{{Short description|Norwegian cyclist (born 1950)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox cyclist | name = Knut Knudsen | image = 1972 stamp of Umm al-Quwain Knut Knudsen.jpg | image_size = 300px | caption = Kundsen on a stamp of Umm al-Quwain | fullname = | nickname = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|10|12|df=yes}} | birth_place = Levanger, Norway | death_date = | death_place = | height = {{convert|185|cm|ftin|abbr=on}} | weight = {{convert|79|kg|lb|abbr=on}} | currentteam = | discipline = | role = | ridertype = | amateuryears1 = | amateurteam1 = | proyears1 = | proteam1 = | majorwins = '''Grand Tours''' :'''Giro d'Italia''' ::6 individual stages (1975, 1977, 1979, 1981) '''Stage races''' :Tirreno–Adriatico (1979) :Giro del Trentino (1979) | medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry | {{flag|NOR}} }} {{MedalSport|Men's cycling}} {{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}} {{MedalGold | 1972 Munich | Individual pursuit}} {{MedalWorldChampionships}} {{MedalGold|1973 San Sebastián|Individual pursuit, amateurs}} {{MedalSilver|1975 Rocourt|Individual pursuit, elite}} {{MedalBronze|1976 Monteroni di Lecce|Individual pursuit, elite}} {{MedalSilver|1977 San Cristóbal|Individual pursuit, elite}} | show-medals = no }}

'''Knut Knudsen''' (born 12 October 1950) is a retired Norwegian road and track cyclist. As an amateur, he placed fifth in the 4000m individual pursuit at the 1968 Olympics before becoming Olympic champion in the same discipline in 1972. He would follow this up with another gold at the 1973 World Championships. At the 1972 Olympics he also placed fifth in the 100&nbsp;km team time trial on the road.<ref name="sports-reference">{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/kn/knut-knudsen-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418034726/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/kn/knut-knudsen-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |title=Knut Knudsen Olympic Results |access-date=16 September 2014 |work=sports-reference.com}}</ref> He won the Norwegian National Road Race Championships in 1972 and 1973.<ref name="RoadRace">{{cite web |url=http://www.cyclingarchives.com/wedstrijdfiche.php?wedstrijdid=3192 |title=National Championship, Road, Elite, Norway |access-date=6 April 2015 |work=Cycling Archives |archive-date=12 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143946/http://www.cyclingarchives.com/wedstrijdfiche.php?wedstrijdid=3192 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

In 1974 he turned professional and cycled in Italy until 1981. He won six stages of the Giro d'Italia and wore the Maglia Rosa leader's jersey twice, becoming the first Norwegian to do so and the only wearer until Andreas Leknessund managed the same feat some 42 years after Knudsen last held it. The first time he held the pink leader jersey was for two stages after winning Stage 1 of the 1975 Giro d'Italia on 17 May, Norway's constitution day. In 1981 he could once again put on the pink jersey after winning the prologue. After finishing second in the race three times, Knudsen won Tirreno–Adriatico in 1979. He was chosen the world's best time trial cyclist by two biggest sporting magazines from 1979 to 1981. In total he won 49 professional races.

