Frans De Mulder
De Mulder with Groene Leeuw-SAS in 1959 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Frans De Mulder |
| Born | 17 December 1937 Kruishoutem, Belgium |
| Died | 5 March 2001 (aged 63) Deinze, Belgium |
| Team information | |
| Discipline | Road |
| Role | Rider |
| Professional teams | |
| 1959–61 | Groene Leeuw-SAS |
| 1961–63 | Wiel's-Groene Leeuw |
| Major wins | |
Grand Tours
| |
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.