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Daniel Clark (cyclist)
Encyclopedia
Daniel "Danny" Clark OAM
(born Launceston
, Tasmania
, 30 August 1951) is a retired track cyclist and road bicycle racer from Australia
, who was a professional rider from 1974 to 1997. He won five World Championships.His biggest Olympic success came in 1972, when he won the silver medal in the men's 1000m time trial at the 1972 Summer Olympics
in Munich
, West Germany
.
Clark had an exceptional sprint, and was often the fastest finishing rider in six-day races, especially as the previous fastest rider, Patrick Sercu
, slowed with age, after the mid-1970s.Clark formed a very tough partnership when the British rider Tony Doyle, and they won many six-day races together.Clark's ability enabled him to be much more relaxed during races than many other riders, who often became tense as they became more tired.Clark very much enjoyed the party atmosphere of the six-day races, and continued to work in them as a Derny motor-pacer after he retired from racing.
He began cycling on a bike borrowed from a local enthusiast, which he used for three months before acquiring his eldest brothers semi racer.
He became one of the most successful riders in six-day racing
in the 1970s and 1980s, winning 74 races, second only to Sercu's 88. Most of these wins came after a heavy crash in the 1983 Frankfurt
six-day which resulted in a broken hip. Clark still carries the plate that was inserted to help the fracture heal correctly, and later complained that when sprinting or climbing, only his right leg was delivering full power.
Clark won the Australian one-mile penny-farthing
championship in Evandale, Tasmania, in 1989, beating the Briton Doug Pinkerton and Matthew Driver.
He lives now in Surfers Paradise, near Brisbane
.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(born Launceston
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...
, Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, 30 August 1951) is a retired track cyclist and road bicycle racer from Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, who was a professional rider from 1974 to 1997. He won five World Championships.His biggest Olympic success came in 1972, when he won the silver medal in the men's 1000m time trial at the 1972 Summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
.
Clark had an exceptional sprint, and was often the fastest finishing rider in six-day races, especially as the previous fastest rider, Patrick Sercu
Patrick Sercu
Patrick Sercu is a former Belgian cyclist, best known for his exploits on the tracks.In 1964 aged 19 he competed as the star attraction at the Manchester Wheelers' Club Race Meet at the Fallowfield track in Manchester.He won a gold medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.Sercu is the record...
, slowed with age, after the mid-1970s.Clark formed a very tough partnership when the British rider Tony Doyle, and they won many six-day races together.Clark's ability enabled him to be much more relaxed during races than many other riders, who often became tense as they became more tired.Clark very much enjoyed the party atmosphere of the six-day races, and continued to work in them as a Derny motor-pacer after he retired from racing.
He began cycling on a bike borrowed from a local enthusiast, which he used for three months before acquiring his eldest brothers semi racer.
He became one of the most successful riders in six-day racing
Six-day racing
A six or six-day is a track cycling race that lasts six days. Six-day races started in Britain, spread to many regions of the world, were brought to their modern style in the United States and are now mainly a European event. Initially, individuals competed alone, the winner being the individual...
in the 1970s and 1980s, winning 74 races, second only to Sercu's 88. Most of these wins came after a heavy crash in the 1983 Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
six-day which resulted in a broken hip. Clark still carries the plate that was inserted to help the fracture heal correctly, and later complained that when sprinting or climbing, only his right leg was delivering full power.
Clark won the Australian one-mile penny-farthing
Penny-farthing
Penny-farthing, high wheel, high wheeler, and ordinary are all terms used to describe a type of bicycle with a large front wheel and a much smaller rear wheel that was popular after the boneshaker, until the development of the safety bicycle, in the 1880s...
championship in Evandale, Tasmania, in 1989, beating the Briton Doug Pinkerton and Matthew Driver.
He lives now in Surfers Paradise, near Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
.
Olympic Games
- Munich 1972Cycling at the 1972 Summer OlympicsThe cycling competition at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich consisted of two road cycling events and five track cycling events, all for men only.-Medal table:-Medal summary:-References:*...
:-
Silver kilomètre
-
World championships
- Besançon 1980:
- KeirinKeirinis a track cycling event in which racing cyclists sprint for victory. Keirin originated in Japan in 1948; the first Olympic competitions in the sport occurred in 2000....
- Keirin
- Brno 1981:
- Keirin
- Silver, points
- Leicester 1982:
- Silver, keirin
-
- Zurich 1983:
- Silver, keirin
-
- Bassano del Grappa 1985:
- Silver, Motor-paced
-
- Colorado Springs 1986:
- Derny
- Vienna 1987:
- Silver, motor-paced
-
- Ghent 1988:
- Motor-paced
- Maebashi 1990:
-
Bronze, motor-paced - Bronze, points
-
- Stuttgart 1991:
- Motor-paced
Six-days
- Sydney: 1974 with Frank Atkins
- Ghent: 1976, 1979, 1982 with Don Allan, 1986 with Tony Doyle, 1987, 1994 with Etienne De Wilde, 1990 with Roland Günther
- Münster: 1977, 1980 with Don Allan, 1988 with Tony Doyle
- Rotterdam: 1977, 1978, 1985 with René Pijnen, 1981 with Don Allan, 1986 with Francesco Moser, 1987 with Pierangelo Bincoletto, 1988 with Tony Doyle
- Antwerp: 1978 with Freddy Maertens, 1987 with Etienne De Wilde
- London: 1978, 1980 with Don Allan
- Copenhagen: 1978 with Don Allan, 1986, 1987 with Tony Doyle, 1989, 1992 with Urs Freuler, 1990, 1991 with Jens Veggerby, 1995 with Jimmi Madsen
- Herning: 1978, 1982 with Don Allan
- Bremen: 1979 with René Pijnen, 1987 with Dietrich Thurau, 1988 with Tony Doyle, 1990 with Roland Günther, 1994 with Andreas Kappes
- Maastricht: 1979 with Don Allan, 1984 with René Pijnen, 1985, 1987 with Tony Doyle
- Hannover: 1980 with Don Allan
- Cologne: 1980 with René Pijnen, 1985 with Dietrich Thurau, 1989 with Tony Doyle
- Munich: 1980, 1981 with Don Allan, 1986 with Dietrich Thurau, 1988, 1990 with Tony Doyle
- Grenoble: 1980 with Bernard Thévenet, 1989 with Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle
- Dortmund: 1982 with Henry Rinklin, 1983, 1986, 1988 with Tony Doyle, 1987 with Roman Hermann, 1991, 1995 with Rolf Aldag
- Berlin: 1983, 1986, 1988 with Tony Doyle, 1984 with Horst Schütz, 1985 with Hans-Henrik Ørsted
- Bassano del Grappa: 1986 with Roberto Amadio and Francesco Moser, 1988 with Francesco Moser, 1989 with Adriano Baffi
- Launceston: 1986 with Tony Doyle
- Paris: 1986 with Bernard Vallet, 1988 with Tony Doyle
- Stuttgart: 1989 with Uwe Bolten, 1992 with Pierangelo Bincoletto, 1995 with Etienne De Wilde
- Buenos-Aires: 1993 with Marcello Alexandre
- Nouméa: 2000 with Graeme Brown
European championships
- Omnium 1978, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988
- Derny 1985, 1986, 1990
- Motor-paced 1988
- Madison 1979 with Don Allan, 1988 with Tony Doyle