Monday, April 29, 2024

Niels Fredborg – Danish Track Legend

-

HomeInterviewsNiels Fredborg - Danish Track Legend
Niels Fredborg
Niels Fredborg.

With the Copenhagen Six Day about to start we thought we’d best have a word with one of Denmark’s track legends; former World and Olympic kilometre champion, Niels Fredborg.

A man who was knocking out 1:4 kilometres some 40 years ago…

Can remind us of your kilometre palmarès please, Niels?

“In My time I won three world kilometre titles: Amsterdam 1967, Montevideo 1968 and Leicester 1970.

“I also won Olympic gold Munich 1972, silver in Mexico 1968 and a bronze in Montreal in 1976.

“Besides my kilometre results I won silver in the sprint in 1968 in Montevideo – to Luigi Borghetti of Italy.

“And in 1980 I took the bronze medal in the Keirin behind Danny Clark (Australia) and Daniel Morelon (France).”

What were your best times – at sea level and altitude?

“My best times were in Mexico at high altitude; 1.04.46 and one year later I took – also in Mexico – the world record with 1.04.39 (as I remember.)

“At sea level my best times were around 1.06.44 (Munich Olympics) and on open concrete tracks 1.07 / 1.08 and something like that.”

You must have been sad to see the kilometre removed from the Olympic programme?

“The kilometre has been removed from the Olympic program, yes; but I can see that there’s now an Omnium where you still have the kilometre in a more modern form, and that pleases me.

“I’m also happy that a Danish rider (Lasse Norman Hansen) won the omnium in the London Olympic Games – that was very fine for me.”

Was it possible to make a summer living from the European City Grand Prixs in the 60’s and 70’s?

“Most of all my medals are from my amateur time but I couldn’t make a living off it – as it was not allowed under amateur rules back then.

“But I still got a long very well with help from the Danish Cycling Federation and Danish Olympic Committee and a special arrangement, called Team Denmark.

“This helped me with many of my costs; and besides that I had my job as an Insurance salesman – which I did mainly at wintertime, while my cycling was mostly during the summertime.

“My bicycle equipment I always got free from sponsors and they made sure that I was always well up with the new technical standards of the time.”

Niels Fredborg
Niels on top of the world in 1967, flanked by Waclaw Latocha (l) and Roger Gibon (r). Photo©Ron Kroon

And you rode Six Days in the winter?

“After the Olympics 1976 I turned professional and got a few good sponsors, but I was at that time 29 years old, so the best years had passed by!

“I rode some 37 Six Days all over Europe and one in Montreal, Canada.

“My best placing was third in Herning with Patrick Sercu (Belgium) and a few fourth Places with Udo Hempel (Germany) and Gert Frank (Denmark).

“The Six Day races were of course tough for me as a sprinter, but I trained very hard and seriously – so I got along.

“I also rode some criteriums and even the road World Championships in Cologne (Nürburgring) in 1978!”

Niels Fredborg
Niels spends his time these days on the golf course.

Maurice and John Nicholson came over to Denmark to train with you – what are your memories of those days?

“I very well remember the good old days when a lot of British riders came to my home track in Aarhus – we trained and raced a lot together.

“The name you mention, the Australian John Nicholson (he just visited me a couple of months ago), Paul Medhurst and Maurice Burton were very fine guys to ride with – it’s always nice to have some tough competitors to train and race with.

“I never saw Maurice have any problems because of his colour – he has always been a nice fellow and a spectacular rider; so popular all over the world from the West Indies to the races on tracks here in Denmark and on the Six Day scene.

“I am happy to have him as a friend on Facebook; it looks like he is getting along very well – he looks very fit, still.”

And Gary Wiggins, what kind of man was he?

“Many Australians came over, Ron Baensch – was my trainer and friend for several years in the 60’s.

“Danny Clarke, Kevin Crowe and not forgetting Gary; I makes me very sad to hear what happened to him later – and also sad that he could not see his son win the Tour de France.

“They were all nice and funny guys – good friends – but they sometimes were looking a little too much at the nice Danish girls and the ‘dancing life,’ so it was not always too hard to beat them in the races, if I remember!

“Beside the times with the foreign riders I also had my countryman Peder Pedersen (former world sprint champion and world kilometre medallist, ed.) to compete against here at home.

“And it was always one of the most important things – to be the best Dane on the scene – so we had a lot of battles, but to the betterment of us both, I think.

“Nowadays we are very good friends and see each other occasionally.”

What did you do after you retired from cycling?

“When I finished my career in 1980 – after a hard crash in a keirin Race in Copenhagen – I owned bicycle shops in Aarhus and my hometown of Odder, here in Denmark.

