Re: [CR]Groene Leeuw track bike

(Example: Framebuilders:Pino Morroni)

Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2005 21:34:51 -0800 (PST)
From: "Jay Van De Velde" <jaysportif@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [CR]Groene Leeuw track bike
To: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
In-Reply-To: <000801c60762$2812ada0$0c1e4154@norris>


The marque Groene Leeuw (Green Lion) were built by A. De Kimpe from Kruishoutem, Belgium and have been around since the 1930s. Groene Leeuw cosponsored a number of pro teams, and during the Van Looy era with beer mfr. Wiel's. Benoni Beheydt won the world championship upon a Groene Leeuw, Bric Schotte rode one to numerous victories as did Walter Godefroot. Jay Van De Velde Seal Beach, triple overhead yesterday! CA

Norris Lockley <norris@norrislockley.wanadoo.co.uk> wrote: This bike of Tom Hayes would have been very popular on the boards of the Ghent, and other tracks of Belgium, in the 50s and 60s

The brand was extremely well-known for a short period due to the fact that Rik Van Looy, one of the classiest "rouleurs" of the period, rode this brand of bike for awhile. However like many Belgian brands they were not very often available for sale outside that country, although there was an importer in London for a short while. I'm a little on unceratin ground here..as a friend of mine for whom Van Looy comes a close second only to Maitre Jacques Anquetil, in terms of the greatest stylist..claims that Groene Leeuw was a brand of beer..and that the bikes used by that sponsor's team simly bore the beer's name....much like Banesto in the Indurain's time.

Norris Lockley..Settle UK