Johannes Adrianus "Jan" Janssen (pronounced [jɑn jɑnsɛn]; born 19 May 1940) is a Dutch former professional cyclist (1962–1972). He was world champion and winner of the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España, the first Dutch rider to win either. He rode the Tour de France eight times and finished all but the first time. He won seven stages and wore the yellow jersey for two days (after stage 16 in 1966 and after stage 22B in 1968). He was easily spotted in the peloton because of his blond hair and his glasses.
Janssen was born at Nootdorp, a small town near The Hague and Delft, just five days after the Netherlands surrendered to the Nazis. He later moved to Putte, a village on the Belgian border between Roosendaal and Antwerp. He worked with his parents as a youth, digging the heavy ground of the western Netherlands to excavate foundations for the buildings the family firm erected. He joined the cycling club at Delft when he was 16 and as a novice won 25 races in two years.[1]
Career
Janssen turned professional after an amateur career in which he won several Dutch classics and rode for the Netherlands in the Tour de l'Avenir, which was then open to amateurs and to independents, or semi-professionals. Janssen rode for French teams and is especially associated with Pelforth-BP, sponsored by a brewer and an oil company. His talent, authority, and command of French quickly established him as the team leader. At first he had a reputation as a sprinter[citation needed] but he quickly developed into a rider of multi-day races.
He rode his first Tour de France in 1963, when he won a stage, but a crash forced him to retire. In 1964 he won Paris–Nice, then two stages and the green jersey of points leader in the Tour. Later that year he became world champion at Sallanches, in France. He wore the green jersey again in the Tour of 1965 and in 1966 came close to winning overall. But it was finally in 1968 that he became the first Dutchman to win the Tour de France, beating the Belgian, Herman Van Springel, by 38 seconds. That remained the smallest winning margin until 1989, when Greg LeMond won by only eight seconds ahead of Laurent Fignon. Janssen had not worn the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification in 1968 until he reached Paris at the end of the final stage, an individual time-trial.
The Tour in 1968 was, like the previous year, for national teams rather than trade teams. The organisers resolved to "experiment" with national teams in a measure widely interpreted[citation needed] as revenge by the organiser, Félix Lévitan, on sponsors he thought had provoked a strike against drug tests the previous year. Putting into one team riders who the rest of the year rode for rival sponsors proved a problem and internal rivalries were said[citation needed] to divide the Dutch team more than most. Janssen had to overcome these internal problems to win. His victory in the orange jersey of the Netherlands rather than the blue, yellow and white of the Pelforth team made his first win for the Netherlands all the more popular at home.[citation needed]
Retirement
Janssen with his wife and daughter Karin during his retirement ceremony on 23 September 1972
He retired from racing, he says, after being left behind in the Tour of Luxembourg and being ashamed to hear his name listed on the race radio service among other also-rans.[3]
"I knew then that I was Jan Janssen, winner of the Tour de France and the championship of the world and that it was time for me to stop", he says.
He left the peloton to run a bicycle frame-building business in the south-western village of Putte, which is divided by the border with Belgium. That company still bears his name today.[4] His neighbours there included another world champion, Hennie Kuiper. Janssen continued to ride his bike in retirement as a member of the Zuid-West Hoek club. He continues to make personal appearances along with other Dutch riders of his era. He said he enjoyed being recognised while on training rides.[3]
Personality
The Dutch race organiser Charles Ruys, who called Janssen a businesslike, honest and straightforward man, said:
Anybody who tries to do something unpleasant to Jan, may it be in a race or a matter of money, has a very tough opponent. Like most successful bikies, Jan knows the value of money. So much so that he gives the impression that he is our Minister of Finance.[1]
A bit of insight into his personality, showing the respect and compassion he showed for his fellow riders, can be gathered from a 2007 interview regarding the feisty British rider Tom Simpson. (See the Death of Tom Simpson):
"Occasionally Tommy could be annoying. When it was rolling along at 30kmh and - paf!… he’d attack. Oh leave us alone! There's still 150km to go pipe down. But often, he wanted war.” Janssen went on to say, “Even in the feed zones. It's not the law, but it's not polite. Musettes (lunch bags) were up in the air there was panic and crashes. It was Simpson acting like a jerk. It didn't happen often. Occasionally I was angry at him. I’d say to him in his native English: You fucking cunt... There were often many teams, five or six, in the same hotel together every evening. Each had their own table. And at a certain moment, Tommy walked into the restaurant like a gentleman, with a cane, bowler hat and in costume… He was like a Lord in England and the rest of us were in tracksuits. Everyone saw that, laughed, and the things he had done during the race were forgotten.”[5]
Views of modern racing
Janssen spent most of his career with a French sponsor, profiting from the higher rate that the French franc enjoyed then against the guilder. But since then things have changed, he said.
