Gerrit Vossen

Dutch cyclist (1936-2024)

Gerrit Vossen (1936 - 2 June 2024) was a Dutch road cyclist.[1] He won cycling races between 1955 and 1962. He won eigteen road cycling races and became a local cycling 'legend'.[2] He had his own supporters club during his career. He remained known after his career, as for example, in 2023 a special lecture was given about his cycling career.[3]

Gerrit Vossen
Personal information
Born1936 (1936)
Someren, Netherlands
Died (aged 89)
Someren, Netherlands
Team information
DisciplinesRoad
RoleRider

Biography

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Cycling career

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Vossen started cycling while his mother thought it was actually too dangerous. He won his first race being a junior in Nederweert in 1955. He won also his last junior race in 1956. He became a member of cycling club “Het Zuiden” in Eindhoven. From 1958 he started riding with the Dutch cycling association KNWU. He competed four years with the KNWU. One of his main victories during these years was in Lommel, Belgium in 1959.[2] In the same year he won the combativity award in Bayeux, France.[4] From 1962 he returned to the cycling association of Limburg.[2]

Already in the late 1950s he had his own supporters club.[5] The supporters club also organized the annual Tour of Someren-Eind.[5][2] Vossen won this race himself in 1962.[2]

In November 2023 a lecture was given about his cycling career in Someren-Eind.[3]

Personal life

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Vossen was born in 1936 in Someren.[1] Next to cycling he worked at bicycle repair shop. He followed trainings and after his cycling career, he started a successful specialty store for racing bikes named “Sporthuis Gerrit Vossen”. He lived in Someren-Eind. The last part of his life he lived in the Sonnehove residential care center in Someren where he died on 2 June 2024.[2]

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 "Gerrit Vossen". Cyclingarchives (in Dutch).
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Wielerlegende Gerrit Vossen overleden". siris.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Geslaagde Pedaalridders On Tour in Someren-Eind". siris.nl (in Dutch). 18 November 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
  4. "Bernard Brou won wielerwedstrijd te Bayeux | De strijdlustige Gerrit Vossen werd zevende". Eindhovensch Dagblad (in Dutch). 17 September 1959. Retrieved 5 June 2024 – via Delpher.
  5. 5.0 5.1 "Eerste ronde in Someren-Eind". Eindhovensch Dagblad (in Dutch). 30 May 1959. Retrieved 5 June 2024 – via Delpher.