Gilbert Desmet, the yellow jersey from Roeselare

On 2 February 1931, in Roeselare (in the province of West Flanders), a future cyclist was born. His name was Gilbert Desmet, and he would become known as Smetje van Lichtervelde. 

Before he rose to excellence on the bicycle, Smetje (if we may be so familiar) was actually a marathon runner. It was only at age 16 that he tried his luck on two wheels to humour his father, and what an excellent decision as he won Nancy-Metz, his very first professional race. 

Between 1953 and 1967, Gilbert Desmet was a force to be reckoned with in the pro peloton, especially when it came to one-day races and classics like the Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne or the Flèche Wallonne.  He also has stage wins to his name in multiple grand tours and beat the likes of Rik Van Looy and Wim Van Est, whose names may not be as familiar as, say, Eddy Merckx, but they certainly were at the time. 

That very Eddy Merckx can proudly proclaim that he rode at the same time as Desmet, as he made his debut towards the tail end of Smetje’s career. 

Before he passed away on 30 June 2024, at the tender age of 93, Gilbert Desmet was the oldest living cyclist to have worn the yellow jersey (coveted and reserved for the leader of the race) in the Tour de France. He wore yellow for a total of twelve days: two in 1956 and ten in 1963. 

Gone but not forgotten as one of the many Belgian cycling heroes. 

Photo: ProCyclingStats.com