4th [[1947 La Flèche Wallonne|La Flèche Wallonne]]
: 5th [[1947 Liège–Bastogne–Liège|Liège–Bastogne–Liège]]
: 6th Overall [[Tour de Luxembourg]]
;1948
: 1st {{cjersey|gold}} Overall [[Tour of Belgium]]
: 2nd [[Omloop der Vlaamse Ardennen]]
: 2nd [[Dwars door West-Vlaanderen]]
: 3rd [[Gullegem Koerse]]
;1949
: 7th Overall [[1949 Tour de France|Tour de France]]
;1950
: 2nd Overall [[1950 Tour de France|Tour de France]]
::1st Stage 4
: 2nd [[Critérium des As]]
: 7th [[1950 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race|Road race]], [[1950 UCI Road World Championships|UCI World Road Championships]]
: 8th Overall [[1950 Challenge Desgrange-Colombo|Challenge Desgrange-Colombo]]
: 8th [[Belgian National Road Race Championships|Road race]], National Road Championships
;1951
: 5th Overall [[1951 Tour de France|Tour de France]]
: 6th [[Bordeaux–Paris]]
;1952
: 2nd Overall [[1952 Tour de France|Tour de France]]
: 2nd Overall [[Roma–Napoli–Roma]]
::1st Stage 4a
: 2nd Overall [[Vuelta a Argentina]]
::1st Stage 3
: 2nd [[1952 La Flèche Wallonne|La Flèche Wallonne]]
: 3rd Overall [[1952 Challenge Desgrange-Colombo|Challenge Desgrange-Colombo]]
: 6th Overall [[1952 Giro d'Italia|Giro d'Italia]]
: 10th [[1952 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race|Road race]], [[1950 UCI Road World Championships|UCI World Road Championships]]
: 10th [[Belgian National Road Race Championships|Road race]], National Road Championships
;1953
: 1st [[1953 La Flèche Wallonne|La Flèche Wallonne]]
: 2nd Overall [[Roma–Napoli–Roma]]
::1st Stage 4
: 2nd [[Critérium des As]]
: 2nd Overall [[Week-end ardennais]]
: 2nd [[Gran Premio di Lugano]]
: 3rd [[File:Bronze medal uci.svg|15px]] [[1953 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race|Road race]], [[1950 UCI Road World Championships|UCI World Road Championships]]
: 3rd [[File:Bronze medal blank.svg|15px]] [[Belgian National Road Race Championships|Road race]], National Road Championships
: 3rd Overall [[1953 Challenge Desgrange-Colombo|Challenge Desgrange-Colombo]]
: 4th [[1953 Giro di Lombardia|Giro di Lombardia]]
: 4th [[Bordeaux–Paris]]
: 6th Overall [[1953 Giro d'Italia|Giro d'Italia]]
;1954
: 1st [[Schaal Sels]]
: 2nd [[1954 Paris–Roubaix|Paris–Roubaix]]
: 5th [[Bordeaux–Paris]]
: 6th Overall [[1954 Tour de France|Tour de France]]
::1st Stage 11
: 6th [[1954 Milan–San Remo|Milan–San Remo]]
;1955
: 1st {{cjersey|rainbow}} [[1955 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race|Road race]], [[1955 UCI Road World Championships|UCI World Road Championships]]
: 1st Overall [[1955 Challenge Desgrange-Colombo|Challenge Desgrange-Colombo]]
: 1st Overall [[Week-end ardennais]]
: 1st [[1955 La Flèche Wallonne|La Flèche Wallonne]]
: 1st [[1955 Liège–Bastogne–Liège|Liège–Bastogne–Liège]]
: 1st [[Trophée Gentil]]
: 1st Stage 1b ([[team time trial|TTT]]) [[Driedaagse van Antwerpen]]
: 2nd Overall [[1955 Tour de Suisse|Tour de Suisse]]
: 2nd [[Grand Prix Martini]]
: 2nd [[De Drie Zustersteden]]
: 2nd [[Bruxelles–Couvin]]
: 3rd [[Critérium des As]]
: 5th [[Paris–Brussels]]
: 8th Overall [[1955 Tour de France|Tour de France]]
::1st {{cjersey|green}} [[Points classification in the Tour de France|Points classification]]
: 9th [[1955 Paris–Tours|Paris–Tours]]
;1956
: 1st {{cjersey|gold}} Overall [[Roma–Napoli–Roma]]
::1st Stages 1b, 3b, 4b, 5a & 5b
: 2nd [[1956 Tour of Flanders|Tour of Flanders]]
: 2nd [[Bordeaux–Paris]]
: 2nd [[Grand Prix Martini]]
: 3rd Overall [[1956 Challenge Desgrange-Colombo|Challenge Desgrange-Colombo]]
: 4th [[1956 UCI Road World Championships – Men's road race|Road race]], [[1956 UCI Road World Championships|UCI World Road Championships]]
: 4th [[1956 La Flèche Wallonne|La Flèche Wallonne]]
:5th [[Classica Sarda]]
: 6th [[1956 Gent–Wevelgem|Gent–Wevelgem]]
: 8th Overall [[1956 Tour de France|Tour de France]]
::1st {{cjersey|green}} [[Points classification in the Tour de France|Points classification]]
::1st Stage 19
: 9th Overall [[1956 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré|Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré]]
::1st Stages 5 & 9
: 10th [[1956 Milan–San Remo|Milan–San Remo]]
{{div col end}}

