Ole Ritter

Ole Ritter

Personal information
Full name	Ole Ritter
Born	August 29, 1941 (1941-08-29) (age 70) 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.

Amateur years

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.

Professional years

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.

Grand Tours

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.

Major achievements

1967

• 11th stage Giro d’Italia

1968

• Trofeo Matteotti

1969

• 5th stage Giro d’Italia
• 6th stage Giro di Sardegna

1970

• 2e etappe Paris–Nice
• GP Forli
• GP Lugano

1971

• 4th stage Giro d’Italia
• 5th stage Giro di Sardegna

1972

• GP Diessenhofen

1973

• 2nd stage Giro d’Italia

1974

• 3rd stage Tour of Apulië
• GP Lugano

Other accomplishments

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.

Movies

Stars and Watercarriers

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]

The impossible hour

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]

After the cycling career

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.

References

1. ^ IMDB entry for "Stars and Watercarriers"
2. ^ IMDB entry for "The impossible hour"

Records
Preceded by Ferdi Bracke	UCI hour record (48.653 km) 10 October 1968-25 October 1972	Succeeded by Eddy Merckx

Persondata
Name	Ritter, Ole
Alternative names
Short description	Danish racing cyclist
Date of birth	1941-08-29
Place of birth	Denmark
Date of death
Place of death