Milko Klaynerov

Milko Klaynerov lived next door to a racetrack used for cycling, watching competitions at the venue from a young age. After practising on a borrowed bike, Klaynerov eventually saved up to buy one of his own, with him soon competing in races in his hometown of Ruse in Bulgaria. Sticking with two wheels, he also found a love for motorcycles, gaining a passion to compete in both sports. As a cyclist Klaynerov won several races in the early 1920s to earn himself a place on the Olympic team for the 1924 Paris Games. His performance at the Olympics, however, was disappointing, placing 57th out of the 60 cyclists who completed the course, more than two hours behind the winning time.

One year later Klaynerov had better success in the road race in Sofia, winning the event, before winning a motorcycle race in 1926. He continued to compete in both disciplines for the rest of the decade before becoming a senior mechanic at his local motorcycle club. Klaynerov then focused on motorcycle racing, competing in races in both Bulgaria and Switzerland. By 1935 he had won multiple races but could no longer dedicate all his time to the sport due to work. With his experience, however, he helped to judge both cycling and motorcycle races in Ruse. Klaynerov still managed to compete in races up to the start of World War II, winning events in France, Romania, and Serbia.

Following the war Klaynerov went back to motorcycle racing in Ruse, winning races throughout the late 1940s. He also made sporadic appearances at cycling races into the early 1950s, winning several of them in his hometown.