The biked that helped launched the career of an unlikely Dutch climber
Despite his size, Dutchman Gert Jan Theunisse excelled in the mountains of the Tour de France, this Gazelle is the bike on which he honed his craft
This Champion Mondial, in ’80s scarlet Amstel Bier team livery, was ridden by the most flamboyant and storied Dutchman the pro peloton has ever seen. An absolute demon in the mountains, Gert-Jan Theunisse may not hold the crown as the most successful climber in the 1980s, but he was a fierce contender.
Career highlights include winning the 1988 Clásica de San Sebastián and taking home the maillot à pois rouges in the 1989 Tour de France, remembered as one of the greatest of all time thanks to the battle between Frenchman Laurent Fignon and American Greg Lemond.
Theunisse's achievement in Le Tour was all the sweeter for a remarkable Stage 17 win that saw him romp home in a solo breakaway that spanned 50km from the Croix de Fer to the summit of Alpe d’Huez.
If anything, his appearance was more striking than his Palmares. His long, flowing, fair hair and signature headbands earned him a variety of predictable nicknames, from Hiawatha to the Blonde Angel. Sadly, Theunisse’s later career was complicated by doping allegations, heart issues and injury.
“Gert’s two years with feeder team Amstel Bier, in ’82 and ’83, proved the springboard that set him on his way,” says current owner Richard Hoddinott of vintage specialists The Velo Pages, “and this Gazelle was integral to those first steps.
Gert relished team manager Herman Krott’s ‘everyman for himself’ approach as much as the exposure to international competition and the big mountains. Early successes, such as winning the Dutch National Championship, Military, were a true indicator of his future potential.”
This handsome bike was built by Gazelle’s ‘Special Racing Division’, a dedicated custom workshop within its Dieren factory, which produced high-performance bikes for elite riders.
The frame and forks are Reynolds 531, with a build typical of the period that includes full Campagnolo Super Record, Cinelli bar and stem, Unicantor saddle, Mavic GP4 rims and Christophe toe clips.
