Willy Appelhans

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Willy Appelhans
Photograph of the start of the Hanover Grand Prix on August 5, 1920 with the four racing cyclists and their places that they won shortly afterwards (from left): Bauer (1st), Appelhans (4th), Fritsche (2nd) and Saldow (3rd) )

Willy Appelhans (born February 16, 1889 in Osterode , East Prussia ) was a German racing cyclist and later American bicycle maker .

Willy Appelhans was a professional cyclist from 1911 to 1923. He was an all-rounder who competed in standing , six-day and sprint races . He started out as an aviator, after the war he switched to the permanent driver camp. Together with Alcide Rousseau , Appelhans drove six days in France , where he lived for a time. At the same time, the trained mechanic was co-owner of the Schütz & Appelhans company for electrical engineering in Berlin . In 1920 he became German runner-up in the standing race. On July 10, 1921, he drove behind pacemaker Werner Krüger in Chemnitz the Grand Prix of Industry ; the pacemaker Walter Gedamke , who led Karl Wittig , drove too close to Appelhans and caused his fall. The result for Appelhans was a serious knee injury. In 1922 Appelhans emigrated to the United States , where he continued to race, albeit unsuccessfully. “Send him back to Germany”, called the racecourse visitors.

After finishing his active cycling career, Willy Appelhans opened a bicycle shop in the Bronx , New York . He became a renowned frame builder in the USA; Among other things, he built bikes for the American six-day rider Frank Bartell . Appelhans' bikes are still sought-after collectibles today. Lance Claudel , a well-known American frame builder, learned his trade at Appelhans.

Appelhans is said to have been admitted to psychiatry in the mid-1930s and committed suicide.

literature

  • Jan Heine: The Competition Bicycle. A Photographic History . Vintage Bicycle Press, Seattle, WA 2012, ISBN 978-0-9765460-1-6 . P. 46f.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Taschen-Radwelt . Berlin 1921, p. 6.
  2. ↑ New York Times, June 6, 1922 (English)
  3. ↑ Willy Appelhans on classiccycleus.com
  4. ↑ culturecycles.com
  5. ↑ Lance Claudel on classiccycleus.com
  6. ^ Rolf Seyfarth: Radrennfieber. 25 years as a sports reporter and race organizer with cycling world champions, pilots, and standers and pacemakers . Claus-Verlag, Chemnitz 2009, ISBN 978-3-935842-12-9 , p. 24.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Appelhans, Willy
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German racing cyclist
DATE OF BIRTH February 16, 1889
PLACE OF BIRTH Osterode
DATE OF DEATH 20th century