“But after seven years I sold them and turned back to my old game as an insurance salesman, and did that for more than 30 years – I got along OK.

“From 1st January 2012 I have been on pension and am playing golf; I have a nice house near the golf course here in Aarhus and a summer flat on the Beach on the west coast.

“I have my lovely wife, Grethe; and our two nice girls, 27 and 30 years-old, who are living and working in Copenhagen.

“So I still think that life has been good to me.

“During the next year I intend to visit London and see my old friend, Brian Loughton – he has been my friend for over 50 years now – since I first saw him ride on my home track, Aarhus Cyklebane in 1960-61!”

Ed Hood
Ed Hood
Ed's been involved in cycling for over 50 years. In that time he's been a successful time triallist, a team manager and a sponsor of several teams and clubs. He's also a respected and successful coach and during the winter months was often working in the cabins at the Six Days for some of the world's top riders. Ed remains a massive fan of the sport and couples his extensive contacts with an inexhaustible enthusiasm for the minutiae and the history of our sport. In February 2023 however, our dear friend and beloved colleague Ed suffered a devastating stroke and faces an uncertain future; Ed has lost his ability to speak, to read, and has lost movement on the right side of his body. He's working with speech and physical therapists on rehabilitation, but all strokes are different and each patient responds differently, so unfortunately recovery is one day at a time. Ed ran his own business installing windows, and will probably not be able to work again. Please consider joining us to make a contribution to Ed's GoFundMe page to help stabilise and secure his future.

Related Articles

Mike Greaves – HiVelo; a Velodrome in the Scottish Highlands

Recently we ran a piece about Dave Viner’s efforts to get an indoor velodrome built for Birmingham. ‘Unknowns to us’ at the time, there’s a similar project trying to get off the ground much closer to home – the City on the Ness to be specific. We spoke to Mike Greaves, one of the men behind the project...

Robert Bartko – World & Olympic Champion and Six Day Star Retires

It's a term bandied around a lot; 'legend', too often in fact, in a world where superlatives fly around - but this gentleman really does deserve the title. Robert Bartko has been at the top of his trade for two decades and on Tuesday night in Copenhagen's Ballerup Super Arena he went out in style with his 21st Six Day win off 79 starts. It was just a matter of hours before the Copenhagen finale when his big frame filled the doorway of the VeloVeritas cabin before he sat down to chat to us about his career.

Paul Kilbourne – Part Two; ANC ‘Professionalise’, Ride the Tour, then … Stop

We left our tale with Paul Kilbourne with ANC having ridden well in Ghent-Wevelgem and won the Sealink International and Kellogg’s City Centre Series but Paul felt that a more serious approach to support staff was required...

James Shaw – “This year has been about putting down foundations”

It was the tailend of last year when we last spoke to 2014 junior Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne winner, James Shaw; he’s spent this season with the Lotto-Soudal U23 team - we thought it was high time we had a word.

At Random

Super 6 Series – Event 6, East Saltoun

On a day more suited to a November cyclo-cross, than a 'summer' road race, those Pedal Power boys did it again; Gary Hand topped and tailed the Super Six in taking the East of Scotland Championship at East Saltoun, having won the first round-also in East Lothian-back in the spring, whilst series leader, Gordon Murdoch built upon an already unassailable points total, in second spot.

Aberdeen Wheelers AC Yule Trophy 10 Mile Time Trial 2006

The A C Yule Trophy, awarded to the fastest rider from the organising club (Aberdeen Wheelers), was won by veteran roadman Bob Cowie in a time of 25min 13secs. The event was won by Dave Black (Sandy Wallace Cycles) from Forres, in a time of 22min 26secs, beating Tri-changing Gear's Sean Monaghan into 2nd place by a mere 6secs. Sean's Tri-changing Gear team-mate, Colin Duncan was 3rd in 22min 45secs.

Chris Smart – “the Tour de Trossachs is everything a time trial should be”

It was that master of the ‘sporting’ time trial parcours, Chris Smart who again took the honours in Sunday’s classic Tour de Trossachs time trial, adding his name once again to a roll call that read like a ‘who’s who’ of Scottish Cycling – Billy Bilsland, Robert Millar, Graeme Obree and the late, great Jason MacIntyre.

Giro d’Italia 2010 – Day Three, Riders in the Mist

Today we saw Riders in the Mist... When I read folks saying that the Giro is better than the Tour, I have to shake my head. Better, how? The scenery in Italy can be stunning, sure - but like yesterday, it can be ghastly, too.