Jan Pronk (cyclist)

Jan Pronk (October 19, 1918 – March 15, 2016) was a Dutch professional cyclist who specialized in motor-paced racing. In this discipline he won five medals at the world championships, including a gold medal in 1951.[1][2]

Jan Pronk
Jan Pronk in 2007
Personal information
Born19 October 1918
Den Helder, Netherlands
Died15 March 2016 (aged 97)
Egmond aan Zee, Netherlands
Sport
SportCycling
Medal record
Representing the  Netherlands
UCI Motor-paced World Championships
Bronze medal – third place1947 ParisProfessionals
Silver medal – second place1949 CopenhagenProfessionals
Silver medal – second place1950 RocourtProfessionals
Gold medal – first place1951 MilanProfessionals
Silver medal – second place1954 CologneProfessionals

That gold medal was controversial because of the assistance of his compatriot Kees Bakker. At the end of the race, Bakker, a 35-year-old veteran at the time, was exactly one lap behind Pronk, who was in the lead. Then, up to the finish line, Bakker rode behind Pronk, covering him from attacks by the competitors. There were speculations that Bakker was paid by Pronk before the race; nevertheless, these tactics were then banned at competitions.[3]

References
  1. Jan Pronk. radsportseiten.net
  2. Track Cycling World Championships 2012 to 1893. bikecult.com
  3. Kees BAKKER (1916, overleden 31.03.1988, Nederland). wielersport.slogblog.nl
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.