René Vermandel

René Vermandel ( born March 23, 1893 in Zelzate; † 20 April 1958 Anderlecht) was a Belgian racing cyclist.

Because of the First World War was René Vermandel only with 27 years professional racer. He became one of the most successful Belgian road racers of the 1920s. In 1921 he became Belgian champion in cross-country race; In the same year he won both the Belgium - as the Tour of Flanders, in 1922 again the Tour of Belgium. 1923 and 1924 he won at Liege -Bastogne- Liege. 1922 and 1924 he was Belgian champion in the road race, the first time in the form of a one-day race in Spa, the second time after a point scoring more races. In 1922 he also won the Criterium des As. In many other races he could occupy the first rank. Once, in 1921, he also took part in the Tour de France, but gave up in the third stage.

Towards the end of his career, also denied Vermandel eleven Six Days; In 1927 he won the Dortmund together with Pierre Rielens. In 1929 he finished with Jules Vanhevel third place in the six-day race in Dortmund; the publisher of the Belgian magazine Sportwereld, Karel Van Wijnendaele, had previously built up to increase circulation, the two racers as antagonists.

After the end of his active cycling career Vermandel was pacing in pacemaker race by Willy Michaux and Raymond Impanis. He also led a sports café in Kuregem, a district of Anderlecht, and was for many years Chairman of the cycling clubs " Kuregem Sportief ".

René Vermandel was - because of its eye-catching hairstyle: - called " Le Frise " but also the " Belgian Lapize " center parting with pronounced curls.