==Major results== {{div col|colwidth=22em}} ;1966 : 1st {{cjersey|norway}} Individual pursuit, National Junior Track Championships ;1967 : 1st {{cjersey|norway}} Individual pursuit, National Junior Track Championships ;1968 : 1st {{cjersey|norway}} Road race, National Junior Road Championships : 1st Road race, Nordic Junior Road Championships : 2nd Team time trial, Nordic Road Championships ;1969 : National Track Championships ::1st {{cjersey|norway}} Kilo ::1st {{cjersey|norway}} Individual pursuit ;1972 : 1st 15px Individual pursuit, Olympic Games : National Road Championships ::1st {{cjersey|norway}} Road race ::1st {{cjersey|norway}} Time trial : National Track Championships ::1st {{cjersey|norway}} Kilo ::1st {{cjersey|norway}} Individual pursuit : Nordic Amateur Road Championships ::1st Road race ::2nd Team time trial ;1973 : 1st {{cjersey|rainbow}} Individual pursuit, UCI Amateur Track World Championships : National Road Championships ::1st {{cjersey|norway}} Road race ::1st {{cjersey|norway}} Time trial : National Track Championships ::1st {{cjersey|norway}} Kilo ::1st {{cjersey|norway}} Individual pursuit : 2nd Team time trial, Nordic Amateur Road Championships ;1974 : 1st Stage 5b Tour de Romandie : 2nd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico ;1975 : Giro d'Italia ::1st Stage 1 ::Held {{cjersey|pink}} after Stages 1–2 ::Held {{cjersey|purple}} after Stage 1 : 2nd 15px Individual pursuit, UCI Track World Championships : 2nd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico ::1st Stage 5 : 3rd Overall Tour de Romandie : 3rd Overall Giro di Sardegna ;1976 : 1st Stage 1 Tour de Romandie : 3rd 15px Individual pursuit, UCI Track World Championships ;1977 : 1st Stage 9 Giro d'Italia : 1st Stage 5 Tirreno–Adriatico : 2nd 15px Individual pursuit, UCI Track World Championships : 3rd Overall Tour de Romandie ::1st Stage 4b ;1978 : 1st 20px Overall Giro di Sardegna ::1st Stage 3 : 1st Overall Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria : 1st Trofeo Laigueglia : 1st Trofeo Baracchi (with Roy Schuiten) : 2nd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico ::1st Stage 5 : 3rd Trofeo Pantalica ;1979 : 1st {{cjersey|spain}} Overall Tirreno–Adriatico ::1st Stage 5 : 1st {{cjersey|purple}} Overall Giro del Trentino ::1st Prologue : Tour de Romandie ::1st Stages 3 & 5b : Giro d'Italia ::1st Stage 10 ::Held {{cjersey|purple}} after Stage 1 : 2nd Giro del Lazio : 3rd Milan–San Remo ;1980 : 1st Stage 1a Paris–Nice : 1st Stage 4b Tour de Romandie : 1st Prologue Deutschland Tour : 1st GP Eddy Merckx : 2nd Overall Giro di Sardegna : 3rd Trofeo Pantalica ;1981 : Giro d'Italia ::1st Prologue, Stage 13 & 23a ::Held {{cjersey|pink}} & {{cjersey|purple}} after Prologue : 1st Prologue Paris–Nice : 1st GP Eddy Merckx : 2nd Trofeo Baracchi {{div col end}}

===General classification results timeline=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" | colspan="21" style="text-align:center;"|'''Grand Tour general classification results timeline'''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.procyclingstats.com/rider/knut-knudsen|title = Knut Knudsen}}</ref> |- ! scope="col" | Grand Tour ! scope="col" | 1974 ! scope="col" | 1975 ! scope="col" | 1976 ! scope="col" | 1977 ! scope="col" | 1978 ! scope="col" | 1979 ! scope="col" | 1980 ! scope="col" | 1981 |- style="text-align:center;" ! scope="row" | {{cjersey|yellow}} Vuelta a España | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |- style="text-align:center;" ! scope="row" | {{cjersey|pink}} Giro d'Italia | 54 | 42 | 57 | 70 | DNF | DNF | 15 | 22 |- style="text-align:center;" ! scope="row" | {{cjersey|yellow}} Tour de France | — | DNF | 64 | — | — | 27 | — | — |- | colspan="9" style="text-align:center;" |'''Major stage race general classification results timeline''' |- !Race ! scope="col" | 1974 ! scope="col" | 1975 ! scope="col" | 1976 ! scope="col" | 1977 ! scope="col" | 1978 ! scope="col" | 1979 ! scope="col" | 1980 ! scope="col" | 1981 |- style="text-align:center;" ! scope="row" | {{cjersey|white}} Paris–Nice | — | — | — | — | — | — | style="background:#ddf;" |6 | 18 |- style="text-align:center;" ! scope="row" | {{cjersey|spain}} Tirreno–Adriatico | style="background:#ddf;" |'''2''' | style="background:#ddf;" |'''2''' | — | 31 | style="background:#ddf;" |'''2''' | style="background:yellow; border:2px solid red;" |'''1''' | — | — |- style="text-align:center;" ! scope="row" | {{cjersey|green}} Tour de Romandie | style="background:#ddf;" |9 | style="background:#ddf;" |'''3''' | 26 | style="background:#ddf;" |'''3''' | N/A | style="background:#ddf;" |9 | style="background:#ddf;" |6 | — |- style="text-align:center;" ! scope="row" | {{cjersey|Volta a Catalunya}} Volta a Catalunya | — | N/A | — | — | — | — | — | — |}

