After winning races as a novice in 1920, cyclist Jan Maas rose to prominence in the Netherlands. In 1922 Maas broke the Dutch hour record, covering more than 41 km and setting a mark that would stand for more than a decade. The same year he finished second at the Dutch national road race championships and ninth in the amateur road race at the UCI Road World Championships in Liverpool, England. Maas followed this up with third at the 1923 national road race to earn himself a place on the Olympic team. At the 1924 Paris Games he finished 19th in the individual road race, and seventh in both the 50 kilometres and 4,000 metres team pursuit on the track.
Four years later Maas returned to the Olympics for his home Games in Amsterdam. This time, however, he only rode on the track, winning silver in the 4,000 metres team pursuit along with compatriots Janus Braspennincx, Jan Pijnenburg, Piet van der Horst, and Gerard Bosch van Drakestein. One year later Maas won his first and only national title with victory in the road race at the Dutch championships.
Netherlands