Jože Valenčič

After leaving school each day Jože Valenčič would cycle around 40 kilometres before going back to home to work on the family farm in the evening. Valenčič eventually took up cycling as a sport when he was 18 becoming one of the best cyclists of his day in Yugoslavia. He won multiple races at the national championships, including the individual time trial (1971), the road race (1975), and four team time trial titles (1970–72, 1975). Valenčič also won the Tour de Serbie in 1974 and 1976.

In international competitions Valenčič won bronze in the team time trial at the 1971 Mediterranean Games. One year later he competed at the München Olympics, where he finished 51st in the road race, finishing in the main peloton of riders who were just over two-and-a-half minutes behind the winner. His older brother Rudi was also a cyclist who competed at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. After his retirement Jože returned to farming, herding livestock as he used to do as child.