At first glance, you’re hit with yellow lettering thick enough to stop a freight train: “WIELRENNEN WK 79.” Beneath it, three helmeted riders hunch over their bars in bright colors, red, blue, and yellow. Each helmet is banded by the rainbow stripes that only the World Champion may wear. Look away from the faces and closer towards the handlebars, and you’ll see the Heineken logo subtly and politely photobombing the bottom edge. Local brewery pride? Absolutely, but also a reminder that cycling in the Netherlands is practically a national beverage.
At the bottom of the poster, a bright blue strip rattles off dates and places: Valkenburg first, and Amsterdam second. It reads less like a schedule and more like a train timetable urging you to hop aboard: two cities, rainbow jerseys, and enough flat terrain to make even a pure climber feel cocky.
This vibrant official poster promotes the 1979 UCI Road World Championships (Wielrennen WK 79), hosted in the Netherlands at two locations: Valkenburg, which held the amateur and junior events from August 22–26, and Amsterdam, which hosted the Elite Men’s and Women’s Road Races from August 28 to September 2.
The 1979 Men’s Professional Road Race, held on a flat and technical circuit in Amsterdam, was won by Jan Raas of the Netherlands, who claimed victory in front of a home crowd after a powerful sprint. Dietrich Thurau (West Germany ) finished second, and Jean-Rene Beraudeau (France) placed third.
This poster has been archivally and professionally linen-backed.
Virtually all original vintage posters of this era were viewed as temporary advertising and were printed on very thin paper. While expensive, linen backing is a conservation method used to mount, stabilize, preserve, and protect vintage posters so they can be displayed or framed without compromising value.
This poster is an original first printing, not a reproduction.
Year: 1979
Artist: N/A
Size: 49 x 69 cm (19 ¼ x 27 ¼ inches) – Linen Backed Archival Mounting
This is a one-of-a-kind item; please review the photos carefully to determine the condition.
📦 Shipping & Protection:
Posters are carefully wrapped in protective paper, rolled, and placed in a heavy-duty tube, which is then packed inside a rectangular shipping box for added protection to ensure they arrive in perfect condition.
Each original vintage poster ships promptly, arrives safely.
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