Willy Vanden Berghen

After completing his military service, Willy Vanden Berghen had his major breakthrough as an amateur cyclist in 1960. In addition to winning bronze at the World Championships, he came third at the Rome Olympics, winning the sprint for bronze despite suffering a flat tyre with 40 km left to go. As newspapers proclaimed him to be the next Rik Van Steenbergen or Rik van Looy, Vanden Berghen turned professional in 1961. He then suffered his first setback, having to deal with a tapeworm costing him much of the season. The following year, he won stages in Paris-Nice as well as the Tour de France, but also suffered from a lung illness, putting him in the hospital for a month. He was unable to ride for most of the 1963 season, as a cyst between his legs put him out for several months. After having to deal with another injury (knee), as well as professional teams being unwilling to pay his salary, Vanden Berghen was forced to retire and look for another job.

Vanden Berghen held all kinds of positions, from construction work to food preparation, but never was able to hold on to a job for long. In 1971, he suffered a blowout while driving and crashed into another car. Having suffered severe injuries, he was kept in a coma for six weeks, and suffered from hip problems for years after. By then, his wife and children had left him. When Vanden Berghen refused to fulfill his alimony payments, he was imprisoned in 1980. Determined not to be found for future payments, he became a vagrant upon his release, living in homeless shelters and doing odd jobs.

Although he eventually settled down in an affordable house, Vanden Berghen remained ill-fated in life. He suffered several serious injuries, such as a fall at a construction site and another traffic accident. In 2004, he was conned out of his life savings by a younger woman pretending to be romantically interested in him. His tragic life ended at age 82.