Piet De Smet Knight in Order of Schotense Lion: nice tribute after sixteen years of leadership in the organization (Schoten)

Even before the starting signal for the 112th edition has been given, the Scheldeprijs already has a great winner. This summer, around the Flemish Holiday, the Schoten 11 July Committee will knight Piet De Smet, former organizer of the oldest Flemish cycling classic, in the Order of the Schoten Lion.

Bart Fierens, chairman of the gathered Flemish associations, announced this on the eve of the cycling classic. Last year they honored a great Schoten artist with glass artist Joost Caen. But many sportsmen, in front of and behind the scenes, also have their merits, according to the July 11 Committee.

“Piet De Smet fits nicely into the list of special residents of Schoten who have contributed to the image of our municipality,” Bart Fierens explains the choice of the 2024 laureate. “Flanders is a cycling-mad country and thanks to Piet De Smet, Schoten also enjoys every year of this cycling craze. On the Wednesday between the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, Schoten celebrates its annual unofficial holiday. Piet De Smet guided the oldest classic in Flanders through a turbulent period and anchored it in Schoten. A man of the people who has given the people of Scotland a very great gift.”

Wouter Vandenhaute

Piet De Smet (74) accepts ‘honorary citizenship’ with surprise, but gratitude with blushing cheeks. He was the main organizer of the Scheldeprijs for sixteen years. The cheese dealer and passionate cycling tourist at WTC De Trappers had taken over the wheel of the Scheldeprijs from Hector Jansen in 2003. The now deceased former Liebig marketing man had already given the oldest Flemish cycling classic more prestige after it had sunk to the level of a fairground race in the early 1980s.

“Our honors list is worth seeing,” says De Smet. “There are so many wonderful memories. I spontaneously think of 2004, when Johan Museeuw rode his very last race in Schoten and Schoten was really besieged by thousands of cycling fans. The two victories of the then young Tom Boonen, one of which in the jersey of world champion, are also forever etched in my memory. But perhaps my most valuable memory for our Scheldeprijs was Wouter Vandenhaute’s announcement that he would like to include our competition in his Flanders Classics. I immediately knew this was crucial to taking him to an even higher level.”

Dynamism

Five years ago, police officer Jack Vissers succeeded Piet De Smet as chairman of the organizing committee. He also speaks with great praise and respect about his predecessor and sincerely wishes him this distinction.

René Vermeiren, senior employee of the Scheldeprijs and walking cycling encyclopedia, put it twelve years ago in his book ‘Cycling passion on the Scheldt’, on the occasion of the hundredth edition of the Scheldeprijs, as follows: “With his well-known dynamism, Piet De Smet ensured for a spectacular centenary celebration of the Scheldeprijs in 2007. He also recruited many new partners and worked day and night for a perfect organization.”