Fedor den Hertog
Encyclopedia
Fedor Iwan den Hertog was a Dutch
racing cyclist. He won the Olympic
100 km team time trial in 1968 with Joop Zoetemelk
, René Pijnen
and Jan Krekels
. He also won the national road championship in 1977.
As an amateur, Den Hertog won the British Milk Race
in 1969 and 1971. His most outstanding performance was the Rheinland-Pfalz tour in Germany in 1969, when he won nine of 11 stages and overall, 36 minutes ahead of the field. He was national road champion in 1968 and pursuit champion in 1968 and 1971. He came third in the Olympic team time trial in 1972, won the Grand Prix des Nations
in 1969 and 1970, and in 1969 won the Tour of Belgium. An accident with a car in the Belgian Ardennes
on 17 August 1967 came close to ending his career.
Den Hertog was considered the best amateur of his time, and many professional teams wanted him, but he declined out of fear to lose his freedom.
In 1974, Den Hertog finally turned professional but he had passed his peak. He first rode the Tour de France
in 1974. He rode three times for the Dutch team, Frisol, coming 27th, 18th and then not finishing, although in 1977 he won the stage to Rouen
. He broke away from the field 21 km from the finish and won by 20 seconds. He dropped out with knee pain in the 13th stage. He also rode for Lejeune-BP and the Belgian team, IJsboerke-Warncke Eis, but never with the success he had as an amateur
.
He won a stage in the Vuelta à España in 1977 but retired soon afterwards. He opened a bicycle business in Dilsen in Belgium but closed it for "personal circumstances".
His brother, Nidi, was a professional from 1974 to 1980.
Fedor den Hertog was 1.83 metres (6 ft) tall and weighed 76 kilograms (167.6 lb). In 2007, he was diagnosed with prostrate cancer, from which he died in February 2011.
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1976
1977
1979
1980
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
racing cyclist. He won the Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
100 km team time trial in 1968 with Joop Zoetemelk
Joop Zoetemelk
Hendrik Gerardus Jozef "Joop" Zoetemelk is a retired professional racing cyclist from the Netherlands who has emigrated to France. He started the Tour de France 16 times and finished every time, a record. He won the race in 1980 and also came eighth, fifth, fourth and second...
, René Pijnen
René Pijnen
Marinus "René" Augustinus Josephus Pijnen is a Dutch former racing cyclist. He became Olympic champion in the 100k team time-trial in the 1968 Summer Olympics with Joop Zoetemelk, Fedor den Hertog and Jan Krekels.A professional from 1969 to 1987, Pijnen was a capable track cyclist winning the...
and Jan Krekels
Jan Krekels
Jan Jozef Alfons Franciscus Krekels is a retired cyclist from the Netherlands. He became Olympic champion in the 100 km team time trial in 1968 with Joop Zoetemelk, René Pijnen and Fedor den Hertog. He also won the 19th stage of the Tour de France in 1971 and the prologue of Paris–Nice in 1970...
. He also won the national road championship in 1977.
As an amateur, Den Hertog won the British Milk Race
Tour of Britain
The Tour of Britain is a cycle race, conducted over several stages, in which participants race from place to place across parts of Great Britain....
in 1969 and 1971. His most outstanding performance was the Rheinland-Pfalz tour in Germany in 1969, when he won nine of 11 stages and overall, 36 minutes ahead of the field. He was national road champion in 1968 and pursuit champion in 1968 and 1971. He came third in the Olympic team time trial in 1972, won the Grand Prix des Nations
Grand Prix des Nations
The Grand Prix des Nations was an individual time trial for professional racing cyclists. Held annually in France, it was instituted in 1932 and often regarded as the unofficial time trial championship of the world and as a Classic cycle race. The race was the idea of a Parisian newspaper editor...
in 1969 and 1970, and in 1969 won the Tour of Belgium. An accident with a car in the Belgian Ardennes
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
on 17 August 1967 came close to ending his career.
Den Hertog was considered the best amateur of his time, and many professional teams wanted him, but he declined out of fear to lose his freedom.
