Emile Van Berendonck
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Emile Van Berendonck | |
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| Born | 27 January 1864 Brussels, Belgium |
| Occupation | Road cyclist, Industrialist |
Philippe-Emile Van Berendonck also written as Emile Van Beerendonck (born 27 January 1864) was a Belgian road cyclist and industrialist who later started living in France and competed under the name Eole. He was a pioneer in the earliest era of road cycling. He was the winner of the inaugural Belgian National Road Race Championships in 1882. He also won other prizes and had a top-10 finish at the inaugural Paris–Roubaix in 1896.
He was an industrialist and was involved in developping and inventing mechanical devices related to manufacturing and material handling.
Biography
Personal life
Van Berendonck was born in 1864 in Brussels, Belgium.[1] His parents were Egide Van Berendonck (born 1821) who worked as a bookbinder and Amélie Kamfort (born 1828) who worked as a maid.[2] He continued to live in Brussesl,[3] and married there to Anne Catherine Vanpraet (born 1869) on 24 February 1892.[2]
Cycling career
One of his earliest achievements was finishing second in the Grand councours de vélocipedes in 1881 behind MM Noiset.[4] It was a race over 3000 metres at boulevard du Midi.[5]
On 25 June 1882 he won the first Belgian National Road Race Championships.[6][3][7] He made his own velocipedes but went bankrupt in the same month as the championships.[8] He rode the championships at a "Howe" vélocipède supplied by Firmin Mignot. He completed the 3,500-metre distance in 6 minutes 40 seconds, ahead of 30 competitors.[7] He also won the same day another road race, winning 50 Belgian francs and a diploma.[3]
In July 1882 Van Berendonck competed at the cycling competitions held in Spa that attracted foreign spectators. He won two of the competitions and finished second in a third one. He won the c. 10,000 race around the fountains and won the 3000 metre race going back and forth over Avenue du Marteau. He finished second in the obstacle course (sidewalk, vault and balancing) behind MM Noiset.[9]
He moved to France and started competing there under the name Eole, and also acquired there a certain amount of fame.[6][10] In 1896 he participated in the inaugural edition of Paris–Roubaix, finishing in seventh place.[1]
Professional career
Berendonck was an industrialist. He made velocipedes in his business on 34 rue de la Régence in Brussels, but it went bankrupt on 29 June 1882.[8] In 1895, Le Moniteur de la Teinture described one of his inventions, a machine à encoller (sizing machine), designed to simplify textile coating processes while improving regularity and reducing solvent consumption. The design featured a dual-cylinder system operating in opposite directions with a continuous cloth belt and adjustable guides to ensure even application.[11]
Van Berendonck later filed a United States patent for a Loading and Unloading Device (U.S. Patent No. 827,831), granted on 7 August 1906. The invention related to pneumatic systems for transferring subdivided materials such as coal or grain, particularly in maritime loading and unloading operations. It aimed to improve simplicity, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness in material handling through the use of air pressure and flexible membranes controlling flow within a tubular receptacle.[12]
Major results
- 1881
- 2nd Grand councours de vélocipedes
- 1882
- Belgian National Road Race Championships
- 1st Mons (25 June)[3]
- Spa courses de Vélocipèdes (16 July)
- 1st 10,000 metres
- 1st 3000 metres
- 2nd obstacle course
- 1896
- 7th Paris–Roubaix
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Emile van Berendonck". ProCyclingStats. Retrieved 10 August 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Philippe Emile Van Berendonck". Open Archieven (in Nederlands). Open Archives. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Championnat belge, pour tout velocipediste habitane la Belgique depuis un an au moins". Journal de Bruxelles (in français). 1 July 1882. p. 1 – via Belgicapress.
Championnat belge, pour tout velocipediste habitane la Belgique depuis un an au inoins. - 30 inscrits. - Prix unique (medaille en or et un dipolme): N. Van Berendock, de Bruxelles, 6 minutes 40 seconds.
- ↑ "Voici les résultats complets des courses de vélocipedes de mardi". L'Indépendance Belge (in français). 26 August 1881. p. 4 – via Belgicapress.
- ↑ "Courses de vélocipèdes". L'Echo Du Parlement (in français). 26 August 1881. p. 2 – via Belgicapress.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Koppen en beelden uit dien goeden ouden tijd". Sportwereld (in Nederlands). 5 January 1937. p. 2 – via Belgicapress.
EOLE: Emiel van Beerendonck, eerste wielerkampione van België in 1882; verbleef en koerste naderhand in Frankrijk.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Courses de Vélocipèdes à Mons". Journal de Bruxelles (in français). 2 July 1882. p. 2 – via Belgicapress.
...la course du championnat belge a été gagnée par M. Van Berendonck, de Bruxelles, qui montait un vélocipède Howe, sortant des magasin de M. Firmin Mignot, rue Neuve, 101 et 103 a Bruxelles. La distance était 3,500 mètres et a été faite en 6 minutes 40 secondes, countre 30 concurrents.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Faillites". Joural de Bruxelles (in français). 24 July 1882. p. 3 – via Belgicapress.
29 juin (sur aveu), Philippe-Emile Van Berendonck, fabricant de vélodipèdes, rue de la Régence, 34, à Bruxelles.
- ↑ "Spa". La Meuse (in français). 19 July 1882. p. 2 – via Belgicapress.
Malgré les incidents, heureusement peu graves, de la première course, les exploits des vélocipedistes ont for amusé la déja nombreuse colonie etrangere qui y a assisté.
- ↑ "Sport op wieltjes". Sportwereld (in Nederlands). 11 February 1932. p. 1 – via BelgicaPress.
In België ook werd er, 'k geloof in 1882, reeds een soort kampioenschap betwists en gewonnen door een zekeren Van Berendonck, welke onder dan naam van Eole zich ook in Frankrijk ging bekend maken.
- ↑ "Perfectionnements et procédés nouveaux: Machine à encoller par M. Philippe-Émile Van Berendonck". Le Moniteur de la Teinture (in français). 39 (7). 5 April 1895. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
- ↑ "Loading and Unloading Device – U.S. Patent No. 827,831" (PDF). United States Patent Office. 7 August 1906. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
External links
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