Jan Pronk

Who is Jan Pronk?

Jan Pronk is a retired professional cyclist from the Netherlands who specialized in motor-paced racing. In this discipline he won five medals at the world championships, including a gold medal in 1951.

That gold medal was controversial because of the assistance by the compatriot Kees Bakker. At the end of the race, Bakker, a 35-years-old veteran at the time, was exactly one lap behind Pronk, who was in the lead. Then, up to the finish line, Bakker rode behind Pronk, covering him from attacks by the competitors. There were speculations that Bakker was paid by Pronk before the race; nevertheless, this tactics was then banned at competitions.