Karel Verbist
Karel Verbist (16 August 1883 – 21 July 1909) was a Belgian track cyclist who competed in motor-paced racing, also called stayer racing. He won the Belgian national championship in motor-paced racing in 1908 and again in 1909. In this sport, a rider is paced by a motorcycle rider; Verbist rode with Constant Ceurremans as his pacemaker.
On 21 July 1909 in Brussels, Verbist collided with Ceurremans’ motorcycle during a race and died almost immediately, aged 25.
A Flemish folk poem about Verbist is often cited, reflecting on his death.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 11:51 (CET).