Olympia's Tour
Encyclopedia
The Olympia's Tour is a cycling stage race
held in May in the Netherlands.
and Groningen.
It was 17 years before the third race, partly because races on public roads were forbidden in the Netherlands during the First World War. An international field with 16 Germans
, the champions of Switzerland
and Luxembourg
and around 40 Dutch riders left the Rembrandtplein
on 17 August 1927. The Dutch were mainly amateurs, the Germans sponsored riders who rode for bicycle manufacturers such as Opel and Diamant which provided material and a support team. The German Rudolf Wolke won after four stages and 800 kilometres ahead of Janus Braspennincx. It was the last race until 1955.
The race resumed on 17 June 1955, with 93 riders leaving Stadionplein in Amsterdam South for a stage of 212 km to Hoogeveen
. The race was a battle until the end, when 26-year-old Piet Kooyman won . After 1955 the race was held every year except 2001, when it was stopped by a foot-and-mouth disease
crisis.
Some winners have become successful professionals. They include Henk Nijdam
, Frits Schür, Cees Priem
, Fedor den Hertog
, Leo van Vliet
, John Talen
, Servais Knaven
, Danny Nelissen
, Matthé Pronk
, Joost Posthuma
and Thomas Dekker
.
Road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...
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. The second in 1910 went to MaastrichtMaastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
and Groningen.
It was 17 years before the third race, partly because races on public roads were forbidden in the Netherlands during the First World War. An international field with 16 Germans
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the champions of Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
and around 40 Dutch riders left the Rembrandtplein
Rembrandtplein
Rembrandtplein is a major square in central Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It is named after the famous painter Rembrandt van Rijn....
on 17 August 1927. The Dutch were mainly amateurs, the Germans sponsored riders who rode for bicycle manufacturers such as Opel and Diamant which provided material and a support team. The German Rudolf Wolke won after four stages and 800 kilometres ahead of Janus Braspennincx. It was the last race until 1955.
The race resumed on 17 June 1955, with 93 riders leaving Stadionplein in Amsterdam South for a stage of 212 km to Hoogeveen
Hoogeveen
Hoogeveen is a municipality and a town in the northeastern Netherlands.- Population centres :Elim, Fluitenberg, Hoogeveen and Noordscheschut, which still have the canals which used to be throughout the town...
. The race was a battle until the end, when 26-year-old Piet Kooyman won . After 1955 the race was held every year except 2001, when it was stopped by a foot-and-mouth disease
Foot-and-mouth disease
Foot-and-mouth disease or hoof-and-mouth disease is an infectious and sometimes fatal viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including domestic and wild bovids...
crisis.
Some winners have become successful professionals. They include Henk Nijdam
Henk Nijdam
Henk Nijdam was a Dutch professional road bicycle racer.Henk Nijdam was the father of cyclist Jelle Nijdam. In 1962, Nijdam became World Champion Track Pursuit.- Palmarès :19601961...
, Frits Schür, Cees Priem
Cees Priem
Cees Priem was a Dutch professional road bicycle racer. After his cycling career, Priem became team manager of TVM.- Palmarès :19701971197219731974...
, Fedor den Hertog
Fedor den Hertog
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....
, Leo van Vliet
Leo van Vliet
Leonardus Quirinus Machutus van Vliet is was a professional racing cyclist from 1978 to 1986. He came 40th in the road race at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada....
, John Talen
John Talen
John Talen is a former road racing cyclist from the Netherlands, who was a professional from 1987 to 2000...
, Servais Knaven
Servais Knaven
Henricus Theodorus Josephus Knaven is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer, currently a directeur sportif for Team Sky. Knaven won Paris–Roubaix in 2001 and is the second rider in history to start and finish the race 16 times...
, Danny Nelissen
Danny Nelissen
Daniel Wilhelmus Maria Nelissen is a Dutch former professional road bicycle racer and current sports commentator at Eurosport...
, Matthé Pronk
Matthé Pronk
Matthé Pronk is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer, currently not under contract to any team.- Palmares :1996...
, Joost Posthuma
Joost Posthuma
Joost Posthuma is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer. He rides on the UCI ProTour for the professional cycling team...
and Thomas Dekker
Thomas Dekker (cyclist)
Thomas Dekker is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for Garmin-Cervélo’s development team, Chipotle Development Team. His career highlights include winning Tirreno-Adriatico in 2006 and Tour de Romandie in 2007...
.