Vermarc
Sport was founded in 1977 by legendary pro-racer, Frans
Verbeeck. Today, in addition to clothing the top pro racing
teams, the company produces over 4,000 unique jerseys for
amateur racing teams and cycling clubs throughout Europe,
America and Asia. An ex-pro racer from the Flanders region
of Belgium, Frans had a deep desire to improve the
conditions that riders faced during training and racing by
improving the clothing they wore. His passion still fuels
the company today.
Frans
Verbeeck’s stellar cycling career almost wasn't. In the
early 1970’s, Frans was struggling to earn his place in the
pro peloton when he decided to hang up his wheels and find a
job that would allow him to support his wife and young son.
He landed a job driving a milk delivery truck but, after
only one short year, his passion for the bike prompted him
to return to the ranks of professional cycling.
For
"the Milkman", a name given him by his Belgian fans, turned
out to be a fortuitous move. Verbeeck notched a number of
high-profile wins including the Fleche Wallone, Het Volk,
Amstel Gold, and the 1973 Belgian National Championship
beating the likes of Eddy Merckx in the process. The Milkman
delivered 166 victories as a professional.
Frans
retired for good at the end of the 1976 season, and in 1977,
started his own company in a partnership with the legendary
Italian clothing manufacturer, Santini.
Realizing the
importance of his cycling experience, in 1988, Frans began
producing cycling clothing under his own brand name, Vermarc
Sport, a combination of the Verbeeck surname and the first
name of Franz's son, Marc, who not only followed his
father's footsteps into the pro peloton but now acts as the
company's president.
One of
the company’s most strategic business decisions was to focus
on providing cycling apparel for racing teams and clubs
rather than enter the mass-market arena. With 57,000
licensed racers in Belgium alone, there was a great need for
a supply of high quality custom clothing. Subsequently,
Vermarc Sport has provided team kits for the sport’s leading
professional teams including TVM, DAF Trucks and Greg Lemond's 1989 Tour de France winning team, ADR. Today, they
provide clothing for the Belgian powerhouse teams Quick
Step, and Davitamon as well as Palmans/Collstrop, Vlaandaren
2000 and Landbouwkrediet –Tonisstiener professional cycling
teams.
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