Gerrie Knetemann

Infobox Cyclist
ridername = Gerrie Knetemann


fullname = Gerrie Knetemann
nickname = de Kneet
dateofbirth = birth date|1951|03|06
dateofdeath = death date and age|2004|11|02|1951|03|06
country = NED
height =
weight =
currentteam =
discipline = Road
role = Rider
ridertype =
amateurteams =
amateuryears =
proyears =
proteams =
majorwins = 10 stages Tour de France 1978 World Championship Amstel Gold Race (1974 and 1985)
updated = July 1, 2008

Gerrie Knetemann (March 6, 1951 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland – November 2, 2004 in Bergen, Noord-Holland) was a Dutch road bicycle racer who won the 1978 World Championship.

A four-time winner of the Ronde van Nederland, he also rode the Tour de France 11 times between 1974 and 1987, winning 10 stages, a Dutch record equalled only by Jan Raas and Joop Zoetemelk. Knetemann won 127 races as a professional.

Knetemann maintained an Amsterdam accent and a sharp sense of humour that made him a favourite with reporters and earned him television and radio appearances. His best year in the Tour de France was 1978, when he led from the sixth stage. Although he lost the leader's yellow jersey two days later, he won the stage into Lausanne and then the final stage on the Champs Elysées in Paris.

His career dwindled after a crash in A Travers la Belgique in Belgium in March 1983. Recovery took months and, although he did again ride the Tour de France, there was nothing of the once sparkling star. Although Knetemann did win the Amstel Gold Race in 1985. He retired from racing and in 1991 and became Dutch team selector.

Knetemann died while riding his bike. He collapsed from a heart attack with friends in Bergen, the Netherlands.

Palmarès

;1974:Amstel Gold Race:Kloosterzande:Valkenswaard;1975:Haaksbergen:Hengelo:Tour de France:::Winner stage 12;1976:Kortenhoef:Made:Ronde van Nederland:Steenwijk:Trofeo Zumaquero:Vuelta a Andalucia:Wilrijk;1977:Hoogerheide:Kortenhoef:Four Days of Dunkirk:Rund Um den Henninger Turm:Tour de France:::Winner stages 19 and 21;1978:Acht van Chaam:Brasschaat:Crystal Palace:Six Days of Ghent:Gouden Pijl Emmen:GP Pino Cerami:Linne:Six Days of Maastricht:Paris-Nice:Ronde van Midden-Zeeland:Roosendaal:Tour Méditerranéen:flagiconUCI World road race champion:Tour de France:::Winner stages 18 and 22::Wearing yellow jersey for two stages;1979:Acht van Chaam:Boxmeer:dongen:Eastway:Egmond-aan-Zee:London:s Heerenhoek:Sint-Niklaas:Woerden:Tour de France:::Winner prologue and stage 22::Wearing yellow jersey for one stage;1980:Beek:Berkel:Boxmeer:Elsloo:Kamerik:Kloosterzande:Six Days of Maastricht:Tour of Belgium:Ronde van Gouda:Ronde van Midden-Zeeland:Rotterdam:Tour Méditerranéen:Twello:Tour de France:::Winner stage 12::Wearing yellow jersey for one stage;1981:Draai van de Kaai:Galder:Kortenhoef:Nokere Koerse:Obbicht:Point-à-Pitre:Ronde van Nederland:Schijndel:Venhuizen:Tour de France:::Wearing yellow jersey for four stages;1982:Birmingham:Den Bosch:Driedaagse van de Panne:Huijbergen:Mijl van Mares:Oud-Gastel:Rotterdam:Schijndel:Valkenburg:Tour de France:::Winner stages 4 and 12;1983:GP de Costières du Gard:Tour Méditerranéen;1984:GP Pino Cerami:Nieuwegein:Obbicht;1985:Amstel Gold Race:Hoevelaken:Linne:Tilburg:Woerden;1986:Eindhoven:Kamerik:Leiden:Six Days of Madrid:Oostvoorne:Ronde van Nederland;1987:Amsterdam:Anderlues:Heerhugowaard:Postgirot Open

External links

* [http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2004/nov04/nov03newsflash Knetemann's death on Cyclingnews.com]
* [http://www.lemonde.fr/web/dh/0,14-0@14-0@2-3242,39-23879002,0.html Report on Knetemann's death in "Le Monde" fr icon]
*cyclingwebsite|9129
* [http://www.letour.fr/HISTO/TDF/riders/us/4215.html Official Tour de France results for Gerrie Knetemann]

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