IN THE BEGINNING
Carolus Ludovicus Steyaert was born on November 16, 1882 in Torhout near Bruges (Belgium) as 5th in a family with 15 children. As compulsory education did not excist at that time, Karel started working at the age of fourteen. He had several jobs and he even tried to become a professional cyclist from 1902 to 1906, but he soon understood he did not have enough talent.Next to cycling he had another passion : literature. Karel wrote texts and poems for several occasions. Sports journalism would become his life.
SPORTWERELD
At the end of the first decade of the 20th century Karel Steyaert was correspondent of several regional sports magazines, like Onze Kampioenen (Our Champions) in Antwerp and Sportvriend (Sports Friend) in Izegem, as Karel Van Wijnendaele.In 1912 he founded the sports magazine Sportwereld (Sports World) together with Leon Van Den Haute, Gust Demaeght, Michel Mayens and Frans Wouters. It gave Karel the opportunity to combine his three passions : his love for literature, cycling and his homeland, Flanders. On Januari 01, 1913 he became editor-in-chief of Sportwereld. Next to his responsability for the editorial board he was also in power to arrange all sporting affairs.
His first and most important project was the organisation of a professional cycling race, the Tour of Flanders.
After the First World War Van Wijnendaele restarted his activities for Sportwereld in 1919. By the end of the twenties Sportwereld was immense popular with up to 200.000 samples. Later a daily newspaper Het Algemeen Nieuws (The General News) was added.
In 1925 Karel Van Wijnendaele became co-owner and in 1931 owner of Sportwereld until he had to sell his shares due to decreasing earnings to the Standaard Group in 1939, and Sportwereld became part of the newspaper Het Nieuwsblad (The Newspaper).
During World War II the newspaper was published as Het Algemeen Nieuwsblad-Sportwereld (General Newspaper-Sports World), and Karel had the permission of the German occupier to organize his Tour of Flanders, for which he was accused falsely for collaboration later.
Karel Van Wijnendaele wrote more than 11.000 articles and remained editor-in-chief of Sportwereld, the sports pages of Het Nieuwsblad, until his death in 1961.
Website of Sportwereld (in Dutch) »
THE TOUR OF FLANDERS
As publicity stunt for Sportwereld Karel Van Wijnendaele organized thefirst Tour of Flanders on May 25, 1913 with start and finish at the track of Mariakerke near Ghent. 37 participants appeared for a heroical race of 330 kilometers on bad roads. The circuit crossed all the big cities of eastern and western Flanders, because 'all Flemish cities had to contribute to the liberation of the Flemish people', according to Karel.In 1914 only 10 cyclists participated, the increasing tension preceding the First World War were a serious treath to the further existence of the Tour. During the First World War there were no Tours but in 1915 a surrogate race was organized on the track of Evergem, north of Ghent.
In 1919 the Tour of Flanders was reorganized with a course more or less similar to the present race. During the twenties the Tour was only succesful in Belgium with few foreign cyclists, as it was organized on the same day of Milaan-San Remo. In the thirties the Tour took place a week before Paris-Roubaix, so participation of the best foreign cyclists was ensured.
In 1947 the organizers of the most important pro cycling races founded the Trophy Desgrange-Colombo.
The Tour of Flanders grew via the Superprestige and later the World Cup Trophy together with Parijs-Roubaix to the brick paived classic race of the North as the cycling monument we know today.
More info about the Tour of Flanders »
KOARLE, the TEAM MANAGER
Karel Van Wijnendaele got the nickname Mac Bolle when he, as manager of a Flemish cycling track team, participated in six-day races in America. The American teams followed at many laps, the spectators stayed away and Karel was asked by the organisation to restrain his Flandriëns (French term of abuse for Flemishman).When the American racers regained some laps the Flandriëns shouted to Van Wijnendaele : 'Ma'k bolle ?' (Can I ride ?).
Next to editor-in-chief of Sportwereld and organizer of the Tour of Flanders Karel Van Wijnendaele was manager of pro racers and team manager, which almost inevitably had to lead to corruption. Karel had the power to make or break pro cyclists. For example a cyclist was boycotted by Van Wijnendaele and Sportwereld, because he did not agree to a contract for a French team. He was never mentioned again in Sportwereld nor selected for several important races.
KOARLE, the FLAMINGANT
Karel Van Wijnendaele was a confirmed flamingant (militant for the Flemish cause). Already during his youth he was fascinated by 'Den Leeuw van Vlaanderen' of Hendrik Conscience ('The Lion of Flanders', book about the oppression of the Flemish people and their victory against the French army on July 11, 1302).Later Karel worked as a young man in Ostend and Brussels where he was confronted with the arrogance of the French speaking upper class against the common Flemish workman, about which he was very shocked.
Karel would 'as man of action', as he wrote later in his memoires, search his own way for the use of 'his' people. Cycling and sports journalism became his weapons in the battle against the anti-Flemish bourgeoisie.
Sportwereld was a Flemish conservative catholic sports newspaper inspired by the moderate Flemish Movement and Van Wijnendaele used his journalistic freedom in his articles as an instrument to make the myth of the Flandriën, the simple Flemish working-class boy who could become a cycling champion by pure willpower and courage.
EPILOGUE
Karel Van Wijnendaele was one of the founders of Flemish modern sportsjournalism, and of cycling reporting in particular. He learned his people to read, he fascinated the Flemish workmen with his articles about the heroic Flandriëns. The articles he wrote and the Tour of Flanders he founded were his contribution to the liberation of his people.Karel Van Wijnendaele was 79 years old when he died on December 21, 1961 in Sint-Martens-Latem. The summer before he had followed the Tour de France.
In 1964 a monument to his memory was build in the Ronde van Vlaanderenstraat on top of the Old Kwaremont, where the Tour of Flanders passes every year.
Monument Karel Van Wijnendaele Click to enlarge
KAREL VAN WIJNENDAELE TROPHY
In memory of Karel Steyaert the cycling club VCKVW (Velo Club Karel Van Wijnendaele) yearly organizes a cycling event, the Karel Van Wijnendaele Trophy, at the place where the first Tour of Flanders started in 1913, in Mariakerke near Ghent.More about the Karel Van Wijnendaele Trophy »
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Het guldenboekje der zesdagenkoersen (1926)
- The golden book of six-day-racingLittle book of 26 pages with results and photo galleries in cooporation with Leon Van Den Haute, co-founder of Sportwereld.
Het rijke Vlaamsche wielerleven (deel 1) (1942)
Het rijke Vlaamsche wielerleven (deel 2) (1942)
Het rijke Vlaamsche wielerleven (deel 1 en 2) (1943)
- The rich Flemish cycling lifeLovely book about the history of cycling before the 20th century till the Second World War.
Mensen, dingen uit de Ronde van Frankrijk (1948)
- Peole, things of the Tour de FranceLovely book with cycling stories of the Tour de France.
De wegen in Vlaanderen vroeger en nu (1958)
- The roads in Flanders before and nowPamphlet written by Van Wijnendaele commissioned by Gemeentekrediet, a Belgian bank who sold cheap loans to municipalities in order to improve their roads.
