There are two sides to the life story of former cyclist Harm Ottenbros, who died in the early morning of May 4. The short side is that of his world title in 1969, a success that relentlessly turned against him. Demonstratively, Ottenbros threw his racing bike into the Oosterschelde. At the time it was considered a fun act. But that did not mean that Harm Ottenbros had lost his frustrations. For years he wandered through everyday life.
The long side of his life story is that Ottenbros eventually recovered, found happiness in a new relationship and became an artist. The best part was that Harm Ottenbros started to enjoy cycling again. ‘A day before his death, he cycled 150 kilometers’, says Fabio Ottenbros. His father died, aged 78, of a heart attack.
Ottenbros’ cradle was in a working-class neighborhood in Alkmaar. Cups and medals hung everywhere, all achieved in cycling. His father and brother Jan also participated, but Harm had the most talent. He was especially good at what is called “circling the church.” Uphill was bad for him, sprinting all the better.
Equipier
In 1967 cycling became his profession. ‘A good equipier’, says Jan Janssen, who hates the word servant. In the 1968 Tour de France, which Janssen won, Ottenbros was his teammate until stage thirteen. “Harm didn’t cross the Pyrenees.”
Nevertheless, Ottenbros was also on a roll in the first few years. He not only won two stages in the Tour of Switzerland, but also finished second in two stages in the 1967 Giro, something he also succeeded in the 1969 Tour. And then followed on August 10 of that same year the World Championship in the Belgian Attic.
With Rik Van Looy and Eddy Merckx in the ranks, the host country seemed unbeatable. But their mutual rivalry led to compatriot Julien Stevens leading the way, along with Harm Ottenbros. That World Cup ended in an exciting sprint between two outsiders, with the well-known outcome.
The world champion never came close to a podium after that. When he gave up in 1976, Ottenbros complained about colleagues who begrudged him the rainbow jersey. According to Jan Janssen, it was also his fault. Harm should have been tougher, smarter too. “You also have to haggle a bit.” In a mocking tone, Janssen talks about that startling action on the Zeeland Bridge, captured by a TV camera. “It wasn’t even his own bike.”
Purifying Period
When they met a few years later, Janssen barely recognized him. “Big beard, sandals.” Ottenbros had plunged into left-wing activist circles, became a squatter, divorced his wife, and failed as a father.
Yet that must have been a cathartic period. ‘I finally came among the people,’ Ottenbros said himself. “He had a lot of qualities that didn’t come out in cycling,” says son Fabio. Ottenbros was able to develop himself as a painter and sculptor.
So there was the hard cycling again. Harm Ottenbros joined a club of former professionals, including Jan Janssen. He thoroughly enjoyed it, but the sport may have killed him. In recent years, Ottenbros had a nasty fall a few times, with serious consequences. The family was already afraid that he would die again in the old armor. That didn’t happen. Fabio: ‘But his body was just gone.’