We had to be good all the time, from the first of February until the end of October. Because it was my duty to make the most of my sponsor's name, to get publicity. And if you had an off-day, well, you were letting your sponsors down. Now the whole sponsorship of sport has taken off. It has become so interesting to a company, because a company that wants to get its name known, you can buy a good team, with good management, good public relations, and you can get all the big names. I think, too, that the motivation has changed with the professionals as well. You get riders like Steven Rooks and Gert-Jan Theunisse saying that after the Tour they are stopping at home because they can't be bothered with criteriums, and that's not attractive for the public.[6]
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For other people named Jan Janssen see Jan Janssen disambiguation This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification Please help by adding reliable sources Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately especially if potentially libelous or harmful Find sources Jan Janssen news newspapers books scholar JSTOR July 2009 Learn how and when to remove this template message Johannes Adrianus Jan Janssen pronounced jɑn jɑnsɛn born 19 May 1940 is a Dutch former professional cyclist 1962 1972 He was world champion and winner of the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana the first Dutch rider to win either He rode the Tour de France eight times and finished all but the first time He won seven stages and wore the yellow jersey for two days after stage 16 in 1966 and after stage 22B in 1968 He was easily spotted in the peloton because of his blond hair and his glasses Jan JanssenJan Janssen in 1967Personal informationFull nameJohannes Adrianus JanssenBorn 1940 05 19 19 May 1940 age 82 Nootdorp South Holland NetherlandsTeam informationCurrent teamRetiredDisciplineRoadRoleRiderRider typeAll rounderProfessional teams1962Locomotief Vredestein1962 1968Pelforth Sauvage Lejeune1969 1971Bic1972Beaulieu FlandriaMajor winsGrand Tours Tour de FranceGeneral classification 1968 Points classification 1964 1965 1967 7 individual stages dd Vuelta a EspanaGeneral classification 1967 Points classification 1967 1968 3 individual stages dd Stage Races Paris Nice 1964 Ronde van Nederland 1965 Single Day Races and Classics World Road Race Champion 1964 Bordeaux Paris 1966 Paris Roubaix 1967 Zuri Metzgete 1962 Medal record Representing the NetherlandsMen s road bicycle racingWorld Championships1964 Sallanches Elite Men s Road Race1967 Heerlen Elite Men s Road Race Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Retirement 4 Personality 5 Views of modern racing 6 Career achievements 6 1 Major results 6 2 Grand Tour results timeline 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksEarly life EditJanssen was born at Nootdorp a small town near The Hague and Delft just five days after the Netherlands surrendered to the Nazis He later moved to Putte a village on the Belgian border between Roosendaal and Antwerp He worked with his parents as a youth digging the heavy ground of the western Netherlands to excavate foundations for the buildings the family firm erected He joined the cycling club at Delft when he was 16 and as a novice won 25 races in two years 1 Career EditJanssen turned professional after an amateur career in which he won several Dutch classics and rode for the Netherlands in the Tour de l Avenir which was then open to amateurs and to independents or semi professionals Janssen rode for French teams and is especially associated with Pelforth BP sponsored by a brewer and an oil company His talent authority and command of French quickly established him as the team leader At first he had a reputation as a sprinter citation needed but he quickly developed into a rider of multi day races He competed in the individual road race at the 1960 Summer Olympics 2 He rode his first Tour de France in 1963 when he won a stage but a crash forced him to retire In 1964 he won Paris Nice then two stages and the green jersey of points leader in the Tour Later that year he became world champion at Sallanches in France He wore the green jersey again in the Tour of 1965 and in 1966 came close to winning overall But it was finally in 1968 that he became the first Dutchman to win the Tour de France beating the Belgian Herman Van Springel by 38 seconds That remained the smallest winning margin until 1989 when Greg LeMond won by only eight seconds ahead of Laurent Fignon Janssen had not worn the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification in 1968 until he reached Paris at the end of the final stage an individual time trial The Tour in 1968 was like the previous year for national teams rather than trade teams The organisers resolved to experiment with national teams in a measure widely interpreted citation needed as revenge by the organiser Felix Levitan on sponsors he thought had provoked a strike against drug tests the previous year Putting into one team riders who the rest of the year rode for rival sponsors proved a problem and internal rivalries were said citation needed to divide the Dutch team more than most Janssen had to overcome these internal problems to win His victory in the orange jersey of the Netherlands rather than the blue yellow and white of the Pelforth team made his first win for the Netherlands all the more popular at home citation needed Retirement Edit Janssen with his wife and daughter Karin during his retirement ceremony on 23 September 1972 He retired from racing he says after being left behind in the Tour of Luxembourg and being ashamed to hear his name listed on the race radio service among other also rans 3 I knew then that I was Jan Janssen winner of the Tour de France and the championship of the world and that it was time for me to stop he says He left the peloton to run a bicycle frame building business in the