Gerrit van Wees
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Gerardus Jacobus van Wees |
| Born | 26 January 1913 Heemstede, Netherlands |
| Died | 5 May 1995 (aged 82) Hoofddorp, Netherlands |
| Team information | |
| Discipline | Road cycling Track cycling cyclo-cross |
| Role | Rider |
| Amateur team | |
| 1935–1937 | Achilles |
Gerardus Jacobus "Gerrit" van Wees (26 January 1913 – 5 May 1995) was a Dutch road, track and cyclo-cross cyclist.
Career
Van Wees started cycling in 1934 on a borrowed bicycle[1][2] but won local cycling competitions,[1][3][4] becoming his local club champion.[1][5]
In 1935 he won the season opening race in Heemstede, and afterwards also won the Heemstede-Brassard race, by winning all but one of the stages. Due to these results he was selected by the N. W. U. for the national track team pursuit team; riding his first race in Rijswijk against Germany.[1]
He trained with the team, trained by Schelling, at the Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam.[2] At the national trials in June 1936 in Heemstede the team had to compete against the "Olympic team" who trained in The Hague under Gerrit Bontekoe. During this team pursuit battle according to the newspaper report, Van Wees had a puncture halfway the race. However he continued with a flat tire and the team still won the race.[6] He won with his team this period all other races where they competed in, in Amsterdam, Utrecht, Nijmegen and The Hague.[2] He was officially selected for the 1936 Summer Olympics in July 1936.[1][7]
He competed in the team pursuit event at the 1936 Summer Olympics.[8] Van Wees also faced adversity during these Olympics.[9][10] In the “easy” match against the United States they were ahead. However, almost when catching them two of his teammates fell during an unexpected (lane) change, and as a result they were eliminated.[10] After the Olympics, he was honored during the Bennebroek Olympic day on 16 August 1936.[11]
Later in August, he was honored for becoming 1936 National Club Champion on the track.[12]
Van Wees announced his retirement from cycling in June 1937, due to "busy works".[13] Van Wees carried out his work for two employers, and could not afford, according to himself, a severe fall, like a fall he had on Pentecost.[7]
He became an honorary member of cycling club Achilles.[5]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "G. van Wees naar Berlijn | Naar de Olympische Spelen". Nieuwe Haarlemsche Courant (in Dutch). 25 July 1936. Retrieved 21 March 2026 – via Delpher.
- 1 2 3 "Gerrit van Wees naar Berlijn". IJmuider Courant (in Dutch). 27 July 1936 – via Noord-Hollands Archief.
- ↑ "Wielrennnen | R.K. Wielrenners Vereeniging "Achilles"". Nieuwe Haarlemsche Courant (in Dutch). 12 March 1934. Retrieved 21 March 2026 – via Delpher.
...Ook Gerrit v. Wees liet zien, dat hij zoo zachtjes aan tot de snelsten gaat behooren. Op overtuigende wijze won hij dezen wedstrijd...
- ↑ "Wielrennnen | R.K. Wielrenners Vereeniging "Achilles"". Nieuwe Haarlemsche Courant (in Dutch). 23 April 1934. Retrieved 21 March 2026 – via Delpher.
...De A-klassers reden 60 K.M., waarbij vooral het rijden van Gerrit van Wees opviel, die door het winnen van dezen wedstrijd bewees, zoowel afstand als sprint te kunnen rijden, hetgeen dus veel voor de toekomst belooft...
- 1 2 "Gerrit van Wees". Excelsior (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 March 2026 – via ilibrariana.wordpress.com.
Gerrit van Wees. Clubkampioen lange afstand 1934. Afgevaardigde door de N.W.U naar de Olympische Spelen 1936 te Berlijn. Lid van verdiensten der vereeniging.
- ↑ "Wielrennen". Nieuwe Haarlemsche Courant (in Dutch). 2 June 1936. Retrieved 21 March 2026 – via Delpher.
- 1 2 "Gerrit van Wees neemt afscheid van de wielersport". Eerste Heemsteedse Courant (in Dutch). 10 June 1937 – via Noord-Hollands Archief.
- ↑ "Gerrit van Wees Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 4 December 2013. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
- ↑ "Wielrennen | R.K.W.V. Achilles". Nieuwe Haarlemsche Courant (in Dutch). 17 August 1936. Retrieved 21 March 2026 – via Delpher.
...Voor den aanvang van de wedstrijden sprak de heer v. Lierop Gerrit v. Wees toe, over diéns prestaties en tegenspoed op de Olympische spelen te Berlijn. Tevens bood hij hem een prachtige fruitmand aan...
- 1 2 "Gerrit van Wees uit de wielersport". IJmuider Courant (in Dutch). 7 June 1937 – via Noord-Hollands archief.
- ↑ "Huldiging G. v. Wees". Nieuwe Haarlemsche Courant (in Dutch). 15 August 1936. Retrieved 21 March 2026 – via Delpher.
Op Zondag 16 Augustus organiseert de bekende voortvarende Voetbalvereeniging B.S.M. een soort Bennebroekschen Olympischen dag... ...Als bijzonderheid kan nog vermeld worden, dat onze Olympische ploegachtervolger Gerrit van Wees aan de sprintwedstrijden deelneemt, en de eerste huldiging in Holland plaats vindt. Het geheel belooft een zeer interessante dag te worden.
- ↑ "Le Champion—Achilles". IJmuider Courant (in Dutch). 24 August 1936. p. 8 – via Noord-Hollands archief.
- ↑ "Gerrit van Wees neemt afscheid van de wielersport". Nieuwe Haarlemsche Courant (in Dutch). 6 June 1937. Retrieved 21 March 2026 – via Delpher.
