Colnago Dream - Rolf Soerenson

PRICE: 2950 EURO

The legendary “Danish Dynamo” Rolf Sørensen ended his career with the Belgian Landbouwkrediet-Colnago cycling team. So when the chance came up to add his beautiful Colnago Dream team bike to our collection, we jumped at the chance.

Rolf was a strapping lad from Denmark who  left home for Italy at the tender age of 17. His Italian comrades decide to nickname him “Il Biondo” after his radiant Viking locks. That moniker stuck to him like cheap hair gel throughout his entire career. But then again, who wouldn’t want to be known as “The Blond One”?

Sørensen  kicked off his pro cycling life in 1990 and he was like a jolt of Danish Akvavit on two wheels. Fans just couldn’t get enough of his never-say-die spirit. He could climb well for a guy from a country as flat as a pancake, and he had a knack for turning one-day classics into his personal playground.

The real jaw-dropping moment came when he conquered the 1993 Liège-Bastogne-Liège, a win that made him a certified legend in the eyes of all Nordic cycling fans.

And he didn’t stop there! Rolf snagged two victories in the Amstel Gold Race and even danced his way off the front of a three-man breakaway to win the 1997 Tour of Flanders.

Rolf also knew how to strut his stuff in the Grand Tours. He bagged multiple stage wins in both the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia. And to top it all off, he grabbed a silver medal at the ’96 Olympics!

Rolf’s trusty steed in the final year of his career was an aluminium Colnago Dream. It was made from the finest lightweight Columbus Airplane tubing, with curves and crimps that even Michelangelo would’ve been proud of.

Fitted with Carbon Flash forks and Campagnolo Record components, this bike was like a James Bond gadget – sleek, innovative, and fast. It was Rolf’s farewell ride when he called it quits in 2002. And that’s why we just had to add it to our Flandrien Hotel collection – where we welcome lots of Sørensen obsessed Danish guests.

After retirement from racing Sørensen remained active in the cycling world as a commentator.  He was fond of saying “Rolf er ren” which translates to “Rolf is clean.”

Except as it turned out he must have been referring to his bathing habits rather than any use of pharmaceutical products – he finally fessed up in 2013.

Rolf also participated in a season of “Vild med dans” the Danish version of Strictly Come Dancing. But he had to withdraw after injuring his leg, which must have been kind of embarrassing for a guy who had survived sprinting against Abdoujaparov, AKA The Tashkent Terror.

So, there you have it, the tale of Rolf Sørensen and his marvelous Colnago racing machine!