Date: | 1 April 1973 |
Stages: | 1 |
Distance: | 263 |
Unit: | km |
Time: | 6h 17' |
Speed: | 41.857 |
First: | Eric Leman |
First Nat: | BEL |
First Team: | Peugeot–BP |
Second: | Freddy Maertens |
Second Nat: | BEL |
Second Team: | Flandria-Shimano |
Third: | Eddy Merckx |
Third Nat: | BEL |
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.[1] [2] The race started in Ghent and finished for the first time in Meerbeke (Ninove). 37 out of 174 riders arrived.
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.[3] Leman became the third rider to win the Tour of Flanders three times, equalling the previous record of Achiel Buysse and Fiorenzo Magni.[4]
There were six categorized climbs:
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|
Cyclist | Team | Time | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Peugeot–BP | 6h 17' 00" | ||
2 | Flandria-Shimano | s.t. | ||
3 | Molteni | s.t. | ||
4 | Rokado | s.t. | ||
5 | Gitane | + 45" | ||
6 | Flandria-Shimano | + 51" | ||
7 | Watneys–Maes | s.t. | ||
8 | Rokado | s.t. | ||
9 | Brooklyn | + 1'20" | ||
10 | Molteni | s.t. |