Arts, Emil

Start: Road Racing

In his early teens, Arts was planning to become a sculptor, but before 1908 he became interested in amateur cycling and made his debut at the Club du Premier pas Laken, then moved to Pédale Royale de Laeken, and then to Bruxelles Sportif. In 1909 , he finished second in the Brussels Grand Prix. A year later, at the age of 18, he finished sixth in the Brussels-Roubaix race and won the Louis Mottiat memory race. In 1912, Arts decided to become a professional racer by issuing an individual license. This year he became the third in the Brussels- Enoe race , again won the Brussels Grand Prix, as well as the heavy debilitating Brussels- Spa race , 466 km long. In the same year, he also first tried his hand at the Carreveld Velodrome. There, at the match of France and Belgium, Emil Arts then took only ninth place ^[1] .

In 1913 , Arts became a professional, and in 1914 he finished ninth in Paris - Roubaix .

Six Day Track

In 1915 , Arts first participated in the six- track track of Brussels ( Six Jours de Bruxelles ) at the open-air Velodrome of Carreveld. Because of the war, the race took place only from 14 to 18 hours and stopped in the dark. On the fourth day, Arts, paired with his brother Francois, breaks off the canvas and hooks his main rival Van Bever, team mate Cyrille Van Hauwaert . Both fall, Arts breaks his collarbone and is hospitalized. The next day, Van Bever enters the track and wins. He and partner Van Hovert become the winner of the race. But since that time, Emil Arts has never been paired with his brother Francois and it is not known whether this decision was voluntary ^[2] . Initially, the results of the race were not recognized as full six-day and only with time its results were officially confirmed.

Already in 1919 , Arts was involved in the six-day week of New York in Madison Square Garden (seventh place, teammate Alfred Beyl ([w: fr: [Alfred Beyl | Alfred Beyl]]). But most of all, Arts was fascinated by the six-day period of Brussels and since 1919 he tries to win it in 1921. In 1919 he paired up with Alfons Spiessens in second place, in 1920 he paired with Henry Van Lerberghe, and in 1921 he again took second place with Alfons Spiessens and only in 1922 it rises to the first step of the pedestal together with his partner Dutchman Piet van Kempen ( Piet van Kempen ). Over the years, Arts has won six days in Europe six more times.

Arts is trying to perform in the sprint , but realizes that this is not his profile compared to Madison .

Ending a sports career

At the final stage of his sports career, Emil Arts spends more and more energy on the rising nephew of Jean Arts, seeing him as his talented successor. Emil lobbies him with his connections and organizes the signing of a contract at one of the best Parisian bicycle clubs ( Vélo Club de Levallois ). And this leads to the result. In 1927, Jean Arts became the champion of Belgium and the world champion in road racing among amateurs. Emil Arts himself, after finishing his career, opens a large bicycle shop on Brabant Street in Brussels and is engaged in it until his death in 1953 .

Six Day

• 1922
  • Six-day Brussels ( Six jours de Bruxelles ) with Pete van Kemren Piet van Kempen )
  • Six Day Paris Six jours de Paris with Georges Sérès )
• 1924
  • Six Day Brussels with Pierre Rielens
  • Six Day Paris with Georges Serres
• 1925
  • Six Day Brussels with Pete Van Kepren
  • Six days of Berlin Six jours de Berlin with Walter Rutte Walter Rütt )
• 1927
  • Six-day Paris with Reginald McNamara Reginald McNamara )

• Grand Prix d'Auteuil Grand Prix : 1920.
• Grand Prix of Octave Lapiz Summer, Velodrome d'Hiver ( Vélodrome d'Hiver ) in Paris, December 11, 1921 .
• Winter Grand Prix (hour per motorcycle), 1925 .

• In a one-hour motorcycle ride at the Vélodrome Buffalo Velodrome in Paris, Arts set a record: 77 km 550 m ^[3] .

• Émile Aerts (Fr.)
• Arts, Emil on Cycling Archives