Ole Ritter has told the story to the magazine Euroman, and the sprint from the police was to be the starting shot for one of the most successful cycling careers in Denmark.
Ritter turns 80 on August 29.
He started as an amateur rider, and in the 1960s, both inside and outside Denmark’s borders, he established himself as one of the country’s best of its kind.
Later it turned into victories as a professional, and among other things in the Giro d & apos; Italia he has distinguished himself. When Ole Ritter was at his best, very few cyclists could compete with him.
It was also in the Giro that he ended up ahead of Eddy Merckx on a single start stage in 1967, considered by many to be the best rider ever.
The following year, he broke the world record in one hour of track racing. It stood for four years until even the same Eddy Merckx was a little faster.
Ole Ritter helped to make Danes happy with cycling. He won the discipline three times in the six-day race up through the 1970s in his own country.
Yes, it literally ran for Ole Ritter, who in 1970 had also married Marianne.
Although Ole Ritter has cycled on a wave of success, he has also experienced adversity.
In 1979, shortly after stopping his cycling career, he was diagnosed with cancer and it had spread. But Ole Ritter recovered completely.
Ritter has since been honored for his achievements with awards. Among other things, he was inducted into the Danish Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.
After finishing his career, he became the owner of Ritter Cykler, and here bicycle enthusiasts can still buy a bicycle to this day.
Source: The Nordic Page