Klaus-Peter Thaler
Klaus -Peter Thaler ( born May 14, 1949 in Eckmannshausen, Netphen ) is a former German cyclist and cycling national coach.
Cycling career
His greatest success Klaus -Peter Thaler in Road Racing. 1973 and 1976 he became world champion of amateurs in this discipline. Nevertheless, you could see the winner countries also regularly observed in road race, 1974 and 1976, he was here German amateur champion. At the Olympics 1976 he also took part as a street driver and crossed the sprint the top group as the finish line second. The silver medal was, however, deprived him of alleged disability, as Thaler was classified as the last of the top group and thus in ninth. In 1976 he graduated also his education at the trainer academy Cologne with a diploma thesis at Arnd Krüger from.
In 1977 he became a professional. His first participation in the Tour de France in the same year went with a stage win quite positive. A year later, he finished third in the final standings of the 35th, came in the points standings to sixth place, was temporarily the yellow jersey and won another stage. A total of five times, the now certified cycling coach presented the Adventure Tour de France.
1983 Thaler adopted provisionally from active competition and used for two years, his qualifications as a graduate coach for a stint as national coach. Thaler decided to continue his professional career, and after only six weeks of training period, he stunned the competition with a second place at the German Cross Country Championships 1985., But the final straw was two weeks later, the victory at the World Cup on home soil in Munich's Olympic Stadium. In 1987 came the fourth world title to it. In 1988, he finally accepted after nearly 25 years of active career his final farewell to the sport of cycling.
Klaus -Peter Thaler is under the nickname of Tom Smart, a member of the prestigious London Pickwick Bicycle Club.
Motorsport career
1986 Thaler first came to the automobile racing in contact. During his time as an active cyclist, he played from 1987 long-distance races in Veedol Endurance Cup. In 1989, he started in an Opel Kadett GSi even with two races in the German Touring Car Championship. Among his greatest motor sport successes include a fourth and a fifth place finish at the 24 -hour race at the Nürburgring as well as winning the Endurance Championship 2001.
Social Commitment
On December 2, 2003 Klaus -Peter Thaler was also awarded the band by the North Rhine- Westphalian state president Ulrich Schmidt the Distinguished Service Cross. He was honored at the time for serving a wide community involvement. His collaboration as captain of the Tour of Hope, the foundation in 1996 of the non-profit organization Menschen für Kinder eV and its employees with friends in favor of Radwerk Foundation, which helps unemployed young people to find a training were highlighted in the eulogy. He was honored for his commitment to the Pierre de Coubertin medal in 2005.
Awards
- Silver Bay Leaf 1973
- Order of Merit 2003