UCI track world championships 1939

The 35th UCI Track World Championships took place from August 26 to September 3, 1939 (planned) on the Vigorelli track in Milan .

The Second World War broke out while the competitions were being held , which is why only the amateur aviator races were brought to an end; among the professionals, the final race between Jef Scherens and Arie van Vliet for the gold medal was canceled. Even the competition in the single pursuit , which was officially held for the first time (there had been a demonstration competition the year before), had to be canceled after the heats.

At the beginning of the World Cup, Der Deutsche Radfahrer had written: "Unaffected by the atmosphere of high political tension, the peaceful and chivalrous battles [...] continued." However, since the airmail connections were already interrupted, the magazine could not continue as usual Report in detail. The German journalist Fredy Budzinski had already noticed “ a depressed mood ” on the evening of the reception , which he initially attributed to the choice of restaurant, but then “I noticed that something else had to be involved”. He then commented incomprehensively on the decision to prematurely terminate the World Championships as “individual faint-heartedness” .

Albert Richter from Cologne won the race for third place among the professionals . About three months later he was allegedly killed by the Gestapo in Loerrach. Third among the amateurs was Gerhard Purann from Berlin , who later died as a soldier in the war under unknown circumstances.

Results of the professional drivers

discipline	space	country	athlete
Air races over 1000 m			Final between Jef Scherens and Arie van Vliet canceled due to the outbreak of war
	3	German Empire	Albert Richter

Results of the amateurs

discipline	space	country	athlete
Flying races	1	Netherlands	Jan Derksen
over 1000 m	2	Italy	Italo Astolfi
	3	German Empire	Gerhard Purann

Individual evidence

1. ^ The German cyclist , September 6, 1939

literature

• The German cyclist August / September 1939