- Rolf Wolfshohl
Infobox Cyclist
ridername = Rolf Wolfshohl
fullname = Rolf Wolfshohl
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1938|12|27
country = GER
height =
weight =
discipline = Cyclo-cross
Road
role = Retired
ridertype =
amateuryears = 1957–1959
amateurteams =
proyears = 1960–1962
1963–1964
1965–1966
1967–1969
1970–1971
1972
1973–1974
1975
proteams = Rapha-Gitane
Peugeot-BP
Mercier-BP-Hutchsinson
Bic
Fagor-Mercier
Rokado
Ho-Ra
Rokado
majorwins = flagiconUCI World Cyclo-cross champion (1960, 1961 & 1963)
Vuelta a España 1965
flagicon|GER West German cyclo-cross champion (1958, 1959,
1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968,
1969, 1970, 1971 & 1973)
flagicon|GER West German Road Race champion (1963, 1968)
updated =December 31 ,2007 Rolf Wolfshohl (born
27 December 1938 ) is a former professionalroad bicycle racing andcyclo-cross racing cyclist fromGermany . Wolfshohl started competing in cycling from 1953 at the age of 15 and won his first race in 1954.cite web|url=http://www.wkveldrijden2006.nl/html/EN/historie_wkhelden12.asp|title=Rolf Wolfshohl had more strings to his bow|publisher=WK Veldrijden 2006|accessdate=2008-03-23] In 1956 Wolfshohl became Junior Champion of West Germany. The head of the velodrome in Dortmund, Otto Wederlin, wanted to turn Wolfshohl into a great six day track rider but Wolfshohl preferred cyclo-cross and road racing. [cite web|url=http://www.dewielersite.net/db2/wielersite/coureurmemofiche.php?coureurmemoid=1081&coureurid=9839|title=Rolf Wolfshohl Memo|publisher=de wielersite.net|accessdate=2008-03-23] Between 1957 and 1973, Wolfshohl took part fifteen times in the World Cyclo-Cross Championships where he won twelve medals. Three of these were gold. [cite web|url=http://petervisser.web-log.nl/petervisser/2007/01/rolf_wolfshohl.html|title=Rolf Wolfshohl|accessdate=2008-03-23] The first time that he reached the podium in the World championships of cyclo-cross was the bronze medal in 1958 behind the FrenchmanAndré Dufraisse and the Italian Amerigo Severini.In 1960 and at the age of 21, he won the rainbow jersey in
Tolosa, Spain . Initially ItalianRenato Longo and Swiss Arnold Hungerbühler took a small lead in the race but halfway into the race, Wolfshohl bridged to the pair and then got away to win the gold medal. A year later he prolonged his title in Hanover. The course was said to have been made or designed especially for Wolfshohl. The UCI instructed that the course be made tougher but Wolfshohl was in great form and spent most of the race alone at the front. Longo came back to Wolfshohl in the second last lap but with an acceleration Wolfshohl dropped the Italian. In 1962 Wolfshohl was sick and could not finish the World Championship race.In 1963 in Calais in France, Wolfshohl won his third and final world cyclo-cross title. In the first lap, Wolfshohl created a gap and got away to win the race. In the following years Wolfshohl focused more on road racing, using cyclo-cross in the winter. He competed and won medals in the World Championships but never the gold. In 1968 Wolfshohl had to return his silver medal at the Cyclo-cross World Championships because of a positive doping test.