=== Track ===
{{div col}}
;1948
:3rd [[Six Days of Antwerp]] (with [[Rik Van Steenbergen]])
;1951
:1st [[Six Days of Brussels]] (with [[Rik Van Steenbergen]])
;1953
:1st Prix de Salon (with [[Rik Van Steenbergen]])
:3rd [[Six Days of Brussels]] (with [[Rik Van Steenbergen]])
;1954
:1st [[Six Days of Ghent]] (with [[Rik Van Steenbergen]])
:2nd [[Six Days of Brussels]] (with [[Rik Van Steenbergen]])
:2nd [[Six Days of Berlin]] (with [[Rik Van Steenbergen]])
:3rd [[Six Days of Antwerp]] (with [[Rik Van Steenbergen]])
;1955
:[[Belgian National Track Championships|National Championships]]
::1st [[File:MaillotBélgica.PNG|20px]] Madison (with [[Rik Van Steenbergen]])
:1st [[Six Days of Antwerp]] (with [[Rik Van Steenbergen]])
:2nd [[Six Days of Ghent]] II (with [[Ferdinando Terruzzi]])
:2nd [[Six Days of Brussels]] (with [[Jean Brankart]])
:3rd [[Six Days of Ghent]] I (with [[Rik Van Steenbergen]])
;1956
:1st [[Six Days of Antwerp]] (with [[Reginald Arnold]] and [[Jean Roth]])

{{div col end}}

===Grand Tour general classification results timeline===

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | [[Grand Tour (cycling)|Grand Tour]]
! scope="col" | 1948
! scope="col" | 1949
! scope="col" | 1950
! scope="col" | 1951
! scope="col" | 1952
! scope="col" | 1953
! scope="col" | 1954
! scope="col" | 1955
! scope="col" | 1956
|- style="text-align:center;"
! scope="row" | [[File:Jersey pink.svg|20px|link=|alt=A pink jersey]] [[General classification in the Giro d'Italia|Giro d'Italia]]
|—
|—
|—
|—
| style="background:#ddf;"|[[1952 Giro d'Italia|6]]
| style="background:#ddf;"|[[1953 Giro d'Italia|6]]
|—
|—
|—

|- style="text-align:center;"
! scope="row" | [[File:Jersey yellow.svg|20px|link=|alt=A yellow jersey]] [[General classification in the Tour de France|Tour de France]]
| style="text-align:center;"|[[1948 Tour de France|11]]
| style="background:#ddf;"|[[1949 Tour de France|7]]
| style="background:#D8BFD8;"|[[1950 Tour de France|'''2''']]
| style="background:#ddf;"|[[1951 Tour de France|5]]
| style="background:#D8BFD8;"|[[1952 Tour de France|'''2''']]
|—
| style="background:#ddf;"|[[1954 Tour de France|6]]
| style="background:#ddf;"|[[1955 Tour de France|8]]
| style="background:#ddf;"|[[1956 Tour de France|8]]
|- style="text-align:center;"
! scope="row" | [[File:Jersey red.svg|20px|link=|alt=A red jersey]] [[List of Vuelta a España general classification winners|Vuelta a España]]
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|—
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Legend
|-
! scope="row" | —
| Did not compete
|-
! scope="row" | [[Did not finish|DNF]]
| Did not finish
|}

