Frans De Mulder (17 December 1937 in Kruishoutem – 5 March 2001 in Deinze) was a professional road racing cyclist from Belgium between 1958 and 1963.

De Mulder is most famous for winning the overall title and four stages the 1960 Vuelta a España. He bested fellow countryman Armand Desmet and Spaniard Miguel Pacheco across 3566 km in 17 stages.

A medical examination in 1963 revealed that he had a shortage of red blood cells. After a six-month rest period, De Mulder no longer had the strength to return. At the age of just 26, he disappeared from the peloton.

After his cycling career, luck wasn't on his side. In a serious accident in the port of Antwerp, a heavy cable snapped and landed on him, paralyzing his arm. He died in 2001 from a heart attack at the age of just 63.

His brother Marcel De Mulder was also a professional cyclist.

Portrait of Frans De Mulder cycling

Major results

Source:

1959

1st Stage 5a Tour de l'Ouest

3rd Liège–Bastogne–Liège

4th Milan–San Remo

4th Brussels–Ingooigem

7th Paris–Roubaix

7th La Flèche Wallonne

1960

1st Road race, National Road Championships

1st Overall Vuelta a España 1st Stages 4, 7, 16 & 17a

2nd Gent–Wevelgem

3rd Omloop van het Houtland

5th Harelbeke–Antwerp–Harelbeke

6th Tour of Flanders

6th Dwars door België

7th Overall Tour de Luxembourg 1st Stage 4

7th Milan–San Remo

7th Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne

10th Brussels–Ingooigem

1961

1st Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen

8th Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne

1962

Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré 1st Points classification 1st Stage 7

3rd Overall Tour de Luxembourg

3rd Harelbeke–Antwerp–Harelbeke

4th Road race, National Road Championships

5th Omloop Het Volk

7th Overall Four Days of Dunkirk

9th Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne

9th De Kustpijl

1963

1st Nokere Koerse

3rd Overall Tour of Belgium 1st Stage 3b (ITT)

5th De Kustpijl

8th GP Stad Zottegem

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

Grand Tour196019611962
Vuelta a España1DNF
Giro d'Italia
Tour de FranceDNF
Legend
Did not compete
DNFDid not finish

External links

  • at Cycling Archives ()