Wolfshohl became a professional road racer in 1960 by the Rapha-Gitane team. In 1962 he was beaten in a two man sprint by
Jef Planckaert inLiege-Bastogne-Liege . At that time Liège-Bastogne-Liège andLa Flèche Wallonne were run on successive days as "Le Weekend Ardennais." Wolfshohl came seventh in La Flèche Wallonne and as a result won Le Weekend Ardennais in 1962. In the World Championships road race of that year, Wolfshohl finished fourth behindJean Stablinski of France. [cite web|url=http://www.cyclinghalloffame.com/riders/rider_bio.asp?rider_id=892|title=Rolf Wolfshohl|publisher=Cycling hall of fame|accessdate=2008-03-23] In 1963Milan-Sanremo Wolfshohl and Joseph Groussard sprinted for the win. The sprint was very close and at first Wolfshohl was declared the winner but then Groussard was declared the winner.In the
1965 Vuelta a España while riding in the Mercier cycling team of defending championRaymond Poulidor , Wolfshohl took the leaders jersey off his team leader on the eighth stage. Wolfshohl showed himself to be the strongest in the race and kept the leader's jersey to the finish where he won with six minutes advantage over Poulidor. [cite web|url=http://www.lavuelta.com/05/ingles/historia/65infor.asp?a=1965&s=infor&t=infor&e=1|title=General Information 1965|publisher=La Vuelta.com|accessdate=2008-03-23] As a road racer, Wolfshohl also won two stages in theTour de France , the West German road race championships andParis-Nice . His win inParis-Nice was by just three seconds over Ferdinand Bracke. [cite web|url=http://blog.seniorennet.be/40jaarterug/|title=Rolf Wolfshohl eindwinnaar|accessdate=2008-03-23]In the
1968 Tour de France Wolfshohl won themaillot jaune after the 16th stage. In the 18th stage, Wolfshohl crashed on a descent and had to wait for his teammate. Wolfshohl would finish the race sixth. In total he won 140 road races and 110 cyclo-cross races. He retired in 1975 and began a bike shop. From 1995 until 2000 he was involved in the organisation of theRund um Köln .Major achievements
;1958: 1st flagicon|GER West German Cyclo-Cross championship: 3rd (Bronze), World cyclo-cross championship;1959: 1st flagicon|GER West German Cyclo-Cross championship: 2nd (Silver), World cyclo-cross championship;1960: 1st flagiconUCI (Gold),
World cyclo-cross championship : 1st flagicon|GER West German Cyclo-Cross championship;1961: 1st flagiconUCI (Gold),World cyclo-cross championship : 1st flagicon|GER West German Cyclo-Cross championship;1962: 1st flagicon|GER West German Cyclo-Cross championship: 1st GP de la Bicicleta Eibarresa: 1stVuelta al País Vasco ;1963: 1st flagiconUCI (Gold),World cyclo-cross championship : 1st flagicon|GER West German Road Race championship: 1st flagicon|GER West German Cyclo-Cross championship;1965: : 2nd (Silver), World cyclo-cross championship: 1st flagicon|GER West German Cyclo-Cross championship;1966: 1st flagicon|GER West German Cyclo-Cross championship: 3rd (Bronze), World cyclo-cross championship;1967: 1st flagicon|GER West German Cyclo-Cross championship:Tour de France:::Winner stage 15: 2nd (Silver), World cyclo-cross championship;1968: 1st flagicon|GER West German Road Race championship: 1st flagicon|GER West German Cyclo-Cross championship: 6th, Overall, Tour de France: 1stParis-Nice ;1969: 1st flagicon|GER West German Cyclo-Cross championship: 2nd (Silver), World cyclo-cross championship;1970: 1st flagicon|GER West German Cyclo-Cross championship: 3rd (Bronze), World cyclo-cross championship:Tour de France:::Winner stage 20A;1971: 1st flagicon|GER West German Cyclo-Cross championship;1972: 2nd (Silver), World cyclo-cross championship;1973: 1st flagicon|GER West German Cyclo-Cross championship: 3rd (Bronze), World cyclo-cross championshipExternal links
*cyclingwebsite|9839
* [http://www.letour.fr/HISTO/TDF/riders/us/3718.html Official Tour de France results for Rolf Wolfshohl]References
External links
* [http://www.wkveldrijden2006.nl/html/EN/historie_wkhelden12.asp History world championship cyclo-cross]
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