| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Ole Ritter |
| Born | August 29, 1941 Denmark |
| Team information | |
| Current team | Retired |
| Discipline | Road & Track |
| Role | Rider |
| Rider type | Time trial |
| Professional team(s) | |
| 1967-1970 1971-1972 1973 1974-1975 1976-1977 |
Germanvox Dreher Bianchi Filotex Sanson |
| Infobox last updated on March 26, 2008 |
|
Ole Ritter (born in Slagelse, Denmark, August 29, 1941) is a former Danish racing cyclist.
Contents |
As an amateur he rode for ABC Denmark. His breakthrough came in 1962 where he won 2 silver medals at the world championship in Italy, Individual & 100 km team time trial.
In 1967 he became professional in Italy with the Germanvox-Wega team and his career took off. He won the individual time trial in the Giro d’Italia in front of Rudi Altig, Eddy Merckx and Jacques Anquetil.
In 1968 he went to Mexico City before the Olympic Games and beat the hour record. He was the first rider to take the record at altitude since Willie Hamilton in 1898. He covered 48,653 km and it took four years and Eddy Merckx to beat it (49,431 km in 1972).
In 1974 at the age of 33 he went to Mexico again and beat his own record twice in a week, with 48,739 and 48,879 km.
Ole Ritter rode the Tour de France once, in 1975 (GC 47). However, he took part 9 times in Giro d'Italia, and is to this day the Danish rider with the best GC finish, 7th in 1973 + 3 stage wins.
Towards the end of his career he became Denmark's cycle hero again when Six-day racing returned to Denmark. He won 3 times: 1974 and 1975 in Herning with Dutchman Leo Duyndam and in 1977 in Forum with Belgian 6-Day star Patrick Sercu. Ole Ritter last 6-Day race was in Milan in 1978.
The movie "Stars and Watercarriers" (Danish: "Stjernerne og vandbærerne") by danish film maker Jørgen Leth from 1974 follows the fortunes of Danish cyclist Ole Ritter in the 1973 Giro d'Italia (Tour of Italy). The film as a whole gives a good insight into the ins and outs of a three week stage race, explaining the roles and aims of the different riders in the race. The drama and heartbreak of the mountain stages, the intensity of the time trial ("the race of truth"), the quieter moments on the road, the signing in process of each stage are all covered.
The chapter "The trial of truth" stands out with its focus on the Danish star Ole Ritter, his technical, physical and psychological preparations and his performance in the time trials. Ritter is lauded with words such as "power, cycle and style in the simplest manifestation possible", and aesthetically, too, the section stands out: there is no background music or ordinary real sound. Instead, a sound close up of the chain as it seems to sing emphasises the utter concentration of Ritter's venture.[1]
A Danish documentary (original name Den umulige time), about Ole Ritter's attempt to break the hour record. The movie, made in 1974, takes place in Mexico City.[2]
TV Commentator for Danish TV Tour de France coverage. Owner of Ritter Import. Organiser of fun-race Ritter Classic. Member of the Danish Hall of Fame.
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ferdi Bracke |
UCI hour record (48.653 km) 10 October 1968-25 October 1972 |
Succeeded by Eddy Merckx |