Henk Faanhof

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Henk Faanhof (1951)

Hendrikus Jacobus "Henk" Faanhof (born August 29, 1922 in Amsterdam ; † January 27, 2015 there ) was a Dutch cyclist .

Henk Faanhof discovered his love for cycling on the cycling track at the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam . He was nominated for the 1940 Summer Olympics , but because of the outbreak of World War II, they did not take place. He studied engineering in Delft and worked at Fokker when he moved from the German occupation to forced labor to Leipzigwas committed. A few days after the end of the war he returned to Amsterdam and initially earned his living as a singer in a band that played to entertain Canadian and US soldiers. He also worked as a welder and started training again.

In 1948 Henk Faanhof started at the Olympic Games in London in the individual road race (where he crashed), in the team time trial and in the team pursuit , but could not place in any race. The following year he became world champion in the street race of amateurs at the UCI road world championships in 1949 in Zurich . In the same year he won the Van Chaam Eight among the amateurs.

From 1950 to 1955 Faanhof was a professional and took part in the then Dutch national team three times in the Tour de France . In 1954 he won the ninth stage as an outstanding sprinter - nicknamed "de kanonbal". However, there were no further major successes.

After the end of his cycling career, Henk Faanhof successfully founded a steel construction company in Amsterdam, and he was also chairman of the ASC Olympia for many years . This Amsterdam sports club included internationally known athletes such as Jan Derksen , Arie van Vliet and Peter Post . Faanhof was known for adding his version of Sinatra's My Way to the club's annual gala . During his lifetime he was the oldest living Dutchman to complete the tour.

literature

  • Fred van Slogteren: Wielerhelden van Oranje. Nieuwegein 2003, p. 85.

Web links

Commons : Henk Faanhof  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Oudste Nederlandse Tourrenner overleden. De Telegraaf , January 27, 2015, accessed January 27, 2015 (Dutch).
personal data
SURNAME Faanhof, Henk
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Faanhof, Hendrikus Jacobus (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Dutch cyclist
DATE OF BIRTH August 29, 1922
PLACE OF BIRTH Amsterdam
DATE OF DEATH January 27, 2015
Place of death Amsterdam