At the 1948 Olympics Gerrit Voorting, had escaped from the peleton on the third of seventeen laps, and remained with the lead group until the end. José Beyaert jumped away just before the finish to claim the gold, with Voorting taking the silver. He turned professional the next season, and began racing internationally from 1950 on. He contested all major classics, as well the Tour de France (1950-59) and the Giro d’Italia (1954-55, 1957). His greatest successes came in the Tour de France. He won three stages, two individually (1953 and 1958) as well as a team time trial (1955). In both 1956 and 1958, he wore the yellow jersey, for a combined total of four days. His best final classification in the Tour was 11th (1956), while he placed 7th in the 1954 Giro. Among Voorting’s other wins are four stages victories in the Ronde van Nederland, and the 50 km Dutch title on the track (1956). Gerrit’s younger brother, Adrie Voorting was also a cyclist, competing in the 1952 Olympics and winning the Dutch professional road title in 1954. Adrie died at age 30 following a traffic accident. Gerrit lived to the age of 92, having cycled racing bikes well into his 80s.
Netherlands