Rolf Sørensen (born 20 April 1965) is a former
Danish professional
road bicycle racer
Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most com ...
. He is currently working as a cycling
commentator and
agent
Agent may refer to:
Espionage, investigation, and law
*, spies or intelligence officers
* Law of agency, laws involving a person authorized to act on behalf of another
** Agent of record, a person with a contractual agreement with an insuran ...
. Born in
Helsinge in Denmark, Sørensen moved to Italy at the age of 17, where he has lived since. He goes under the name ''Il Biondo'' due to his blonde hair.
Accomplishments
Sørensen won such classic one-day races as the
Tour of Flanders The Tour of Flanders () may refer to the following cycle races:
* Tour of Flanders (men's race)
The Tour of Flanders (), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race held in Belgium every spri ...
,
Liège–Bastogne–Liège
Liège–Bastogne–Liège , also known as ''La Doyenne'' ("The Old Lady"), is a one-day classic cycling race in Belgium.Cycling Weekly, UK, 13 March 1993 First run in 1892, it is the oldest of the five ''Cycling monument, Monuments'' of the Eur ...
,
Paris–Brussels
The Brussels Cycling Classic (known until June 2013 as Paris–Brussels) is a semi classic European bicycle race, one of the oldest races on the international calendar.
History
Paris–Brussels was first run on 12 August 1893 as an amateur eve ...
,
Paris–Tours
Paris–Tours is a French one-day classic road cycling race held every October from the outskirts of Paris to the cathedral city of Tours. It is a predominantly flat course through the Chevreuse and Loire valleys; the highest point is 200 m ...
and
Milano–Torino, as well as slightly smaller races like the
Coppa Bernocchi
The Coppa Bernocchi is a European Road bicycle racing, bicycle race held in Legnano, Italy. From 2005 to 2019, the race was organised as a UCI race classifications, 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour, before joining the UCI ProSeries in 2020.
In 1 ...
(twice), and the
Rund um den Henninger Turm or Grand Prix Frankfurt. He has led the
UCI Road World Cup
The UCI Road World Cup was a season-long Road bicycle racing, road cycling competition held from 1989 until 2004 and comprising ten one-day events.
The World Cup was made up of around ten Road bicycle racing, one-day races chosen from the prest ...
on several occasions, finishing third in 1989 and 1991 and second in 1997 after a broken foot kept him from scoring points in the last two World Cup races of the season.
Sørensen also won individual stages in the
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
and
1996 Tour de France
The 1996 Tour de France was the 83rd edition of the Tour de France, starting on 29 June and ending on 21 July, featuring 19 regular stages, 2 individual time trials, a prologue and a rest day (10 July). It was won by Danish rider Bjarne Riis.
Th ...
, and wore the
yellow jersey
The general classification of the Tour de France is the most important classification of the race and determines the winner of the race. Since 1919, the leader of the general classification has worn the yellow jersey ( ).
History
For the first t ...
as the leader of the race after the team time trial in 1991, won by his Italian team Ariostea. He kept it until he broke his
collar bone
The clavicle, collarbone, or keybone is a slender, S-shaped long bone approximately long that serves as a strut between the shoulder blade and the sternum (breastbone). There are two clavicles, one on each side of the body. The clavicle is the ...
in a fall four days later.
Rolf Sørensen participated in the Tour seven times, the last in 2001. He has also won a number of stages in other stage races, among them stage 9 of the 1995
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...
, three stages in the
Tour of the Basque Country, six stages in
Tirreno–Adriatico, two in the
Tour de Suisse, and two in the
Tour de Romandie
The Tour de Romandie is a stage race which is part of the UCI World Tour. It runs through the Romandie region, or French-speaking part of Switzerland. The competition began in 1947, to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Swiss Cycling. It ...
.
Sørensen also claimed the silver medal at the
1996 Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...
.
Doping
For many years Sørensen denied that he used performance-enhancing drugs, but more than a decade after the end of his career as a professional cyclist he admitted using
EPO, and to some extent,
Cortisone
Cortisone is a pregnene (21-carbon) steroid hormone. It is a naturally-occurring corticosteroid metabolite that is also used as a pharmaceutical prodrug. Cortisol is converted by the action of the enzyme corticosteroid 11-beta-dehydrogenase ...
. He broke the news to Danish TV2 on 18 March 2013.
Career achievements
Major results
;1986
: 1st

Points classification
Danmark Rundt
: 9th
Milan–San Remo
Milan–Sanremo (in italian language, Italian ''Milano-Sanremo''), also called "''The Spring classic''" or "''La Classicissima''", is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance ...
;1987
: 1st Overall
Tirreno–Adriatico
: 1st
Grand Prix Pino Cerami
Grand Prix Pino Cerami is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in April in Hainaut, Belgium. From 2005 to 2019, the race was organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour, before being cancelled from 2019 to 2022. Upon its return in 2 ...
: 2nd Overall
Danmark Rundt
::1st

Young rider classification
: 3rd Overall
Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
;1988
: 1st
Gran Premio Città di Camaiore
The Gran Premio Città di Camaiore was a road bicycle race held in Camaiore, Tuscany
Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital cit ...
: 2nd Overall
Danmark Rundt
::1st

Points classification
::1st

Young rider classification
: 2nd
Züri–Metzgete
: 2nd
Rund um den Henninger Turm
: 2nd Points classification
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...
: 3rd Overall
Tirreno–Adriatico
: 3rd
Giro dell'Emilia
: 3rd
Grand Prix Pino Cerami
Grand Prix Pino Cerami is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in April in Hainaut, Belgium. From 2005 to 2019, the race was organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour, before being cancelled from 2019 to 2022. Upon its return in 2 ...
: 8th
Liège–Bastogne–Liège
Liège–Bastogne–Liège , also known as ''La Doyenne'' ("The Old Lady"), is a one-day classic cycling race in Belgium.Cycling Weekly, UK, 13 March 1993 First run in 1892, it is the oldest of the five ''Cycling monument, Monuments'' of the Eur ...
;1989
: 1st Stage 3 (
TTT)
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...
: 1st
Coppa Bernocchi
The Coppa Bernocchi is a European Road bicycle racing, bicycle race held in Legnano, Italy. From 2005 to 2019, the race was organised as a UCI race classifications, 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour, before joining the UCI ProSeries in 2020.
In 1 ...
: 1st
Giro dell'Etna
: 2nd
Coppa Ugo Agostoni
: 3rd
Gent–Wevelgem
Gent–Wevelgem, officially Gent–Wevelgem – In Flanders Fields, is a road bicycle racing, road cycling race in Belgium, held annually since 1934. It is one of the classic cycle races, classic races part of the Flemish Cycling Week, run in late ...
: 4th
Tour of Flanders The Tour of Flanders () may refer to the following cycle races:
* Tour of Flanders (men's race)
The Tour of Flanders (), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race held in Belgium every spri ...
: 4th
Züri–Metzgete
: 9th
Rund um den Henninger Turm
;1990
: 1st

Overall
Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
: 1st
Paris–Tours
Paris–Tours is a French one-day classic road cycling race held every October from the outskirts of Paris to the cathedral city of Tours. It is a predominantly flat course through the Chevreuse and Loire valleys; the highest point is 200 m ...
: 1st
Trofeo Laigueglia
The Trofeo Laigueglia is an early season road bicycle race held annually in Liguria, Italy. It is held about ten days after the opening to the Italian season, the Gran Premio della Costa Etruschi. From 2005 to 2014, the race was organised as a ...
: 2nd
Coppa Bernocchi
The Coppa Bernocchi is a European Road bicycle racing, bicycle race held in Legnano, Italy. From 2005 to 2019, the race was organised as a UCI race classifications, 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour, before joining the UCI ProSeries in 2020.
In 1 ...
: 6th
Züri–Metzgete
: 6th
Tre Valli Varesine
: 7th
Milano–Torino
;1991
:
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
::1st Stage 2 (
TTT)
::Held

