Gustaaf Deloor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Gustaaf Deloor

Personal information
Born	(1913-06-24)24 June 1913 De Klinge, Belgium
Died	28 January 2002(2002-01-28) (aged 88) Mechelen, Belgium
Team information
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Major wins
Grand Tours Tour de France 1 individual stage (1937) Vuelta a España General classification (1935, 1936) 6 individual stages (1935, 1936)

Gustaaf Deloor (born June 24, 1913 – died January 28, 2002) was a famous Belgian road cyclist. He is best known for winning the very first two Vuelta a España races. He won in 1935 and again in 1936. The 1936 race was super long! It had 22 stages and covered 4,407 kilometers. Gustaaf won, and his older brother, Alfons, came in second place overall.

Life and Career

Gustaaf Deloor was a professional cyclist from 1932 to 1939. His cycling career ended because of World War II.

War Years

When the war started, Gustaaf was serving in the Belgian army. He was stationed at Fort Eben-Emael near Maastricht. On May 10, 1940, the German army attacked the fort. Gustaaf and about 1,200 other Belgian soldiers were captured.

He became a prisoner of war at a camp called Stalag II-B. Luckily, a German officer who loved sports helped him. This officer allowed Gustaaf to work in the kitchen. This made his time as a prisoner a bit easier.

New Life in America

After the war, Gustaaf returned home. His house had been damaged, so he decided to start a new life. In 1949, he moved to the United States of America. He lived in New York for ten years.

Later, he moved to Los Angeles. He worked as a mechanic for a while. In 1956, a wealthy customer helped him get a new job. This job was at the Cape Canaveral aerospace center.

Working for NASA

At Cape Canaveral, Gustaaf worked for the Marquardt Corporation. This company focused on aeronautical engineering. He helped develop and design the ramjet engine for NASA. This engine was used on the Apollo 11 Saturn V rocket. Imagine helping build parts for a rocket that went to the Moon!

Gustaaf lost his first wife in 1966, but he remarried later. In 1980, he decided to move back to Belgium.

Major Cycling Wins

Here are some of Gustaaf Deloor's most important cycling achievements:

See also

In Spanish: Gustaaf Deloor para niños