Ole Ritter

During his cycling career Ole Ritter became a three-time Danish champion, won two silver medals at the World Championships, won three stages of the Giro d’Italia, and broke the hour record. Ritter had a strong start to his career when he became the Danish amateur road race champion in 1962. That same year he also won silver in both the amateur road race and the team time trial at the UCI Road World Championships in Salò, Italy. Two years later Ritter again became the Danish amateur road champion, won the Tour of Yugoslavia, and competed at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. At the Games he finished seventh in the team time trial and 74th in the road race. In 1966 he won his third and final national road race title as an amateur.

By 1967 Ritter had become a professional cyclist and made his début at the Giro d’Italia. He had success straight away, winning the individual time trial on stage 16, although he did not finish the race. The following year he finished his first Giro, placing 49th overall in the general classification. He also travelled to Mexico City in 1968 with the Italian Olympic cycling team to help them train at altitude. Although Ritter himself was not on the Olympic team for the Games, he was allowed to spend some time on the track. Two days before the Games started, Ritter broke the legendary hour record, covering 48.653 km. The record stood for four years until Eddy Merckx broke it at the same venue.

From 1969 to 1976 Ritter rode in seven more editions of the Giro, winning stages in both 1969 and 1971, the latter being another time trial victory. In 1970 he finished ninth overall in the general classification, followed by seventh at the 1973 race. Most of Ritter’s podium finishes came in time trials, including finishing second on stage 18 of the 1975 Tour de France. Towards the end of his career in the late 1970s he had success in six-day races in Denmark. He later worked as a journalist and commentator for Danish television.