Thorvald Ellegaard
Encyclopedia
Thorvald Ellegaard was a leading Danish
track racing
cyclist in the 1900s and 1910s. He won the world professional sprint
title six times, three European titles, and 24 Danish titles. Over the course of his long career, which spanned 31 years, he competed in 1,560 significant races, winning 925 of them. He was Denmark's first sports idol.
on the Danish island of Funen
. He had his debut on 23 May 1895 in Slagelse
. Like his brother, Peter, he changed his name to Ellegård after the farm where they have been born. He completed a mason's apprenticeship in 1896.
From 1912 Ellegård took up permanent residence with his family in Paris
so that his daughter, France Ellegård, could complete her training as a pianist. He participated in his last race on 26 September 1926 at the age of 49. He died on 27 April 1954 and is interred at Søllerød cemetery.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
track racing
Track cycling
Track cycling is a bicycle racing sport usually held on specially built banked tracks or velodromes using track bicycles....
cyclist in the 1900s and 1910s. He won the world professional sprint
Sprint (cycling)
The sprint or match sprint is a track cycling event involving between 2 and 4 riders, though they are usually run as a one-on-one match race between opponents who, unlike in the individual pursuit, start next to each other.- Racing style :...
title six times, three European titles, and 24 Danish titles. Over the course of his long career, which spanned 31 years, he competed in 1,560 significant races, winning 925 of them. He was Denmark's first sports idol.
Early life
Thorvald Kristian Kristensen was born on 7 March 1877 in Fangel, a village 12 km south-west of OdenseOdense
The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...
on the Danish island of Funen
Funen
Funen , with a size of 2,984 km² , is the third-largest island of Denmark following Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy, and the 163rd largest island of the world. Funen is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 454,358 inhabitants . The main city is Odense, connected to the...
. He had his debut on 23 May 1895 in Slagelse
Slagelse
Slagelse, a town in east Denmark, is in Slagelse municipality on the island of Zealand. It is about 100 km southwest of Copenhagen. The population is 31,979 ....
. Like his brother, Peter, he changed his name to Ellegård after the farm where they have been born. He completed a mason's apprenticeship in 1896.
Professional career
In 1898 he became professional as the first Danish racing cyclist from the provinces. By 1899, the international community had become aware of his talent and started speculating that he could become the next big star. In 1801 he won both the world championship in sprint and the prestigious Grand Prix de la Ville de Paris. Over the following decade, Ellegård remained the world's leading racing cyclist.From 1912 Ellegård took up permanent residence with his family in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
so that his daughter, France Ellegård, could complete her training as a pianist. He participated in his last race on 26 September 1926 at the age of 49. He died on 27 April 1954 and is interred at Søllerød cemetery.