Leif Mortensen

Leif Mortensen ( born May 5, 1946 in Frederiksberg) is a former Danish racing cyclist.

Leif Mortensen was one of the most successful amateur racer in Denmark in the 1960s. 1963, at the age of 17, he was Danish vice-champion of the junior in the time trial. In 1967, he took second place at the Nordic Championships in the road race; In the same year he was in Heerlen vice-champion in the team time trial, together with Henning Petersen, Jørgen Hansen and Verner Blaudzun.

1968 Mortensen was Danish Champion in the team time trial ( with Hansen, Bent Petersen and L. Steen Holgaard ), after he had already finished third in the road race in the amateurs. The Danish team also finished second place at the Nordic Championships. Highlight for Mortensen this year, however, was winning the silver medal in the road race at the Olympic Games in Mexico. The next year Leif Mortensen was in Brno world champion of amateurs in the road race, the team driving, he took second place with the Danish team ( with Hansen, Mogens Frey and Jørn Lund ). He also won the Grand Prix de France. Then he stepped over to the professionals.

1970 Mortensen was in Leicester vice-champion in the road race of the professionals behind Jean -Pierre Monseré. In 1971 he won jointly with Luis Ocaña Pernia the Trofeo Baracchi. In 1973, he won the Tour of Belgium and in 1974 he finished fourth at Bordeaux - Paris. Four times took Leif Mortensen at the Tour de France in part: In 1971, he finished sixth overall, 1972 Twelfth and 1973 he was ranked 19th

1975 Mortensen ended his active cycling career. Since 1994 he is a member of the Hall of Fame since 2009 and the Danish Sports commentator for Euro Sport.