The drama surrounding Richard Depoorter: 75 years ago a driver died in the Tour de Suisse

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If you drive up from Wassen UR to the Sustenpass today, you will drive through the Depoorter tunnel on national road 11 after a few minutes. The fact that a Swiss tunnel is named after a Belgian cyclist has a sad background.

review. Wednesday 16 June 1948, fourth stage of the Tour de Suisse from Thun BE to Altdorf UR. The Belgian Richard Depoorter was then 33 years old, had won Liège-Bastogne-Liège twice and was second in the general classification, behind Ferdy Kübler.

There are still many rumors and half-truths about what exactly happened on that day 75 years ago. It has always been undisputed that Depoorter had a fatal accident in the tunnel in the Fedenwald.

What happened in the tunnel?

Dr Rolf Gisler-Jauch, deputy state archivist of the canton of Uri, stated in the Sunday newspaper Blick in 2016: “Shortly after the pass, Depoorter hit a wall of snow, had to get off and adjust the steering wheel. Then he drove on. The next Hugo Koblet knows the Sustenstrasse and brakes hard before entering the tunnel. Then he sees a body and a bicycle lying on the ground in the semi-darkness. Since he does not think of a serious accident, he drives on.”

A short time later, the dead Belgian was carried out of the tunnel by guides and placed on a pile of gravel. The conclusion of the Uri police: The cause of the accident was due to ignorance of the route and excessive speed of the race car driver. Francis Pélissier, sports director of the “La Perle” team, already doubted this version: “I suspect that Depoorter was run over by the Belgian escort car.”

Widow’s Compensation

In two excavations later in Belgium, the doctors found a severe chest collapse and a broken left femur. 18 ribs were broken multiple times. A French journalist who was in the escort vehicle then breaks his silence and explains that Depoorter was indeed run over. Apparently, the car’s occupants had agreed to cover up the fatal accident.

In 1950, a Belgian criminal court sentenced the driver of the escort vehicle to six months in prison. Later, in a civil suit, Depoorter’s wife (and the three children) were awarded damages amounting to CHF 175,000 at the time.

In 1998, around the 50th anniversary of his death, a memorial plaque was placed at the accident site and the tunnel was renamed in honor of Richard Depoorter.

Source : Blick