Ole Ritter
Encyclopedia
Ole Ritter is a former Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

 racing cyclist.

Amateur years

As an amateur he rode for ABC Denmark.
His breakthrough came in 1962 where he won 2 silver medals at the world championship in Italy, Individual & 100 km team time trial.

Professional years

In 1967 he became professional in Italy with the Germanvox-Wega team and his career took off. He won the individual time trial in the Giro d’Italia in front of Rudi Altig
Rudi Altig
Rudi Altig is a former professional track and road racing cyclist who won the 1962 Vuelta a España and the world championship in 1966. He is now a television commentator.-Amateur career:...

, Eddy Merckx
Eddy Merckx
Edouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx , better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional cyclist. The French magazine Vélo called him "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known." The American publication, VeloNews, called him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all...

 and Jacques Anquetil
Jacques Anquetil
Jacques Anquetil was a French road racing cyclist and the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times, in 1957 and from 1961 to 1964...

.

In 1968 he went to Mexico City before the Olympic Games and beat the hour record. He was the first rider to take the record at altitude since Willie Hamilton in 1898. He covered 48,653 km and it took four years and Eddy Merckx
Eddy Merckx
Edouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx , better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional cyclist. The French magazine Vélo called him "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known." The American publication, VeloNews, called him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all...

 to beat it (49,431 km in 1972).

In 1974 at the age of 33 he went to Mexico again and beat his own record twice in a week, with 48,739 and 48,879 km.

Grand Tours

Ole Ritter 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...

 once, in 1975 (GC 47). However, he took part 9 times in Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...

, and is to this day the Danish rider with the best GC finish, 7th in 1973 + 3 stage wins.

Major achievements

1967
  • 11th stage Giro d’Italia

1968
  • Trofeo Matteotti
    Trofeo Matteotti
    Trofeo Matteotti is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in Pescara, Italy. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.-Winners:...


1969
  • 5th stage Giro d’Italia
  • 6th stage Giro di Sardegna
    Giro di Sardegna
    Giro di Sardegna is a stage road bicycle race held on the island of Sardinia, an Italian region. The race returned in 2009 after 11 years. It is now rated 2.1 and is part of the UCI Europe Tour.-Winners:...


1970
  • 2e etappe Paris–Nice
  • GP Forli
  • GP Lugano

1971
  • 4th stage Giro d’Italia
  • 5th stage Giro di Sardegna
    Giro di Sardegna
    Giro di Sardegna is a stage road bicycle race held on the island of Sardinia, an Italian region. The race returned in 2009 after 11 years. It is now rated 2.1 and is part of the UCI Europe Tour.-Winners:...


1972
  • GP Diessenhofen

1973
  • 2nd stage Giro d’Italia

1974
  • 3rd stage Tour of Apulië
  • GP Lugano


Other accomplishments

Towards the end of his career he became Denmark's cycle hero again when Six-day racing
Six-day racing
A six or six-day is a track cycling race that lasts six days. Six-day races started in Britain, spread to many regions of the world, were brought to their modern style in the United States and are now mainly a European event. Initially, individuals competed alone, the winner being the individual...

 returned to Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

. He won 3 times: 1974 and 1975 in Herning
Herning
Herning Municipality is a municipality in Region Midtjylland on the Jutland peninsula in western Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 1,336 km² and a total population of 84,208...

 with Dutchman Leo Duyndam and in 1977 in Forum with Belgian 6-Day star Patrick Sercu
Patrick Sercu
Patrick Sercu is a former Belgian cyclist, best known for his exploits on the tracks.In 1964 aged 19 he competed as the star attraction at the Manchester Wheelers' Club Race Meet at the Fallowfield track in Manchester.He won a gold medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.Sercu is the record...

. Ole Ritter last 6-Day race
Six-day racing
A six or six-day is a track cycling race that lasts six days. Six-day races started in Britain, spread to many regions of the world, were brought to their modern style in the United States and are now mainly a European event. Initially, individuals competed alone, the winner being the individual...

 was in Milan in 1978.

Stars and Watercarriers

The movie "Stars and Watercarriers" (Danish: "Stjernerne og vandbærerne") by danish film maker Jørgen Leth
Jørgen Leth
Jørgen Leth is a Danish poet and film director who is considered a leading figure in experimental documentary film making. Most notable are his epic documentary A Sunday in Hell and his surrealistic short film The Perfect Human...

 from 1974 follows the fortunes of Danish cyclist Ole Ritter in the 1973
1973 Giro d'Italia
The 1973 Giro d'Italia was held from 18 May to 9 June 1973, starting from Verviers in Belgium. It was won by Eddy Merckx.This 56th edition covered 3,801 km at an average speed of 35.553 km/h, for a total of 20 stages.- General classification :...

 Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...

(Tour of Italy). The film as a whole gives a good insight into the ins and outs of a three week stage race, explaining the roles and aims of the different riders in the race. The drama and heartbreak of the mountain stages, the intensity of the time trial ("the race of truth"), the quieter moments on the road, the signing in process of each stage are all covered.

The chapter "The trial of truth" stands out with its focus on the Danish star Ole Ritter, his technical, physical and psychological preparations and his performance in the time trials. Ritter is lauded with words such as "power, cycle and style in the simplest manifestation possible", and aesthetically, too, the section stands out: there is no background music or ordinary real sound. Instead, a sound close up of the chain as it seems to sing emphasises the utter concentration of Ritter's venture.

The impossible hour

A Danish documentary (original name Den umulige time), about Ole Ritter's attempt to break the hour record. The movie, made in 1974, takes place in Mexico City.

After the cycling career

TV Commentator for Danish TV Tour de France coverage.
Owner of Ritter Import.
Organiser of fun-race Ritter Classic.
Member of the Danish Hall of Fame.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK