Thaddäus Robl

Thaddäus "Thaddy" Robl (22 October 1877 – 18 June 1910) was a German professional cyclist who was active between 1894 and 1910, initially in road racing[1], later predominantly in motor-paced racing. From 1895 to 1898 he obtained several podium finishes in long distance road races, the most emblematic of which is his 3rd place in the 1898 Bordeaux - Paris.[2]

Thaddäus Robl

Personal information
Born	22 October 1877 Ohlstadt, Germany
Died	18 June 1910 (aged 33) Stettin, Germany
Sport
Sport	Cycling
Medal record Representing  Germany UCI Motor-paced World Championships 1901 Berlin Professionals 1902 Rome Professionals 1903 Copenhagen Professionals Motor-paced European Championships 1901 Leipzig Professionals 1902 Leipzig Professionals 1903 Leipzig Professionals 1904 Leipzig Professionals 1905 Leipzig Professionals 1906 Dresden Professionals 1907 Hannover Professionals 1909 Berlin Professionals

Thaddäus Robl in 1902

In motor-paced racing he won five European titles (1901–1904, 1907) and the world championships in 1901 and 1902, he finished in third place in 1903.[3][4]

After retiring from cycling he became passionate with flying the early planes. In a flight demonstration on 18 June 1910 in Szczecin (then German Empire) he fell from a height of about 75 meters. This was the first death of a civil pilot on the German ground. In 1947, a street in Munich was named after him.[5]