Gregor Braun

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gregor Braun (born December 31, 1955 in Neustadt an der Weinstrasse ) was a successful German cyclist in the 1970s and 1980s . "The Bear from the Wine Route" was a two-time Olympic champion in the single and team pursuit in Montreal in 1976 .

Athletic career

As a rider who is mainly active in track cycling , the trained construction and art fitter Gregor Braun was one of the top West German amateurs typical of his generation, who stood out from the rather mediocre level due to their performance. Just under a year younger than Dietrich Thurau , he often met him in his youth and junior years and fought  exciting duels with Didi - especially in the single pursuit . Since the famous Kilian foursome (also gold foursome ) ensured outstanding performances from the 1960s to the 1980s, both “the bear” and Thurau were important pillars in this team (alongside Udo Hempel , Hans Lutz , Günther Schumacher , Peter Vonhof ).

But after Thurau switched to the professional camp in 1975 after the world championship victory of the four-wheeler, Gregor Braun became a central figure in both the individual and team pursuit in the following years. In his typical stylistically impeccable driving style, he dominated the single pursuit and was also the team's key top performer at the 1976 Olympic Games . At the end of the Olympic year he was elected athlete of the year as only the second cyclist after Rudi Altig .

Then in 1977 Gregor Braun transferred to the professional camp, where he was able to celebrate a successful debut with a stage win in the Mediterranean Tour . In 1978 he won the one-day race around the Henninger Tower . In 1980 he won the Tour of Germany and even came second in the mountain classification. At the Giro d'Italia 1981, Braun took over the pink jersey after the second stage from Bibione to Ferrara over 211 km and handed it over to his Famcucine teammate and captain Francesco Moser the next day . He also won the Italian semi-classic Milan-Vignola . In 1982 he took part in the Tour de France for the only time , but had to give up prematurely after the eighth stage. In the spring he won the season opening of the classics at Brussels-Kuurne-Brussels. He achieved a stage win in 1983 at the Giro d'Italia, after having previously won the Tour of Sardinia. A last significant victory on the road came in 1987 with a stage of the Catalan Week, whereas he was eliminated on the Tour of Spain.

In 1989 he retired from active cycling.

Professional

Gregor Braun originally trained as a building fitter. In the 1990s he worked both as a trainer and as a hotelier. Today he lives in Altensteig in the northern Black Forest and runs a cycling service company in Bad Wildbad together with Heinz Betz .

Achievements and Awards

  • 1975: World champion four-man team pursuit 4000 m
  • 1975 and 1976: Silver bay leaf
  • 1976: Olympic champion single pursuit 4000 m
  • 1976: Olympic champion four-man team pursuit 4000 m
  • 1976: Sportsman of the year
  • 1976, 1978, 1980: Cyclist of the year
  • 1977: World Champion professional single pursuit 5000 m
  • 1978, 1980, 1983: MaillotAllemania.svgGerman professional master road
  • 1978: World Champion professional single pursuit 5000 m
  • 1979: European champion two-man team
  • 1980: Winner Tour of Germany
  • 1980, 1983: Winner Sardinia Tour
  • Winner Tre Valli Varese
  • 1978: Winner around the Henninger Tower
  • 1983: 1 stage win Giro d'Italia
  • 1981: Wearer of pink Giro d'Italia jersey
  • 1978: 3rd Tour of Flanders
  • 1982: 3rd Paris – Roubaix
  • 1982: 3rd Amstel Gold Race
  • 11-time winner 6-day race

Teams

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Redaktionsbüro Harenberg: Knaurs Prominentenlexikon 1980. The personal data of celebrities from politics, economy, culture and society . With over 400 photos. Droemer Knaur, Munich / Zurich 1979, ISBN 3-426-07604-7 , Braun, Gregor, p. 56 .
  2. ↑ Rainer Kraus, Rudolf Blaha: The world has pedals and friends who pedal them . Delius Klasing, Bielefeld 2016, ISBN 978-3-667-10706-0 , p. 128 .
  3. ^ The great Olympia Lexicon . In: Sport-Bild , June 19, 1996, p. 37

Web links
personal data
SURNAME Braun, Gregor
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German racing cyclist
DATE OF BIRTH December 31, 1955
PLACE OF BIRTH Neustadt an der Weinstrasse