He began his professional adventure with the Gitane-Hutchinson jersey in 1953 and lived his most glorious years with Faema. In 1960 and 1961, Van Looy won the world road champion title twice consecutively. Given his age, 90 years old, he was the oldest living champion in the world of cycling. He was a specialist in sprints and one-day classics. He also achieved success on the track. Among other things, he won twelve Six Days races, and three times the Ghent Six Days.

The Emperor of Herenthals, as he was nicknamed, boasts one of the most important records in Belgian cycling, with two world champion jerseys, two Belgian road champion titles (1958-1963), and two Belgian track champion titles in the American race (1968-1969). In the Hall of Fame of the International Cycling Union (UCI), in 2018, the Grand Prix Rik Van Looy was created in his honor, a professional race that starts from Westerlo and arrives in his hometown of Herentals. He would have turned 91 on Friday.