Knut Knudsen (born 12 October 1950) is a retired Norwegian road and track cyclist. As an amateur, he placed fifth in the 4000m individual pursuit at the 1968 Olympics before becoming Olympic champion in the same discipline in 1972. He would follow this up with another gold at the 1973 World Championships. At the 1972 Olympics he also placed fifth in the 100km team time trial on the road. He won the Norwegian National Road Race Championships in 1972 and 1973.

In 1974 he turned professional and cycled in Italy until 1981. He won six stages of the Giro d'Italia and wore the Maglia Rosa leader's jersey twice, becoming the first Norwegian to do so and the only wearer until Andreas Leknessund managed the same feat some 42 years after Knudsen last held it. The first time he held the pink leader jersey was for two stages after winning Stage 1 of the 1975 Giro d'Italia on 17 May, Norway's constitution day. In 1981 he could once again put on the pink jersey after winning the prologue. After finishing second in the race three times, Knudsen won Tirreno–Adriatico in 1979. He was chosen the world's best time trial cyclist by two biggest sporting magazines from 1979 to 1981. In total he won 49 professional races.

Major results

1. 1966

2. 1st Individual pursuit, National Junior Track Championships

3. 1967

4. 1st Individual pursuit, National Junior Track Championships

5. 1968

6. 1st Road race, National Junior Road Championships

7. 1st Road race, Nordic Junior Road Championships

8. 2nd Team time trial, Nordic Road Championships

9. 1969

10. National Track Championships

    1. 1st Kilo

    2. 1st Individual pursuit

    1972

11. 1st Individual pursuit, Olympic Games

12. National Road Championships

    1. 1st Road race

    2. 1st Time trial

    National Track Championships

    1. 1st Kilo

    2. 1st Individual pursuit

    Nordic Amateur Road Championships

    1. 1st Road race

    2. 2nd Team time trial

    1973

13. 1st Individual pursuit, UCI Amateur Track World Championships

14. National Road Championships

    1. 1st Road race

    2. 1st Time trial

    National Track Championships

    1. 1st Kilo

    2. 1st Individual pursuit

    2nd Team time trial, Nordic Amateur Road Championships

15. 1974

16. 1st Stage 5b Tour de Romandie

17. 2nd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico

18. 1975

19. Giro d'Italia

    1. 1st Stage 1

    2. Held after Stages 1–2

    3. Held after Stage 1

    2nd Individual pursuit, UCI Track World Championships

20. 2nd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico

    1. 1st Stage 5

    3rd Overall Tour de Romandie

21. 3rd Overall Giro di Sardegna

22. 1976

23. 1st Stage 1 Tour de Romandie

24. 3rd Individual pursuit, UCI Track World Championships

25. 1977

26. 1st Stage 9 Giro d'Italia

27. 1st Stage 5 Tirreno–Adriatico

28. 2nd Individual pursuit, UCI Track World Championships

29. 3rd Overall Tour de Romandie

    1. 1st Stage 4b

    1978

30. 1st Overall Giro di Sardegna

    1. 1st Stage 3

    1st Overall Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria

31. 1st Trofeo Laigueglia

32. 1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Roy Schuiten)

33. 2nd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico

    1. 1st Stage 5

    3rd Trofeo Pantalica

34. 1979

35. 1st Overall Tirreno–Adriatico

    1. 1st Stage 5

    1st Overall Giro del Trentino

    1. 1st Prologue

    Tour de Romandie

    1. 1st Stages 3 & 5b

    Giro d'Italia

    1. 1st Stage 10

    2. Held after Stage 1

    2nd Giro del Lazio

36. 3rd Milan–San Remo

37. 1980

38. 1st Stage 1a Paris–Nice

39. 1st Stage 4b Tour de Romandie

40. 1st Prologue Deutschland Tour

41. 1st GP Eddy Merckx

42. 2nd Overall Giro di Sardegna

43. 3rd Trofeo Pantalica

44. 1981

45. Giro d'Italia

    1. 1st Prologue, Stage 13 & 23a

    2. Held & after Prologue

    1st Prologue Paris–Nice

46. 1st GP Eddy Merckx

47. 2nd Trofeo Baracchi

General classification results timeline

Classics results timeline

Major championships results timeline

References

External links