Per Kærsgaard Laursen started cycling only at age 20, but within one year had won a bronze in the team time trial at the 1977 Danish Championships, and was competing at the Olympics within four years. In 1979 Kærsgaard Laursen placed fourth in the Danish 50 km time trial championship, and was second in the team time trial. He also rode the Peace Race in 1979, placing 71st, and competed at the World Championships in the team time trial, helping Denmark to an 11th-place finish. At the 1980 Olympics he created a stir when he claimed that all the Soviet riders were pumped with performance enhancing drugs (PEDs), based on having competed against them all season. Kærsgaard Laursen was educated in colonial trade but later became a partner with the Underwriter Group.
Denmark