The memory of the late Frank Vandenbroucke will be honored this coming Sunday with a non-competitive cycling Tour titled the "VDB Forever Classic". Former professional cyclist Nico Mattan will also be launching a commemorative champagne in conjunction with the bicycle tour this Thursday to celebrate the life of his best friend.
The bottle will come with a portrait of Vandenbroucke and his image will also be on the bottle. "A bottle will cost 22 euro and all proceeds will go entirely to the two daughters of Frank Cameron and Margaux," Mattan told Het Nieuwsblad. "The VDB champagne bottle will be a collector's item."
The Belgian rider shocked the cycling world at the age of 19 when he took a stage and finished sixth overall in the Tour of the Mediterranean. He won more than 60 races in his career, including Paris-Brussels, Gent Wevelgem, Paris-Nice, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Omloop "Het Volk" plus two stages of the Vuelta a España.
"Sunday is the first ever VDB Forever Classic, a tribute tour ending at his last resting place," explained Mattan.
He took his first UCI victory in many years last season when he won the time trial stage of the Boucles de l’Artois. It was in the midst of what looked like a promising comeback to the sport.
Vandenbroucke died tragically last October from a pulmonary embolism while vacationing in Senegal. He had a tumultuous career that was constantly scrutinized with accusations of doping. Vandenbroucke made a bold move in 2004 by coming clean and admitting that he had taken banned substances during his career. He was eventually fined 250,000 euros by a court in Ghent.