Adolf Christian

Adolf Christian (born June 3, 1934 in Vienna ; † July 8, 1999 there ) was an Austrian cyclist .

Career

Adolf Christian began as an amateur in 1953 to take part in larger races (although he still worked as a wallpaperer in his learned profession) and in 1954 was able to secure the title of Austrian national champion of amateurs as well as the victory of the Tour of Austria . In 1956 he was one of the strongest riders of the 1st Tour d'Europe and finished 5th in the overall ranking. Christian began his professional career as a 22-year-old in 1957 at the side of Fausto Coppi at the Italian racing team Carpano - Coppi and in the same year came third in the overall standings at the Tour de France . This makes him the most successful Austrian in the Tour de France to this day. Christian drove for the Ignis - Frejus racing team from 1959 to 1960 and ended his professional career in 1961 after a year with Cynar - Mittelholzer after he was eliminated from the Tour de France. In 1962 he was reamateurised, first took part in the Course de la Paix ( International Peace Tour ) (where he finished 49th in the overall ranking) and won the overall individual ranking of the Tour de Hongrie . In the Tour of Austria he took second place behind Walter Müller and in front of “Täve” Schur. In addition, he became the Grossglockner King , ie he was the first to cross the Grossglockner on the stage. In the Olympic Games of Tokyo in 1964, where he was not allowed to start as a former professional, he drove the Tour of Austria for the sixth time and then ended his active career as a cyclist at the age of 30 years.

At the end of January 1958 he was elected Sportsman of the Year 1957 by the Austrian sports journalists, ex aequo with ski racer Toni Sailer (both received 491 points and 40 first places each).

successes

1954

• 1st place Austrian national championship of amateurs
• Stage victory in the Tour of Austria
• 1st overall ranking of the Tour of Austria
• 1. Budapest – Vienna – Budapest

1955

• Two stage wins on the Tour of Austria
• 2nd overall ranking of the Tour of Austria

1956

• 1st overall ranking of the Graz Tour
• Stage victory in the Tour of Austria

1957

• 3rd overall Tour de France

1962

• 1st overall Tour de Hongrie

1962

• 2nd overall ranking of the Tour of Austria

Web links

• Adolf Christian in the Radsportseiten.net database
• Adolf Christian in the Tour de France database(French / English )

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Maik Märtin: 50 years of Course de la Paix . Agency Construct, Leipzig 1998, p. 232 .
2. ^ Christian Glaner: Triumphs and Tragedies . Part 2. Bad Vöslau 2009, p. 170 .
3. ^ Christian and Sailer: Sportsman of the year . In: Arbeiter-Zeitung . Vienna January 31, 1958, p. 10 ( berufer-zeitung.at - the open online archive - digitized).