Jan Janssen

Adrianus Johannes "Jan" Janssen (born 19 May 1940 Nootdorp ) is a former Dutch cyclist. He was one of the best cyclists in the 1960s and won the Tour de France 1968.

Career

Janssen began his cycling career in 1956 as a 16 -year-old and could change with 40 victories in the amateur class. He was 1958-1962 44 times successfully. In 1959 he was first used internationally, as he denied the GDR Tour ( stage winner in the individual time trial ) and then 4 at the classic "Around Berlin" was. In 1961 he distinguished himself as a specialist in stage drives at the first Tour de France for amateurs (Tour de l' Avenir ), finishing in 9th place in the overall standings. In 1962 he was third in the Tour de l' Avenir with three stage wins.

His professional career began in the same year by winning the Championship of Zurich. Two years later, he won the 24 - year Road World Championships 1964 in Sallanches Many more good results in the classic one-day races followed.; among other things, won the 1967 Paris -Roubaix and had to be in the sprint for the world title on the street in front of his home crowd, only the Belgian Eddy Merckx beaten.

Janssen, who was especially successful as an individual time trial and premiums sprinter and next seven stages three times the green jersey of the Tour won ( 1964, 1965, 1967), could also prevail in the overall standings: He took as each first Dutchman ever to win the Vuelta a España 1967 and the Tour de France 1968. victory on this tour is up today with only 38 seconds ahead of zweitknappste history. Janssen yet succeeded on the last stage, an individual time trial, the Belgian Herman Van Springel remove the yellow jersey.

January Janssen won from 1962 to 1972 exactly 121 victories as Professionel, including four in Six Days in Amsterdam, Antwerp and Madrid in the years 1965 to 1968. During the 1973 season, he finished his career at the age of 33 years.

Supplement

January Janssen, as well as some other former racing cyclist, own bike brand founded.