Multiple Tour de France stage winner and legendary team manager passes away - Rini Wagtmans dies aged 79
CyclingSaturday, 26 September 2026 at 10:04
Former Dutch cyclist Marinus 'Rini' Wagtmans passed away on Friday aged 79, his family have confirmed. A legendary figure in Dutch cycling, he leaves behind a rich legacy in the sport, previously working as a team manager and national coach.
Wagtmans enjoyed a successful career as a rider in the 1960's and 1970's. He won three stage wins in the Tour de France , two stage wins in the Vuelta a España, and a third place in the general classification of the same race.
He also wore the yellow jersey for one day in the 1971 Tour. As a rider, he was known as one of the best descenders in the peloton and was given the nickname "witte bles" - which when translated means "white blaze" in tribute to his downhill skills.
He retired in 1973 due to heart problems.
Wagtmans continues involvement in cycling
After his career, he continued to work in cycling, continuing as a national team coach and a brief spell as a team manager. Furthermore, the Brabant native was one of the key leaders in bringing the Tour to the Netherlands in 1978.
He also helped establish the Dutch Cycling Museum. Wagtmans had recently received the Golden Wheel, one of the most prestigious awards given by the KNWU, the cycling federation of the Netherlands. He received the award for his services to Dutch cycling.
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Earlier this month, Wagtmans announced to BN DeStem that he was in the final stages of his lifebut did not discuss his illness.
"Nobody benefits from that. The prizes are awarded at the finish line. I am almost at the finish line now,” he said.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- well, he was going too fast - hence the coach being thrown out of the race. guess I'm not the only one with this opinion. but you do your research as you like to do and give us the full mr know nothing reportmij26-09-2026
- God forbid Quinn Simmons LOLmij26-09-2026
- one of the most eloquent riders is leaving the peloton. he is also amazing in the regular radio rtf podcast of the two former german gcn presenters richie (his cousin) and tobi.Ketterechts26-09-2026
- Wind could also be a factor, before they even reach the circuit.Hills3326-09-2026
- Well the Dutch chasing the Dutch was hilarious in the past.abstractengineer26-09-2026
- I’m glad he added that last sentence re MVDP coz it would have been stupid to ignore the possibility of him going with WVA or Remco if one attacks, that would put a lot of pressure to work together on PS & IDTJumpyjohn26-09-2026
- How technical is it? The Glasgow circuit was so technical it made chasing very difficult to organise and was an obvious advantage for an early attacker.Jumpyjohn26-09-2026
- And he was angry once he was leading and had to change bikes due to a flat having no idea how close or far the chase behind was. Not sure there’s steady correlation between his level of anger and performance, it seems to work both ways.Jumpyjohn26-09-2026
- Anything is possible. Most people are making their predictions on very selective assessment, looking only at something like elevation gain, one particular race, current performance, body weight or simply rider preference. Every argument has a counter.argument. Those who looked to the results of Montréal forgot to consider many had ridden Quebec 2 days before. The riders most climbing are least suited and experienced or performing in Classics. The rider least suited (MVDP, even though theoretically Wout should climb even less well) is the one who has shown he can destroy prejudice, not only did he finish just behind Tadej and Bardet at LBL (4200m) beating Pidcock but he won in Glasgow, in front of Tadej and Wout, easily, despite a crash and that had 3600m of elevation gain over a similar distance. But as you say, even MVDP has been caught out not knowing there were still riders ahead of him when sprinting for the line.Jumpyjohn26-09-2026
- I’d guess he’s had more than one, ever, although being at an Ineos in decline about 3 years I guess you can seriously ask that question. However, VAM (assuming it’s not a typo for VMA) assessment is not obligatory and can be done just as well through p/w. And then if you read his exact statement, maybe he just did it at 1500 or 2000m in the past and has now done a session at 2500m?Jumpyjohn25-09-2026
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