== Awards and honours ==
{{multiple image
 | align = right
 | total_width = 400
 | image1 = Côte des Forges - monument Stan Ockers 5.jpg
 | alt1 = Monument in [[Liege]], 1957
 | image2 = Stan Ockers Borgerhout2.JPG
 | alt2 = Memorial placque in [[Borgerhout]], 2006
 | footer = Monument in [[Liège]] (1957) and memorial plaque in [[Borgerhout]] (2006)
}}
* [[:fr:Alcyon (entreprise)|Trophée Edmond Gentil]]: 1955
* ''Grote Prijs Stan Ockers'', a [[derny]] race in Antwerp: from 1956<ref name=":0" />
* [[File:BEL_Order_of_Leopold_II_-_Officer_BAR.png|40x40px]] Officer in the Belgian [[Order of Leopold II]]: 1957<ref>{{Cite web |date=23 September 2021 |title=De 'vergeten' Belgische wereldkampioenen: Stan Ockers, een ware mythe (1955) |url=https://www.proximus.be/pickx/nl/2172508/de-vergeten-belgische-wereldkampioenen-stan-ockers-een-ware-mythe-1955 |website=www.proximus.be |language=nl}}</ref>
* Memorial monument in [[Sprimont]], [[Liège]] (la Côte des Forges): 1957
* ''[[Grand Prix Stan Ockers]]'', a cycle race in France: 1957-1963
* ''Stan Ockers Classic'', a criterium in Antwerp: from 1963<ref>{{Cite web |date=31 August 2023 |title=Stan Ockers Classic |url=https://stanockersclassic.be/index.htm |website=stanockersclassic.be |language=nl}}</ref>
* A street, ''Stan Ockersstraat'' in Borgerhout, Antwerp
* ''Stanneke'' a song by [[Hugo Matthysen]]: 1990
* ''Mémorial Stan Ockers'', a race organized by Cyclo-Club de Beaufays from 1996<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=OCKERS Stan Sprimont |url=https://connaitrelawallonie.wallonie.be/fr/lieux-de-memoire/ockers-stan |website=connaitrelawallonie.wallonie.be |language=fr}}</ref>
* Introduced in the [[UCI Hall of Fame]]: 2002
* Mémoire du Cyclisme - Ranking of the Greatest Cyclists (44th place): 2002<ref name="eurosport19">{{cite web |title=Les meilleurs coureurs de tous les temps (1892-2002) |url=http://www.memoire-du-cyclisme.eu/dossiers/dos_marszalek2.php}}</ref>
* Commemorative plaque in Borgerhout, Antwerp: 2006<ref name="eurosport2322">{{cite web |title=Wielerlegende Stan Ockers krijgt gedenkplaat in Borgerhout |date=30 August 2006 |url=https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf31082006_076 |publisher=Het Nieuwsblad |language=nl}}</ref>
* CyclingRanking - Overall all time ranking (43rd place): 2022<ref name="eurosport7">{{cite web |title=Historic Overview Stan Ockers |url=https://www.cyclingranking.com/rider/2029/stan-ockers |publisher=Cycling Ranking |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{cycling Archives|3051}}

{{World Road Racing Champions}}
{{Tour de France Green Jersey}}
{{Liège–Bastogne–Liège winners}}
{{Challenge Desgrange-Colombo winners}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ockers, Stan}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:1956 deaths]]
[[Category:Belgian male cyclists]]
[[Category:Belgian Tour de France stage winners]]
[[Category:UCI Road World Champions (elite men)]]
[[Category:Cyclists who died while racing]]
[[Category:Sport deaths in Belgium]]
[[Category:People from Borgerhout]]
[[Category:Cyclists from Antwerp]]
[[Category:Challenge Desgrange-Colombo winners]]
[[Category:20th-century Belgian sportsmen]]