Frans Van Looy

{{short description|Belgian cyclist}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}

{{Infobox cyclist

| name = Frans Van Looy

| image = Frans_Van_Looy-1977.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Van Looy in 1977

| full_name = Frans Van Looy

| nickname =

| birth_date = {{birth date|1950|8|26|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Merksem, Belgium

| death_date = {{death date and age|2019|09|20|1950|08|26|df=y}}

| death_place = Merksem, Belgium

| height = {{height|m=1.79}}

| weight = {{convert|75|kg|lb stlb|0|abbr=on}}

| currentteam = Retired

| discipline = Road

| role = {{Unbulleted list|Rider (retired)|Assistant team manager (retired)}}

| ridertype = Sprinter

| amateuryears1 =

| amateurteam1 =

| proyears1 = 1972–1973

| proteam1 = Novy–Dubble Bubble

| proyears2 = 1974

| proteam2 = Carpenter–Confortluxe–Flandria

| proyears3 = 1975–1976

| proteam3 = {{UCI team code|Molteni|1975}}

| proyears4 = 1977

| proteam4 = Maes Pils–Mini-Flat

| proyears5 = 1978

| proteam5 = Mini-Flat–Boule d'Or

| proyears6 = 1979

| proteam6 = {{UCI team code|KAS|1979}}

| proyears7 = 1980–1981

| proteam7 = Vermeer Thijs–Mini-Flat

| proyears8 = 1982

| proteam8 = Europ Decor

| manageyears1 = 1983

| manageteam1 = Perlav–Eurosoap

| manageyears2 = 1984–1987

| manageteam2 = TeVe Blad–Eddy Merckx

| manageyears3 = 1988–1991

| manageteam3 = Histor–Sigma

| manageyears4 = 1992–2006

| manageteam4 = {{UCI team code|TEL|1992}}

| majorwins =

}}

Frans Van Looy (26 August 1950 – 20 September 2019) was a Belgian cyclist. Looy was professional from 1972 to 1982. He competed in the individual road race at the 1972 Summer Olympics.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/va/frank-van-looy-1.html |title=Frans Van Looy Olympic Results |accessdate=12 October 2014 |work=sports-reference.com |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018144130/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/va/frank-van-looy-1.html |archivedate=18 October 2014 |df=dmy }}

After his career as a cyclist, Van Looy worked as a team manager with Team Telekom and T-Mobile until 2006 and had helped run his family's farm in Merksem. However, a local government order ruled that Van Looy could no longer live at the farm, despite a petition signed by 3,000 people to preserve the residence that Van Looy had been born in.{{cite web |title=Former T-Mobile sports director Frans Van Looy dies, aged 69 |url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/former-t-mobile-sports-director-frans-van-looy-dies-aged-69/ |website=www.cyclingnews.com |accessdate=25 September 2019}}

After this order, which ruled his birthplace to be uninhabitable and led to his eviction, he committed suicide in September 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20190921_04620470|title=Frans Van Looy, oud-renner en ploegleider, is overleden|website=De Standaard|accessdate=21 September 2019}}