===Classics results timeline=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" !Monument ! scope="col" |1974 ! scope="col" |1975 ! scope="col" |1976 ! scope="col" |1977 ! scope="col" |1978 ! scope="col" |1979 ! scope="col" |1980 ! scope="col" |1981 |- style="text-align:center;" ! scope="row" | Milan–San Remo | — | — | — | — | — | style="background:#C9AE5D;" |'''3''' | — | — |- !Classic ! scope="col" |1974 ! scope="col" |1975 ! scope="col" |1976 ! scope="col" |1977 ! scope="col" |1978 ! scope="col" |1979 ! scope="col" |1980 ! scope="col" |1981 |- style="text-align:center;" ! scope="row" | Amstel Gold Race | — | style="background:#ddf;" |10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |- style="text-align:center;" ! scope="row" | La Flèche Wallonne | — | — | — | — | — | — | 34 | 44 |}

===Major championships results timeline=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |- ! colspan="2" scope="col" |Event ! scope="col" | 1972 ! scope="col" | 1973 ! scope="col" | 1974 ! scope="col" | 1975 ! scope="col" | 1976 ! scope="col" | 1977 ! scope="col" | 1978 ! scope="col" | 1979 ! scope="col" | 1980 ! scope="col" | 1981 |- style="text-align:center;" ! rowspan="4" scope="row" |15px|alt=|link=Olympic medal Olympic Games ! scope="row" |Time trial | colspan="10" rowspan="1" {{N/a|Not held}} |- style="text-align:center;" ! scope="row" |Road race | — | colspan="3" rowspan="1" {{N/a|Not held}} | — | colspan="3" rowspan="1" {{N/a|Not held}} | — |colspan="1" rowspan="1" {{N/a|Not held}} |- style="text-align:center;" ! scope="row"| Team Time Trial !style="background:#ddf;" |5 |colspan="3" {{N/a|Not held}} | — |colspan="3" {{N/a|Not held}} | — |colspan="1" {{N/a|Not held}} |- style="text-align:center;" ! scope="row"| Individual Pursuit ! style="background:gold;" |'''1''' |colspan="3" {{N/a|Not held}} | — |colspan="3" {{N/a|Not held}} | — |colspan="1" {{N/a|Not held}} |- style="text-align:center;" ! rowspan="2" scope="row" |20px|link=Rainbow jersey Road World Championships ! scope="row" |Time trial | colspan="10" rowspan="1" {{N/a|Not held}} |- style="text-align:center;" ! scope="row" |Road race | — | — |DNF |DNF |DNF |DNF |DNF !style="background:#ddf;" |7 |DNF |65 |- style="text-align:center;" ! rowspan="1" scope="row" |20px|link=Rainbow jersey Amateur Track Cycling World Championships ! scope="row" |Amateur Individual Pursuit | ! style="background:gold;" |'''1''' | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |- style="text-align:center;" ! rowspan="1" scope="row" |20px|link=Rainbow jersey UCI Track Cycling World Championships ! scope="row" |Individual Pursuit | — | — | | style="background:#C0C0C0;" |'''2''' | style="background:#C9AE5D;" |'''3''' | style="background:#C0C0C0;" |'''2''' | | | | |- style="text-align:center;" ! rowspan="2" scope="row" | {{cjersey|norway}} National Championships ! scope="row" | Time trial ! style="background:gold;" | 1 ! style="background:gold;" | 1 | | | | | | | | |- style="text-align:center;" ! scope="row" | Road race ! style="background:gold;" | 1 ! style="background:gold;" | 1 | | | | | | | | |}

{| class="wikitable" |+ Legend |- ! scope="row" | — | Did not compete |- ! scope="row" | DNF | Did not finish |- ! scope="row" | | No results available |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Knut Knudsen}} * {{Cycling Archives|9138}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions Track Individual Pursuit Men}} {{Norwegian National Road Race Championships (men) |state=collapsed}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Knudsen, Knut}} Category:1950 births Category:Living people Category:Norwegian male cyclists Category:Olympic gold medalists for Norway Category:Olympic cyclists for Norway Category:Cyclists at the 1968 Summer Olympics Category:Cyclists at the 1972 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic medalists in cycling Category:Norwegian Giro d'Italia stage winners Category:Sportspeople from Levanger Municipality Category:Medalists at the 1972 Summer Olympics Category:Norwegian track cyclists Category:20th-century Norwegian sportsmen