5 replies to this topic

[Doug Nye]

Two days ago, while motoring around in Belgium, I found this monument at Le Rocher Bayard, on the banks of the River Meuse at Dinant, where the roadway is cut through an extremely narrow defile in exposed up-edged rock strata..  The name on the monument, and the reason for the monument's existence, are both hitherto unknown to me, so far as I can recall.  He looks like a chap in whom we should be interested. So who was he?  I find there was a motorcycle race run at Dinant around 1930 bearing his name...but nothing more.

 

https://dl.dropboxus...IN MEMORIAL.jpg

 

Here's the Rocher Bayard site - this Defoin monument sits at the foot of the pinnacle on the left.

 

https://dl.dropboxus...88/IMG_2580.jpg

 

Both Photos Strictly Copyright: The GP Library

 

DCN

Edited by Doug Nye, 17 April 2014 - 09:53.

[Vitesse2]

 

Co-fondateur de l’Union Motor Dinant, ce pilote talentueux, conseiller communal libéral à Dinant (1926-1927), exerçait le métier de marchand de bois.  Le 2 octobre 1927, il se tue accidentellement  à Profondeville alors qu’il se rend à Bruxelles  à moto pour participer à la dernière manche du Rallye National Gillet.

Outre la création du Grand Prix Maurice Defoin, le comité de l’U.M.D. inaugure, le 21 avril 1928, près du Rocher Bayard, une stèle-mémorial en granito d’après le plan de l’architecte Edouard Frankinet père.

Le médailleur Alexandre Daoust a conçu un médaillon à l’effigie du coureur destiné à orner l’une des faces du mémorial. Au bas de l’inscription Maurice Defoin, une plaque en bronze, de forme rectangulaire, évoque de façon allégorique la Mort fauchant l’infortuné conducteur.

 

Extrait de : Michel COLEAU, Dinant, Reine de la Meuse, Dinant, 1994, p. 163.

Source: http://www.dinant.be.../defoin-maurice

[Tim Murray]

More info here on events organised by the Motor Union Dinant:

 

http://racingmemo.free.fr/M%20COURSES%20INTER/MOTO%20BELGIQUE.htm

 

which includes:

 

Deux autres circuits ont été utilisés par le Motor Union Dinant : Le Circuit de Falmignoul et le Circuit de Sorinnes (tous deux dans les environs immédiats de Dinant).
1925 - le Grand Prix d'Automne a lieu à Falmignoul. 1926 - par son changement de date, le GP devient Grand Prix du Printemps, toujours à Falmignoul. 1927 - Le GP du Printemps émigre à Sorinnes. 1928 - le GP devient Grand Prix Maurice Defoin, du nom d'un des fondateur du Club également pilote lui-même décédé en 1927. 1931 - Le Grand Prix Maurice Defoin revient à Falmignoul et y restera jusqu'en 1936.

 

[Doug Nye]

Well, well. Thank you both very much.

DCN

[grimeheel]

For those of us who don't have a good grasp of French, here's a rough translation:

 

Co-founder of the Union Motor Dinant, this driver, a talented town councilor liberal to Dinant (1926-1927) was exercising the profession of wood merchant.  On 2 October 1927 he was accidentally killed in Profondeville while travelling to Brussels by motorcycle to participate in the final round of the National Rally Gillet.

In addition to the creation of the Grand Prix, Maurice Defoin and the committee of the M.U.D. inaugurated on 21 April 1928 near the Rocher Bayard a stele-memorial in granite after the plan of architect Edouard Frankinet's father.

The medallion-maker, Alexandre Daoust, has designed a medallion in the effigy of the rider, intended to adorn one of the sides of the memorial.  At the bottom of the inscription about Maurice Defoin is a rectangular bronze plaque evokes an allegorical fate of death to the hapless rider.

 

and

 

Two other circuits have been used by the Motor Union Dinant.  The Circuit of Falmignoul and the Circuit of Sorinne (both in the immediate vicinity of Dinant).

1925 - The Grand Prix of autumn has been held in Falmignoul.

1926 - By this change of date the GP becomes the Grand Prix of Spring at Falmignoul.

1927 - The GP of Spring has changed to Sorinne.

1928 - The GP becomes Grand Prix Maurice Defoin, the name of one of the founders of the Club, also a driver himself died in 1927.

1931 - The GP Maurice Defoin returns to Falmignoul and remained there until 1936.

 

courtesy FreeTranslation.com with liberal changes.

[Rob Semmeling]

From my website:

 

 

 

Falmignoul – Namur / Circuit Maurice Defoin / 1925-1926 and 1931-1936 (8) / motorcycles

 

This 13.5 km circuit was conceived by Pierre de Crawhez, the driving force behind the pioneering Circuit des Ardennes, in 1925. It hosted a motorcycle race titled Grand Prix d'Automne that year, and the Grand Prix du Printemps in 1926. However, this event subsequently moved to Sorinnes (see below) for several years, and during that time it was renamed Grand Prix Maurice Defoin, after the co-founder of the Union Motor Dinant and talented motorcycle racer, who lived from 1894-1927.

 

The Defoin memorial Grand Prix was then organised at Falmignoul once more from 1931-1936. A rider named Collette (FN) set the lap record at 6.01 = 134.6 km/h the final year. The circuit was originally traversed anti-clockwise, but the direction was reversed to clockwise as of 1933 - apparently this was compulsory after a decision by the FMB.

 

Apart from the motorcycle races, the circuit was also used for a special stage of the Dumonceau-Cup, a regularity run for cars and motorbikes through Belgium and Luxembourg, organised by a motorsport club from The Hague. A speed test was held at the circuit in the years 1933-1936. The event moved away from Falmignoul after that due to the poor state of the circuit, which may also explain why the Grand Prix Maurice Defoin was not held anymore either.

 

Note a part of the Falmignoul circuit had already been used for racing in July 1912 - see the entry for Dinant-Anseremme [...].

 

 

Photo lap of the circuit: http://www.wegcircui...mignoul/00.html

 

 

 

Sorinnes – Namur / Circuit de Sorinnes / 1927-1931 (6) / motorcycles

 

The Union Motor Dinant organised various motorcycle races on a 3.470 km circuit in Sorinnes from 1927-1931. These included the Grand Prix d'Automne and the Grand Prix du Printemps. This latter event was renamed Grand Prix Maurice Defoin in 1928, after the death of Defoin - co-founder of the Union and a talented motorcycle racer - one year earlier. The race moved to Falmignoul in 1931 (see above), but there was one final meeting in Sorinnes that year under the title Grand Prix d'Eté, organised by the Union Motoriste de Bruxelles.

 

 

According to the FMB bulletin, the monument in Dinant was unveiled on 21 April 1928, the day before the first edition of the Defoin memorial Grand Prix in nearby Sorinnes.

Edited by Rob Semmeling, 18 April 2014 - 12:06.