after Stage 2-5
: 1st Stage 9
Tour de Suisse
: 2nd
Milan–San Remo
Milan–Sanremo (in italian language, Italian ''Milano-Sanremo''), also called "''The Spring classic''" or "''La Classicissima''", is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance ...
: 3rd
UCI Road World Cup
The UCI Road World Cup was a season-long Road bicycle racing, road cycling competition held from 1989 until 2004 and comprising ten one-day events.
The World Cup was made up of around ten Road bicycle racing, one-day races chosen from the prest ...
: 3rd
Tour of Flanders The Tour of Flanders () may refer to the following cycle races:
* Tour of Flanders (men's race)
The Tour of Flanders (), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race held in Belgium every spri ...
: 3rd
Liège–Bastogne–Liège
Liège–Bastogne–Liège , also known as ''La Doyenne'' ("The Old Lady"), is a one-day classic cycling race in Belgium.Cycling Weekly, UK, 13 March 1993 First run in 1892, it is the oldest of the five ''Cycling monument, Monuments'' of the Eur ...
: 5th
Giro di Lombardia
The Giro di Lombardia (), officially ''Il Lombardia'', is a cycling race in Lombardy, Italy. It is traditionally the last of the five 'Cycling monument, Monuments' of the season, considered to be one of the most prestigious one-day events in cycli ...
;1992
: 1st Overall
Tirreno–Adriatico
::1st Stage 3
: 1st
Paris–Brussels
The Brussels Cycling Classic (known until June 2013 as Paris–Brussels) is a semi classic European bicycle race, one of the oldest races on the international calendar.
History
Paris–Brussels was first run on 12 August 1893 as an amateur eve ...
: 5th
Giro di Lombardia
The Giro di Lombardia (), officially ''Il Lombardia'', is a cycling race in Lombardy, Italy. It is traditionally the last of the five 'Cycling monument, Monuments' of the season, considered to be one of the most prestigious one-day events in cycli ...
: 7th
Rund um den Henninger Turm
: 9th
Milano–Torino
: 10th
Milan–San Remo
Milan–Sanremo (in italian language, Italian ''Milano-Sanremo''), also called "''The Spring classic''" or "''La Classicissima''", is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance ...
;1993
: 1st
Liège–Bastogne–Liège
Liège–Bastogne–Liège , also known as ''La Doyenne'' ("The Old Lady"), is a one-day classic cycling race in Belgium.Cycling Weekly, UK, 13 March 1993 First run in 1892, it is the oldest of the five ''Cycling monument, Monuments'' of the Eur ...
: 1st
Milano–Torino
: 1st
Rund um den Henninger Turm
: 1st
Coppa Bernocchi
The Coppa Bernocchi is a European Road bicycle racing, bicycle race held in Legnano, Italy. From 2005 to 2019, the race was organised as a UCI race classifications, 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour, before joining the UCI ProSeries in 2020.
In 1 ...
: 1st Stage 7
Tirreno–Adriatico
: 1st Stage 9
Tour de Suisse
: 1st Stage 3a
Three Days of De Panne
:
Tour de Romandie
The Tour de Romandie is a stage race which is part of the UCI World Tour. It runs through the Romandie region, or French-speaking part of Switzerland. The competition began in 1947, to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Swiss Cycling. It ...
::1st Stage 1, 2 & 6
: 2nd Overall
Tour of the Basque Country
: 5th
Milan–San Remo
Milan–Sanremo (in italian language, Italian ''Milano-Sanremo''), also called "''The Spring classic''" or "''La Classicissima''", is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance ...
: 6th
La Flèche Wallonne
La Flèche Wallonne (, French for "The Walloon Arrow") is a men's professional cycle road race held in April each year in Wallonia, Belgium. It is part of the UCI World Tour.
The first of two Belgian Ardennes classics, La Flèche Wallonne is ...
;1994
:
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
::1st Stages 3 (
TTT) & 14
: 1st
Paris–Brussels
The Brussels Cycling Classic (known until June 2013 as Paris–Brussels) is a semi classic European bicycle race, one of the oldest races on the international calendar.
History
Paris–Brussels was first run on 12 August 1893 as an amateur eve ...
: 1st
Trofeo Laigueglia
The Trofeo Laigueglia is an early season road bicycle race held annually in Liguria, Italy. It is held about ten days after the opening to the Italian season, the Gran Premio della Costa Etruschi. From 2005 to 2014, the race was organised as a ...
: 6th Overall
Tirreno–Adriatico
: 6th
Road race,
UCI Road World Championships
The UCI Road World Championships are the annual world championships for bicycle road racing organized by the (UCI). The UCI Road World Championships consist of events for road race and individual time trial, and , a UCI Road World Championships ...
;1995
: 1st Stage 9
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...
: 2nd Overall
Three Days of De Panne
: 2nd
Milano–Torino
: 2nd Points classification
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...
: 3rd
Paris–Brussels
The Brussels Cycling Classic (known until June 2013 as Paris–Brussels) is a semi classic European bicycle race, one of the oldest races on the international calendar.
History
Paris–Brussels was first run on 12 August 1893 as an amateur eve ...
: 4th
Giro di Lombardia
The Giro di Lombardia (), officially ''Il Lombardia'', is a cycling race in Lombardy, Italy. It is traditionally the last of the five 'Cycling monument, Monuments' of the season, considered to be one of the most prestigious one-day events in cycli ...
: 5th
Giro dell'Emilia
: 8th
Liège–Bastogne–Liège
Liège–Bastogne–Liège , also known as ''La Doyenne'' ("The Old Lady"), is a one-day classic cycling race in Belgium.Cycling Weekly, UK, 13 March 1993 First run in 1892, it is the oldest of the five ''Cycling monument, Monuments'' of the Eur ...
: 9th
Road race,
UCI Road World Championships
The UCI Road World Championships are the annual world championships for bicycle road racing organized by the (UCI). The UCI Road World Championships consist of events for road race and individual time trial, and , a UCI Road World Championships ...
;1996
: 1st Stage 13
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
: 1st