south western village of Putte which is divided by the border with Belgium That company still bears his name today 4 His neighbours there included another world champion Hennie Kuiper Janssen continued to ride his bike in retirement as a member of the Zuid West Hoek club He continues to make personal appearances along with other Dutch riders of his era He said he enjoyed being recognised while on training rides 3 Personality EditThe Dutch race organiser Charles Ruys who called Janssen a businesslike honest and straightforward man said Anybody who tries to do something unpleasant to Jan may it be in a race or a matter of money has a very tough opponent Like most successful bikies Jan knows the value of money So much so that he gives the impression that he is our Minister of Finance 1 A bit of insight into his personality showing the respect and compassion he showed for his fellow riders can be gathered from a 2007 interview regarding the feisty British rider Tom Simpson See the Death of Tom Simpson Occasionally Tommy could be annoying When it was rolling along at 30kmh and paf he d attack Oh leave us alone There s still 150km to go pipe down But often he wanted war Janssen went on to say Even in the feed zones It s not the law but it s not polite Musettes lunch bags were up in the air there was panic and crashes It was Simpson acting like a jerk It didn t happen often Occasionally I was angry at him I d say to him in his native English You fucking cunt There were often many teams five or six in the same hotel together every evening Each had their own table And at a certain moment Tommy walked into the restaurant like a gentleman with a cane bowler hat and in costume He was like a Lord in England and the rest of us were in tracksuits Everyone saw that laughed and the things he had done during the race were forgotten 5 Views of modern racing EditJanssen spent most of his career with a French sponsor profiting from the higher rate that the French franc enjoyed then against the guilder But since then things have changed he said We had to be good all the time from the first of February until the end of October Because it was my duty to make the most of my sponsor s name to get publicity And if you had an off day well you were letting your sponsors down Now the whole sponsorship of sport has taken off It has become so interesting to a company because a company that wants to get its name known you can buy a good team with good management good public relations and you can get all the big names I think too that the motivation has changed with the professionals as well You get riders like Steven Rooks and Gert Jan Theunisse saying that after the Tour they are stopping at home because they can t be bothered with criteriums and that s not attractive for the public 6 Career achievements EditMajor results Edit 1961 1st Stage 13 Tour de l Avenir 1962 1st Zuri Metzgete 3rd Overall Tour de l Avenir1st Stage 1 4 amp 7 dd 3rd Overall Olympia s Tour1st Stage 4 dd 1963 1st Stage 2b TTT Tour de France 1st Stage 7 Tour de France 2nd Overall Grand Prix du Midi Libre1st Stage 3 amp 5 dd 1964 1st UCI World Road Race Championships Tour de France1st Points classification 1st Stage 7 amp 10a dd 1st Overall Paris Nice 1965 1st Points classification Tour de France1st Stage 12 dd 1st Overall Ronde van Nederland1st Stage 3 dd 1st Stage 7a Criterium du Dauphine 1st Stage 1 Grand Prix du Midi Libre 1st Stage 4a Tour du Sud Est 1st Grand Prix du Parisien 1966 1st Bordeaux Paris 1st Brabantse Pijl 1967 1st Overall Super Prestige Pernod 1st Overall Vuelta a Espana1st Points classification 1st Stage 1b dd 5th Overall Tour de France1st Points classification 1st Stage 13 dd 1st Paris Roubaix 1968 1st Overall Tour de France1st Stage 14 amp 22b dd 6th Overall Vuelta a Espana1st Points classification 1st Stage 1a amp 1b dd 1st Stage 5 Paris Nice 1st Stage 5 Vuelta a Mallorca 1969 1st Overall Vuelta a Mallorca1st Stage 2 dd 1st Stage 2 Criterium du Dauphine 1st Stage 5 Paris Nice 1st Grand Prix d Isbergues 1970 1st Stage 6 Paris Nice 1st Stage 3a Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco 1st Stage 2 Grand Prix du Midi Libre 1972 1st Stage 2 Tour de Luxembourg Grand Tour results timeline Edit 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970Tour de France DNF 10 24 9 2 5 1 10 26Stages won 1 2 1 0 1 2 0 0Mountains classification NR NR NR NR 7 14 NR NRPoints classification NR 1 1 4 1 3 2 4Giro d Italia DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNE DNEStages won Mountains classification Points classification N A N A N A Vuelta a Espana DNE DNE DNE DNE 1 6 DNE DNEStages won 1 2 Mountains classification NR NR Points classification 1 1 Legend 1 Winner2 3 Top three finish4 10 Top ten finish11 Other finishDNE Did Not EnterDNF x Did Not Finish retired on stage x DNS x Did Not Start not started on stage x HD Finished outside time limit occurred on stage x DSQ DisqualifiedN A Race classification not heldNR Not Ranked in this classificationSee also EditList of Dutch Olympic cyclists List of Dutch cyclists who have led the Tour de France general classificationReferences Edit a b The world pro champion remembers Bill and Ben Sporting Cyclist 1964 Jan Janssen Olympic Results sports reference com Archived from the original on 5 November 2014 Retrieved 31 July 2014 a b There are no more hungry riders says Janssen Cycling 8 February 1990 History 1972 Jan Janssen Cycling Retrieved 22 July 2013 https rouleur cc editorial tom simpson minor major a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a Missing or empty title help There are no more hungry riders says Janssen Cycling 8 February 1990External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jan Janssen www janjanssen nlAwardsPreceded byKees Verkerk Dutch Sportsman of the Year1968 Succeeded byTom Okker Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jan Janssen amp oldid 1103397578, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
