slightest bit sorry when my year as world champion over and I didn't have to wear that jersey any more. I could just go back to being the unknown rider in village criteriums. But the old feeling never came back. I was never happy again." Later life After his cycling career Ottenbros lived in Dordrecht, south of Rotterdam. He worked with mentally handicapped children and took up sculpting again, creating images of female nudes. He kept his rainbow jersey and medal in a cupboard. But for years he did not look at them. He made appearances with other bygone stars like Jan Janssen – whose absence from the world championship led to his downfall – and Jo de Roo. He remained a member of his original club, Alcmaria Victrix. "If I could live my life all over again, I'd miss out the cycling bit", he told L'Équipe. Major achievements 1967 1st, Stage 5, Tour de Suisse 1968 1st, Stage 3b, Tour de Suisse 1969 1st (Gold Medal), World Cycling Championships Road Race 1st, Stage 2, Tour of Belgium 1st, Points classification 1970 1st, Stage 2, Tour de Luxembourg 1972 1st, GP Stad Vilvoorde References External links 1943 births 2022 deaths Dutch male cyclists UCI Road World Champions (elite men) Sportspeople from Alkmaar Tour de Suisse stage winners UCI Road World Championships cyclists for the Netherlands Cyclists from North Holland