Overall
Ronde van Nederland
::1st Stage 4
: 1st
Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne
: 1st Stage 7
Tirreno–Adriatico
: 2nd Overall
Danmark Rundt
: 2nd
Road race,
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a Multi-s ...
: 3rd
Rund um den Henninger Turm
: 9th
Liège–Bastogne–Liège
Liège–Bastogne–Liège , also known as ''La Doyenne'' ("The Old Lady"), is a one-day classic cycling race in Belgium.Cycling Weekly, UK, 13 March 1993 First run in 1892, it is the oldest of the five ''Cycling monument, Monuments'' of the Eur ...
: 9th
Paris–Brussels
The Brussels Cycling Classic (known until June 2013 as Paris–Brussels) is a semi classic European bicycle race, one of the oldest races on the international calendar.
History
Paris–Brussels was first run on 12 August 1893 as an amateur eve ...
: 9th
De Brabantse Pijl
;1997
: 1st
Tour of Flanders The Tour of Flanders () may refer to the following cycle races:
* Tour of Flanders (men's race)
The Tour of Flanders (), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race held in Belgium every spri ...
: 1st Prologue
Tirreno–Adriatico
: 1st Stage 3b
Three Days of De Panne
: 2nd
UCI Road World Cup
The UCI Road World Cup was a season-long Road bicycle racing, road cycling competition held from 1989 until 2004 and comprising ten one-day events.
The World Cup was made up of around ten Road bicycle racing, one-day races chosen from the prest ...
: 3rd
Züri–Metzgete
: 4th
Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne
: 6th
Paris–Roubaix
Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France, starting north of Paris and finishing in Roubaix, at the border with Belgium. It is one of cycling's oldest races, and is one of the 'Cycling monument, Monuments' ...
: 8th
Milan–San Remo
Milan–Sanremo (in italian language, Italian ''Milano-Sanremo''), also called "''The Spring classic''" or "''La Classicissima''", is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance ...
: 10th
Amstel Gold Race
;1998
: 1st

Overall
Ronde van Nederland
: 2nd Overall
Danmark Rundt
: 4th Overall
Tirreno–Adriatico
::1st Stage 5
: 4th Overall
Three Days of De Panne
: 6th
Paris–Roubaix
Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France, starting north of Paris and finishing in Roubaix, at the border with Belgium. It is one of cycling's oldest races, and is one of the 'Cycling monument, Monuments' ...
;1999
: 2nd Overall
Danmark Rundt
::1st Stage 1
: 4th Overall
Three Days of De Panne
: 7th
Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne
;2000
: 1st

Overall
Danmark Rundt
: 3rd
De Brabantse Pijl
: 8th
Milan–San Remo
Milan–Sanremo (in italian language, Italian ''Milano-Sanremo''), also called "''The Spring classic''" or "''La Classicissima''", is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance ...
: 8th
Paris–Tours
Paris–Tours is a French one-day classic road cycling race held every October from the outskirts of Paris to the cathedral city of Tours. It is a predominantly flat course through the Chevreuse and Loire valleys; the highest point is 200 m ...
;2001
: 4th
Tour of Flanders The Tour of Flanders () may refer to the following cycle races:
* Tour of Flanders (men's race)
The Tour of Flanders (), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race held in Belgium every spri ...
: 10th
Milan–San Remo
Milan–Sanremo (in italian language, Italian ''Milano-Sanremo''), also called "''The Spring classic''" or "''La Classicissima''", is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race between Milan and Sanremo, in Northwest Italy. With a distance ...
: 10th
Paris–Roubaix
Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France, starting north of Paris and finishing in Roubaix, at the border with Belgium. It is one of cycling's oldest races, and is one of the 'Cycling monument, Monuments' ...
;2002
: 6th
Tour of Flanders The Tour of Flanders () may refer to the following cycle races:
* Tour of Flanders (men's race)
The Tour of Flanders (), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race held in Belgium every spri ...
Monuments results timeline
Grand Tour general classification results timeline
References
External links
DCU profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sorensen, Rolf
1965 births
Living people
Danish male cyclists
Danish Tour de France stage winners
Cyclists at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Olympic cyclists for Denmark
Olympic silver medalists for Denmark
Danish Giro d'Italia stage winners
Cycling announcers
Olympic medalists in cycling
Danmark Rundt winners
Danish sportspeople in doping cases
Doping cases in cycling
People from Gribskov Municipality
Tour de Suisse stage winners
Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Cyclists from the Capital Region of Denmark
20th-century Danish sportsmen