Hennie Kuiper

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Olympic medal record
Men’s Cycling
Gold	1972 Munich	Road cycling

Hennie Kuiper (born February 3, 1949) is a Dutch former professional cyclist who is ranked in the top 50 greatest riders in the history of the sport. His career highlights include a gold medal in the Olympic road race at Munich in 1972, becoming World professional road race champion in 1975, as well as winning four of the five “Monument” classics. He rode the Tour de France on twelve occasions finishing second twice and winning the famed stage to Alpe d'Huez on two occasions. Kuiper, Ercole Baldini and Paolo Bettini are the only three riders who have won both the Olympic road race and the World professional road race in their careers

Hennie Kuiper in his T.I.-Raleigh team colours in 1977.

[edit] Biography

Kuiper was born at Denekamp, in Overijssel province,

His first serious introduction to the bicycle was as a form of transport to and from school in Enschede. He started participating in junior races from the age of 14 and from the age of 19 to 23 he was an amateur taking 39 wins, the climax of his amateur career was winning the gold medal in the Olympic road race in Munich in 1972, soloing the final 40 kilometres to the finish. He also won the Tour of Britain (Milk Race) in that final year as an amateur. Kuiper turned professional in 1973 with the small German team Haro-Rokado, however his career really took off in 1975 when he signed for the Dutch team Frisol where he got more chances to shine and formed a partnership with José De Cauwer (who worked for Kuiper in races) that would last until 1980. The 1975 season saw Kuiper become Dutch national champion and then later that year became World road race champion at Yvoir in Belgium, winning a tough race over 260 kilometres, taking in 21 ascents of a two mile climb.

Kuiper signed for the TI-Raleigh team in 1976, he finished second in the 1977 Tour de France just 48 seconds behind Bernard Thévenet, a rider who later admitted to the use of steroids, he won the famous mountain top stage finish at Alpe d’Huez, a feat he was to repeat in 1978. Kuiper finished fourth in the 1979 Tour and second in 1980 behind Joop Zoetemelk. That second place in 1980 seemed to signal the end of Kuiper’s best years as a major stage race rider and in 1981 he moved to the DAF Trucks team and re-invented himself as a one day Classics rider. 1981 saw him win the “Monuments” Ronde van Vlaanderen and the Giro di Lombardia while in 1983 he won Paris-Roubaix at the eleventh attempt. In 1985, at the age of 36 he took his fourth monument when he triumphed in Milan-Sanremo. His retirement as a professional rider came on 6th November 1988 at the age of 39 at a small cyclo cross event at Oldenzaal in his home province.

After his retirement Hennie Kuiper became team manager of the small German pro squad Team Stuttgart between 1989 and 1990. In 1991 he was invited to become the head of the Telekom team before been approached in 1992 by Jim Ochowicz, team manager of the American Motorola team who invited Hennie to become assistant team manager. Kuiper stayed with Motorola for four years passing on his considerable expertise and experience. Since 1997 he has worked for the Rabobank team in public relations, as well as coaching the Dutch national team on occasions. He has two sons from his first marriage with Ine Nolten: Patrick Kuiper and Bjorn Kuiper. Nowadays he lives with his second wife Marianne in Lonneker.

[edit] Major career highlights

1972: Olympic Road Race Champion (Munich)
1973: 2nd Züri-Metzgete, 5th Amstel Gold Race
1974: 2nd Paris-Camembert,
1975: 1st World Cycling Championship, Dutch National Road Race Champion, 5th Overall and one stage Vuelta a España
1976: 4th Overall Tour de France, 1st Overall and one stage Tour de Suisse, One stage Vuelta a Espana
1977: 2nd Overall and one stage Tour de France (Alpe d'Huez), Dutch Sportsman of the year
1978: One stage Tour de France (Alpe d’Huez), 2nd Overall Tour de Romandie
1979: 4th Overall Tour de France, 3rd Paris-Roubaix
1980: 2nd Overall Tour de France, 2nd Liège-Bastogne-Liège, 4th Paris-Brussels
1981: 1st Ronde van Vlaanderen, 1st Giro di Lombardia, 2nd Overall Tour of Holland
1982: 1st Grand Prix de Wallonnie, 2nd Overall Tour of Luxembourg
1983: 1st Paris-Roubaix, 5th Overall Vuelta a Espana
1984: 9th Paris-Roubaix, 10th Züri-Metzgete
1985: 1st Milan-Sanremo, 3rd Ronde van Vlaanderen
1986:
1987: 5th Rund um den Henninger Turm
1988: 3rd Veenendaal-Veenendaal

Cycling at the Summer Olympics | Olympic champions in men's individual road race

Preceded by: Eddy Merckx	World Road Racing Champion 1975	Succeeded by: Freddy Maertens

Preceded by: Piet Kleine	Dutch Sportsman of the Year 1977	Succeeded by: Gerrie Knetemann