In 1974, Den Hertog finally turned professional but he had passed his peak. He first rode the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
in 1974. He rode three times for the Dutch team, Frisol, coming 27th, 18th and then not finishing, although in 1977 he won the stage to Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
. He broke away from the field 21 km from the finish and won by 20 seconds. He dropped out with knee pain in the 13th stage. He also rode for Lejeune-BP and the Belgian team, IJsboerke-Warncke Eis, but never with the success he had as an amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
.
He won a stage in the Vuelta à España in 1977 but retired soon afterwards. He opened a bicycle business in Dilsen in Belgium but closed it for "personal circumstances".
His brother, Nidi, was a professional from 1974 to 1980.
Fedor den Hertog was 1.83 metres (6 ft) tall and weighed 76 kilograms (167.6 lb). In 2007, he was diagnosed with prostrate cancer, from which he died in February 2011.
Palmarès
1966- National Militaries Road Championship
1968
- National Amateur Track Pursuit Championship
- Olympic Games1968 Summer OlympicsThe 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
Team Time Trial (with Jan KrekelsJan KrekelsJan Jozef Alfons Franciscus Krekels is a retired cyclist from the Netherlands. He became Olympic champion in the 100 km team time trial in 1968 with Joop Zoetemelk, René Pijnen and Fedor den Hertog. He also won the 19th stage of the Tour de France in 1971 and the prologue of Paris–Nice in 1970...
, René PijnenRené PijnenMarinus "René" Augustinus Josephus Pijnen is a Dutch former racing cyclist. He became Olympic champion in the 100k team time-trial in the 1968 Summer Olympics with Joop Zoetemelk, Fedor den Hertog and Jan Krekels.A professional from 1969 to 1987, Pijnen was a capable track cyclist winning the...
and Joop ZoetemelkJoop ZoetemelkHendrik Gerardus Jozef "Joop" Zoetemelk is a retired professional racing cyclist from the Netherlands who has emigrated to France. He started the Tour de France 16 times and finished every time, a record. He won the race in 1980 and also came eighth, fifth, fourth and second...
)
1969
- Milk RaceTour of BritainThe Tour of Britain is a cycle race, conducted over several stages, in which participants race from place to place across parts of Great Britain....
- Rheinland-Pfalz RundfahrtRheinland-Pfalz RundfahrtThe International Rheinland-Pfalz Rundfahrt is a multi-stage road bicycle race held in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Since 2005 it is part of the UCI Europe Tour, being organised as 2.1 race.In its early years, it was an amateur race...
1970
- Omloop der Kempen
- Ronde van Limburg
1971
- Milk RaceTour of BritainThe Tour of Britain is a cycle race, conducted over several stages, in which participants race from place to place across parts of Great Britain....
- National Amateur Track Pursuit Championship
1972
- Tour de l'AvenirTour de l'AvenirTour de l'Avenir is a French road bicycle racing stage race, which started in 1961 as a race similar to the Tour de France and over much of the same course but for amateurs and for semi-professionals known as independents. Riders competed in national teams...
1973
- Olympia's TourOlympia's TourThe Olympia's Tour is a cycling stage race held in May in the Netherlands.-History:A.S.C. Olympia was founded in Amsterdam on 27 November 1898. It ran one-day races but wanted a race through all the Netherlands. The first Olympia’s Tour was in 1909, with three stages and one rest day...
1976
- Ronde van Midden-Zeeland
1977
- Liedekerkse Pijl
Dutch National Road Race ChampionshipDutch National Road Race ChampionshipThe Dutch National Road Race Championships take place annually, on the weekend prior to the start of the Tour de France. First held in 1888, today it is organized by the Top Sports Group, commissioned by the KNWU.- Men:...- Schijndel
- Trofee Jan van Erp
- Tour de France1977 Tour de FranceThe 1977 Tour de France was the 64th Tour de France, taking place June 30 to July 24, 1977. The total race distance was 22 stages over 4096 km, with riders averaging 35.419 km/h....
:- Winner stage 10
- Vuelta a España1977 Vuelta a EspañaThe 32nd Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 26 to May 15, 1977. It consisted of 19 stages covering a total of 2,785 km, and was won by Freddy Maertens of the Flandria cycling team. Maertens dominated the race and also won the...
:- Winner stage 3
1979
- GP Frans Verbeeck
1980
- Maaslandse Pijl