When Roland Liboton conquered the fifth world title in his career in Oss in 1984, a new record appeared to be in store. At that time, the Belgian rider was only 26 years old and controlled the cyclo-cross races with a supremacy that had rarely been shown before. Liboton had to be able to amply improve the record of Erik de Vlaeminck (7 world titles). However, things changed for Liboton after the triumph in Oss. The man who for years had imposed his will on anyone, was sometimes even degraded to third-rate cyclo-cross rider.
The Swiss Albert Zweifel had dominated the international cyclo-cross for four years and the Swiss redhead conquered the world title for professionals four times in a row. That is why it was a surprise even to insiders that in 1980 Roland Liboton, who made his debut as professional rider, could prevent the Swiss in his own country from conquering a fifth rainbow jersey. In Wetzikon, the 22-year-old Liboton marked a new era.
At the age of 15, the boy from Rillaar made his debut as a cyclist, but he did not go to the field until he was a junior. And he did so successfully, because he immediately became Belgian champion with the juniors in 1976. Liboton also manifested himself rapidly as an amateur. In 1977 he became world champion with the soldiers and one year later he conquered the official rainbow jersey as an amateur in the Spanish Amorebieta. One year later, in the quagmire of Saccolongo the Belgian rider did not get further than a thirteenth place, but that did not stop him from becoming a professional rider. After the failure at Saccolongo, Liboton had gained sufficient confidence in Switzerland because he had beaten Albert Zweifel, the ruling world champion with the professional riders, three times.
Liboton immediately claimed a dominant role with the professionals, which was confirmed by a world title. The series of successes was interrupted by Hennie Stamsnijder in 1981 in Tolosa, but Liboton nevertheless ruled the international cyclo-cross. "Roel" underlined his supremacy with three successive world titles in Lanarvily, Birmingham and Oss. In the season 1983-1984, Liboton did not even tolerate any competition. He won as much as 28 crosses of the 30 that he rode that winter. Roland Liboton was even called the Eddy Merckx of cyclo-cross and this comparison was certainly not exaggerated. Liboton was not a one-sided cyclo-cross rider: he could hold his own with the best experts in practically every race. He could simply do it all: ride uphill, downhill, run. He towered above his competitors in the technical field. He was born with a class, with which he conquered the obstacles playfully and flexibly.
Although in the season 1984-1985 he won the overall classification of the Super Prestige Cyclo-Cross for the first time, things did start to change that season. During the world championships in Munich he was slowed down by equipment trouble, but during the race on the slippery track around the Olympic stadium he was not able to impress at any time. Eventually, he finished in tenth place. In 1986 during the world championships in his own country he also did not play a role of importance. He conceded in the mud of Lembeek after only a few laps. In 1987 he did not even appear at the start in Mlada Boleslav. Two days before the race he called in sick, but the truth of that announcement was seriously doubted. The once superior and confident cyclo-cross rider had a fear of failure. After that, the world championships became an obsession for the Belgian champion, because he could not play a leading part in Hägendorf, Pont-Château and Getxo either. He did win the Super Prestige classification in the seasons 1985-1986 and 1987-1988, which allowed him to maintain his position in the international cyclo-cross races. The man from Rillaar won a total of 21 Super Prestige races.
However, in the season 1989-1990 Roland Liboton reached rock bottom. He was not even a shadow of the great athlete who romped the fields in the beginning of the eighties. For the first time he lost the Belgian title that had been in his possession for ten years in a row because there was no competition in his own country. In 1991 he made another try, but that year Liboton only reached a fourth place in the Belgian championships. These were the last convulsions of a star who did not get the most out of his career.

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