Originally Posted by
CyclesMakaron
A long, long time ago, the EMC factory in Meise was getting ready for the new season - 1994. It was the Belgian autumn of 1993, it may have been November, and it was the month in which the frames for professional teams was being built... Slightly earlier a frame was built (for sure) for Jan Schur (Motorola - D9563) and after about a week a frame for Frank Vandenbroucke (Lotto-Caloi - D9674) was built (also for sure). In the meantime time was found to build the frame D9602 - it is not known in what painting pattern (unless there is some information preserved on the steering tube - which after painting in - probably 2001 - is rather improbable), it is not known for whom and it is not even known whether for a professional rider. However, the owner, whoever he was, decided to repaint the frame - for this purpose he gave it to Meise to be done superprofessionally.
And that would be the end of this touching story, if not for a certain possibility: this is a frame built for a profi rider, who was riding EM bikes in 1994, then he kept it for himself as a training bike (it didn't bother anyone in the next groups, because they didn't use EMC bikes), until finally he got back to the team riding EM and He MUST have painted the frame in new colors... Something like that once happened to Cezary Zamana, his EM from 1992 was repainted on Motorola-Caloi for the 1995 season (the legendary D611). The question: did such a rider exist? ...Yes, he spent the 1994 season in Lotto-Caloi and the 2001 season in Domo Farm Frites... In front of you: Mario De Clercq - a loud applause please (great rider, 3 times World Champion in ...cyclocross).
Now this - you will admit - beautiful story must be proved...
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You sir are brilliant, you paint such an evocative scene
So its a late 93/early 94 frame. I didn't mention it before but there is a name on the top tube, I looked up the name but did not find anything on it, so asked the previous owner. He said the name on the top tube was not a pro rider, but that of Belgian club rider who said he ordered the frame in the Merckx factory. I was told this info but have no idea if that is true or not. I thought as he was not a pro rider I'd best not plaster his name over the internet which is why I did not post it.
I have just had a look at the fork steerer, and the only markings on it are the remains of some writing on an old sticker near the threaded end of the fork. Hers is a pic.
Is that any help or mean anything to you?