Ole Ritter

Jørgen Ole Ritter ( born August 29, 1941 in Slagelse, Denmark ) is a former Danish cyclist who could achieve success both on the track and on the road. His greatest success was in 1968 in Mexico City the hour record with 48.653 km, he also won three stages at the Giro d' Italia and placed among the top ten in the overall standings twice. Knight was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Danish Sports 1992.

Amateur time

His first successes collected Ole Ritter as an amateur in 1961, when he first took part in a Road World Championship. In 1962, he was the Danish road champion and won at the road world championships in Salo in the individual road driving and in the 100 -km team time trial one silver medal. In 1964 he was re- Danish Amateur champion and participated in the road race ( 69 ), and the 100 -kilometer team time trial ( 7 ) of the Summer Olympic Games in part. In 1965 he competed in the Course de la Paix ( Peace Race ), in 8th place in the overall individual standings and was re- Danish road champion. At the end of the same year he set a world record in the 100 km on the track and drove world records over 10 km and 20 km in Zurich.

Professional time

1967 Ritter has been a professional in the team Germanvox - Vega, for which he went four years in Italy. In his first year he won the time trial of the Giro d' Italia against the world elite time trial, including Eddy Merckx, Jacques Anquetil, Felice Gimondi and Ferdi Bracke. The following year he won the Trofeo Matteotti and feierete great success on the track: At the Track World Championships he lost only the British Hugh Porter in the individual pursuit and was runner-up. In the summer of the same year he placed at the Velodrome in Mexico City on successively world records over 10 km and 20 km, to set a new hour record on the eve of the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. In 1969 he was again able to win a stage in the Giro, where he was able to place himself in 1970 as ninth overall.

1971 Ritter moved to the Italian leno team, where he was team captain. His biggest success in the two years with this team was a stage win at the Giro in 1971. 1973 Knight drove a season for Bianchi - Campagnolo on the side of Felice Gimondi and achieved the best overall ranking of a large tour: he finished seventh in the Giro. He was accompanied by documentary filmmaker Jørgen Leth Danish, who published the result as above Stjernerne vandbærerne. During his time as an amateur racer, in 1966, Knight had received the offer to be portrayed in a documentary about road bicycle racing. The involvement, however, it was at that time forbidden by the Danish Cycling Federation with regard to its amateur status.

In 1974, he tried to set a new hour record in Mexico, though he could beat his personal best twice, he remained on the time of the new world record holder Merckx. This was processed by Leth in a documentary once again: the umulige time.

As a professional driver, he had completed 21 road race as the winner. In the last years of his career he was also able to make a name for path competitions, won in 1974 and 1975, the six-day race in Herning, Denmark ( with Leo Duyndam ), 1976 Derny Championship and 1977, the six-day race in Copenhagen on the side of Patrick Sercu. In 1978, he said goodbye to 36 - year Senior career with a second place at the Copenhagen Six Days.

Professional after cycling

After his playing days as a cyclist Ole Ritter worked as a sports journalist and television commentator for Danish television.