How to Wear a Cycling Cap: Rob Harmeling

 

Rob Harmeling was a professional from the Netherlands who, before turning pro, also had a successful few years in the amateur ranks. As a top professional between 1989 and 1994 he raced for Histor-Sigma-Fina, Histor-Sigma, TVM-Sanyo, and TVM-Bison Kit. Before that, he raced with smaller Dutch teams Gazelle-Vredestein (1984), Amstel Bier (1987) and Amev (1988). During those years, his career was spotted with an occasional podium finish, and a few more top-20 finishes. Most of his results were further back, though since he was a domestique rather than team leader, that is to be expected. Harmeling's podium appearances as a professional began in 1985 when he finished 2nd on two stages of the Olympia's Tour, and 3rd on stage five of the Tour of Ireland. Podium appearances increased in 1986 when, at the World Championships in Colorado Springs, he won the team time trial, teaming with Tom Cordes, Gerrit de Vries and John Talen. His successes in 1986 continued when he won both the Fleche du Sud and the Ronde van Overijssel; at the Olympia's Tour that same year Harmeling finished 2nd on three stages, 3rd on one, and ended the race 3rd in the General Classification.

Harmeling turned those 2nds and 3rds into wins in 1988 when he won a stage of the Course de la Paix, and three stages of the International Tour of Hellas. The wins disappeared in 1989, but by then he was racing in higher category events such as Paris-Tours, Classica Ciclista San Sebastian, Vuelta a Espana and the Criterium International. His two podiums that year were 3rd at the Grand Prix de la Liberation, and 2nd on stage three of the Vuelta Ciclista a la Comunidad Valenciana. In 1991 he stood on the podiums' 2nd step at the end of stage three of Paris-Nice. 1991 was also the first of his three appearances at the Tour de France, in which he finished 158th on GC. 

Harmeling returned to the Tour de France in 1992 where he scored the biggest win of his career -  the 130.5 mile third stage, from Pau to Bordeaux. Also in 1992, he finished 3rd on stage six of the Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Cicilsta del Sol, 1st on stages three and four of the Ronde van Nederland, and 3rd at Veenendaal-Veenendaal. In 1993 he stood atop the third step of the GP Impanis. In 1994 Harmeling returned to the Tour de France and, though he was disqualified following stage 14 for finishing outside the time limit, he did manage an 11th place on the second stage from Roubaix to Boulogne-Sur-Mer. His big success of 1994 was a 1st place finish on stage 3a at the Tour de Luxembourg.

the photo is from 1984 (Wim Dingemanse) at http: CyclingArchives

An interesting side note about Harmeling - it appears that he played character Gerrit Tankink in the 2015 film Ventoux, in which "four old friends relive happy days gone by as they climb France's Mont Ventoux by bike like they did thirty years before..." Anyone see it?