Schulte was successful in track pursuit, becoming national champion ten times, European champion twice and World champion once, in 1948, when he beat Fausto Coppi in the final. To me anyone able to beat Coppi, even if it was on the track should be better known. Unfortunately this is the first i have heard of him. Anyone know anything else about him? The Dutch have a trophy named after him that is awarded every year to the best cyclist. Schulte was not only bound to the track and even managed to fit in a few days racing the Tour de France. He won the third stage of the 1938 Tour.
An even more interesting fellow was his team mate that year, Theo Middelkamp. He arrived green as the lands were he came from with no knowledge what a hill was. He asked a team mate when he notice a steep street in Paris if the mountain's were much worse than this! His teammate Anthony van Schendel replied that he had to ride over the mountains next week that "one hundred, two hundred or four hundred times as long as this bump". To everyone's amazement he went on to win a mountain stage and none other than the Tourmalet. These two characters would not ride the Tour again after realizing they could make more money riding other races.
References:
Any information on this post or any stories you would like to share can be sent to me. Don't be shy, lets share the history of our great sport
References:
Any information on this post or any stories you would like to share can be sent to me. Don't be shy, lets share the history of our great sport
