Aarhus bicycle-racing track

Facts

Bicycle racing

By Hans Bonde, Professor. dr. phil. (17 stories)

Over the years, Aarhus has had three bicycle-racing tracks. A fourth could be in the pipeline as part of the Århus Stadium expansion project. The first bicycle track was a dirt track near Riis Forest. This was where cyclists of the 1890s perched on their Penny Farthings, with their huge front wheels and tiny back wheels, or sat astride their more modern security bicycles" with wheels of almost equal sizes. In 1922, the dirt track was replaced by a new 250-metre cement track near Aarhus Stadium. At almost the same time, a 333.3-metre-long cement track opened in 1940. The track was ground-breaking for its time and is still used today. "

Public place

Selected entry

Denmark's answer to Lance Armstrong

Story written by Hans Bonde

Time / Periode 1890 2009

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Looking back, Denmark's top cyclist was Thorvald Ellegaard. He made bicycle racing popular nationwide. Ellegaard was never an amateur Danish champion. He made his name by winning the professional grand prix at the Ordrup track in 1899. Ellegaard enjoyed a fast-track career for 31 years. He won the professional World Championship for sprinting six times. He also raced his way to three European Championship titles and 24 championship titles in Denmark. Altogether, this energetic Dane clocked up a total of 925 important cycle racing victories. The spectators were especially enthusiastic about Ellegaard's sprints against the Afro-American cyclist Major Taylor in 1901–1903. Ellegaard possessed an amazing ability to shoot ahead in a final 500-metre sprint to the finish line and a keen flair for tactics. Tactics also served him well against young physically stronger cyclists in the twilight years of his career.