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Ron Baensch
Australian racing cyclist From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Ronald Baensch (5 June 1939 – 28 December 2017) was an Australian racing cyclist, specialising in track sprinting events. He represented Australia at the 1960 Olympics and several World Championships in the 1960s and in 1970.
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Cycling career
1960 Olympic Games
Baensch competed in the 1,000 metre sprint at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. Losing to eventual gold medalist Sante Gaiardoni in the semi-final and to Valentino Gasparella in the final round race for bronze, Baensch finished in fourth place.[1][2]
UCI Track Cycling World Championships
Baensch won a bronze medal in the men's amateur sprint at the 1961 World Championships in Zurich.[3] After turning professional in 1964, he won silver in the men's sprint at the 1964 World Championships in Paris,[4] bronze in the 1965 (San Sebastian)[5] and silver again in 1966 (Frankfurt).[6]
Baensch was fined ƒ 2,000 and disqualified from the 1967 World Championships in Amsterdam after testing positive to ephedrine.[7] He claimed to have taken the drug to combat a heavy cold.[7]
Baensch was beaten by Angelo Damiano in the quarter-finals at the 1970 World Championships in Leicester.[8]
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Later life
After his professional cycling career, Baensch was a truck driver in Europe and, on his return to Australia in 1974, he settled in Newcastle, New South Wales and worked on oil rigs.[9] He continued to compete in local cycle races in Australia until 1980, winning his last race.[9] In 2011, Baensch was inducted into the Victorian Cycling Hall of Fame.[10]
He died on 28 December 2017 at the age of 78.[11]
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References
External links
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