René Pijnen

René Pijnen (r.) With Günter Haritz at the Munich six-day race in 1976

René Pijnen (* 3. September 1946 in Woensdrecht ; bourgeois Marinus Josephus Augustinus Pijnen) is a former Dutch professional - cyclist . He was one of the best in the world , especially on the track , and still holds 3rd place in the all-time list of the best in six-day races with 72 wins behind Patrick Sercu (BEL) and Danny Clark (AUS).

Athletic career

However Pijnen not achieved his first convincing international success on the track, but in the 100-km-team driving in the Olympic Games in 1968 in Mexico City . In the Olympic road race he was also right at the front, he finished fifth. In fact, his career on the road had just got off to a promising start: of the 98 races he contested on the road as a junior driver from 1963 onwards, he won 40, as an amateur he had 49 road wins and in 1967 he was third in Heerlen in his home country road world Championship of Amateur . He was also the Dutch championship points race in 1967.

After his transfer to the professional camp , Pijnen demonstrated the all-rounder qualities typical of train drivers who also compete on the road in many competitions: Pijnen was characterized above all by his endurance and speed. In his first years as a professional, he played a demanding program of tours , road races and criteria during the road season and track races in winter.

In 1970 he rode for eight days in the leadership jersey of the Tour of Spain , in 1971 he was able to repeat this achievement and won three stages. While he was able to win a stage in the Tour of Spain in 1972, from 1973 he turned more and more to the track, where he won the European championship in two-man team driving twice in 1973 and 1974 (with Leo Duyndam and Patrick Sercu ). This is how Pijnen became a world class driver on the track, especially in the six-day races.

In the following years he won between two and eight six-day races every year. Accordingly, he was coveted as a partner of well-known drivers such as Leo Duyndam (9 wins from 21 starts), Gert Frank (6 wins from 16 starts), Francesco Moser (9 wins from 14 starts) and Patrick Sercu (8 wins from 14 starts). Among the world-class road drivers who drove alongside Pijnen were Gerrie Knetemann , Jan Raas , Giuseppe Saronni and Roger De Vlaeminck .

Most important successes

• 1968:
  • Olympic champion 100 km team driving (with Fedor den Hertog , Jan Krekels and Joop Zoetemelk )

• 1970:
  • a six day win
  • eight days in the leadership jersey of the Tour of Spain

• 1971:
  • three stage victories and eight days in the leadership jersey of the Tour of Spain
  • a six day win

• 1972:
  • one stage Grand Prix de Fourmies
  • Grand Prix de Fourmies
  • a stage tour of Spain
  • three six-day wins

• 1973:
  • European champion two-man team driving (track) (with Leo Duyndam )
  • three six-day wins

• 1974:
  • European champion two-man team driving (track) (with Patrick Sercu )
  • three six-day wins

• 1975:
  • five six-day wins

• 1976:
  • European champion two-man team driving (rail) (with Günter Haritz )
  • two six-day wins

• 1977:
  • five six-day wins

• 1978:
  • Derny European Champion (track)
  • five six-day wins

• 1979:
  • eight six-day wins

• 1980:
  • European champion two-man team driving (track) (with Michel Vaarten )
  • five six-day wins

• 1981:
  • four six-day wins

• 1982:
  • European champion two-man team driving (track) (with Patrick Sercu)
  • six six-day wins

• 1983:
  • seven six-day wins

• 1984:
  • six six-day wins

• 1985:
  • European champion two-man team driving (track) (with Gert Frank )
  • three six-day wins

• 1986:
  • two six-day wins

• 1987:
  • a six day win

Teams

• 1969 and 1970: Willem II-Gazelle
• 1971 to 1973: Bic
• 1974 and 1977: Raleigh and TI-Raleigh, respectively
• 1978 to 1980: Gazelle-Campagnolo
• 1981 to 1987: Gazelle or Gazelle-Vredestein

Web links

• René Pijnen in the Radsportseiten.net database

Individual evidence

1. ^ Pascal Sergent, Guy Crasset, Herve Dauchy: Wereld Encyclopedie Wielrennen . Verlag Eecloonaar, Eeklo 2001, p. 1474 (Flemish).