Formative families in cycling: The Planckaerts - Belgium's answer to "The Osbournes"
TOUR Online
· 23.12.2023
Eddy Planckaert is probably known to every Belgian. However, younger Belgians may not know him primarily for his success as a professional cyclist, but rather for a reality series. The life of the Planckaert family, including Eddy, his wife Christa and their three children, was shown on television for years. With plenty of drama: daughter pregnant at 16, the youngest son not attending school and, in principle, a rather unconventional life on the edge of civilisation on the so-called "Mount Planckaert".
Brother Willy Planckaert 1966 sprint king of the Tour de France
At the time, it was the Belgian equivalent of "The Osbournes", the successful MTV series about rocker Ozzy Osbourne in the USA. And the format "De Planckaerts" also developed cult status: between 2003 and 2009, Belgian television produced 122 episodes in twelve seasons.
As a professional cyclist, Eddy Planckaert followed the careers of his two brothers. The eldest, Willy Planckaert, won two stages and the green jersey in the Tour de France as a sprinter in 1966. Walter Planckaert's career was no less successful, winning the Amstel Gold Race (1972), Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne (1973 and 1979), the Tour of Flanders (1976) and a half-stage of the Tour de France in 1978 in the 1970s. Walter Planckaert later worked as a sports director for almost 30 years, from 2008 for the Belgian Pro-Continental team Topsport Vlaanderen. He retired from the profession in 2018 at the age of 70.
Eddy Planckaert has to file for bankruptcy as an entrepreneur
However, Eddy had the most successful career of the Planckaert family. In the 1980s, he was one of the best Classics riders and won the Omloop Het Volk in 1984 and 1985, among others. His greatest success was winning the Tour of Flanders in 1988, and he also won Paris-Roubaix in 1990. As a good sprinter, Planckaert also celebrated ten stage wins at the Vuelta a Espana and a stage win at the Giro d'Italia. He won the Tour de France in 1981 and 1986 and, like his brother Willy, secured the Tour's green jersey in 1988.
The fact that he later became a reality star follows at least a certain logic of his post-career activities. Eddy Planckaert recorded songs with Flemish musicians, tried his hand at acting and appeared on TV shows. He also bought sawmills in Lithuania and Poland, but these went bankrupt. Heavily in debt, Planckaert then retreated to a hunting lodge in the Ardennes - which is when television came calling.
Son Francesco Planckert becomes a professional cyclist through the TV series
Son Francesco Planckaert also plays a key role in the reality series. As a junior, he enjoyed some success in cycling before knee problems set him back. His career seemed to be over. However, thanks to the popularity of the series, Francesco Planckaert was given a professional contract with the second-tier team Chocolate Jacques from 2004, and later rode for two other Belgian teams for one season each. But there were no results.
Ultimately, Francesco Planckaert not only lacked talent, but apparently also the discipline for cycling - much to his father's annoyance. "Do you know a professional who had only ridden 6000 kilometres by June? Not me," said Eddy Planckaert in the series. From 2007, his son no longer received a new contract.
Willy Planckaert's son, Jo Planckaert, who was part of the professional peloton from 1991 to 2004, had more success. He won the Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne race in 1999 and also finished second at Paris-Roubaix in 1997.
Meanwhile, Eddy Planckaert is continuing his TV career. In 2020, a new reality series called "Chateau Planckaert" was launched, in which he and his family restore a burnt-down castle in France. The fourth season was released in 2023.
