Jan Pronk (cyclist)
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Born19 October 1918
Den Helder, Netherlands
Died15 March 2016 (aged 97)
Egmond aan Zee, Netherlands
SportCycling
 Jan Pronk in 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 19 October 1918 Den Helder, Netherlands | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 15 March 2016 (aged 97) Egmond aan Zee, Netherlands | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Cycling | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Jan Pronk (19 October 1918 – 15 March 2016) was a Dutch professional cyclist who specialized in motor-paced racing. In this discipline he won five medals at the world championships, including a gold medal in 1951.[1][2]
That gold medal was controversial because of the assistance of his compatriot Kees Bakker. At the end of the race, Bakker, a 35-year-old veteran at the time, was exactly one lap behind Pronk, who was in the lead. Then, up to the finish line, Bakker rode behind Pronk, covering him from attacks by the competitors. There were speculations that Bakker was paid by Pronk before the race; nevertheless, these tactics were then banned at competitions.[3]