1973 Tour of Flanders
{{Infobox cycling race report
| name =
| image =
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| series =
| race_no =
| series_no =
| date = 1 April 1973
| stages = 1
| distance = 263
| unit = km
| time = 6h 17'
| speed = 41.857
| first = Eric Leman
| first_nat = BEL
| first_natvar =
| first_team = Peugeot–BP
| second = Freddy Maertens
| second_nat = BEL
| second_natvar =
| second_team = Flandria-Shimano
| third = Eddy Merckx
| third_nat = BEL
| third_natvar =
| third_team = Molteni
| previous = 1972
| next = 1974
}}
The 57th running of the Tour of Flanders cycling race in Belgium was held on Sunday 1 April 1973. Belgian Eric Leman won the classic ahead of Freddy Maertens and Eddy Merckx.Vanwalleghem, Rik (1991), De Ronde van Vlaanderen, Pinguin, Belgium, {{ISBN|90-73322-02-2}}, p168{{cite web|last1=McGann|last2=McGann|first1=Bill|first2=Carol|url=http://www.bikeraceinfo.com/classics/Tour%20of%20Flanders/1973-tour-of-flanders.html |title= 1973 Ronde van Vlaanderen results |work=BikeRaceInfo|publisher=McGann Publishing|location=Cherokee Village, Arkansas|accessdate=1 June 2015}} The race started in Ghent and finished for the first time in Meerbeke (Ninove). 37 out of 174 riders arrived.
Course
Cycling icon Eddy Merckx was the pre-race favourite, but despite several attempts, he failed to distance Leman, Maertens and De Geest on the Muur van Geraardsbergen and the run-in to the finish. In a four-man sprint Eric Leman narrowly beat Freddy Maertens. Merckx was third.Vanwalleghem, Rik (1991), De Ronde van Vlaanderen, Pinguin, Belgium, {{ISBN|90-73322-02-2}}, p172 Leman became the third rider to win the Tour of Flanders three times, equalling the previous record of Achiel Buysse and Fiorenzo Magni.Vanwalleghem, Rik (1991), De Ronde van Vlaanderen, Pinguin, Belgium, {{ISBN|90-73322-02-2}}, p169-173
Climbs
There were six categorized climbs:
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Results
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! !Cyclist !Team !Time |
| 1
|{{flagathlete|Eric Leman|BEL}} | align=right| 6h 17' 00" |
| 2
|{{flagathlete|Freddy Maertens|BEL}} | align=right| s.t. |
| 3
|{{flagathlete|Eddy Merckx|BEL}} | Molteni | align=right| s.t. |
| 4
|{{flagathlete|Willy De Geest|BEL}} | Rokado | align=right| s.t. |
| 5
|{{flagathlete|Joop Zoetemelk|NED}} | Gitane | align=right| + 45" |
| 6
|{{flagathlete|Walter Godefroot|BEL}} | align=right| + 51" |
| 7
|{{flagathlete|Frans Verbeeck|BEL}} | Watneys–Maes | align=right| s.t. |
| 8
|{{flagathlete|Herman Van Springel|BEL}} | Rokado | align=right| s.t. |
| 9
|{{flagathlete|Patrick Sercu|BEL}} | Brooklyn | align=right| + 1'20" |
| 10
|{{flagathlete|Willy In't Ven|BEL}} | Molteni | align=right| s.t. |
References
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
- {{cite magazine|last=Saunders|first=David|title=Tour of Flanders 1973: April Fool – Eddy|magazine=International Cycle Sport|date=May 1973|issue=60|page=19|url=http://www.internationalcyclesport.com/html/ics_1973-05_p19.html|access-date=10 April 2020|publisher=Kennedy Brothers Publishing|location=Keighley, UK|issn=0020-6504|via=InternationalCycleSport.com}}
{{Tour of Flanders}}
{{Tour of Flanders winners}}
{{1973 Super Prestige Pernod}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:1973 Tour of Flanders}}
Category:1973 Super Prestige Pernod
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