Täve Schur

Gustav-Adolf "Täve" Schur (born 23 February 1931) is a former East German cyclist. He was born in Heyrothsberge, Saxony. His sporting career began with SC DHfK Leipzig. He was the first German to win the amateur competition of the World Cycling Championships and the Peace Race. Between 1958 and 1990 Schur was a member of the Volkskammer, the East German parliament.

Life

"Täve" Schur (a shortening of Gustav-Adolf) grew up near Magdeburg. He only took up cycling aged 19 and won the highest honors an amateur cyclist could reach. Schur won the East German championships 6 times in that period and won the GDR tour 4 times. In 1953 he had a great stake in East Germany winning the blue jersey of the best team at the Peace Race. His real breakthrough came in 1955, however, when he was the first East German to win the Peace Race, considered the most prestigious amateur stage race. Schur won the Peace Race once more in 1959.

As a member of the United Team of Germany he won a bronze medal in the team time trial at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne and a silver medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, at a time when the impact East Germany would have in later Olympic Games was not foreseen yet. Between 1955 and 1963 Schur studied at the DHfK Leipzig and finished with a diploma as coach. In late 1950s Schur was at the height of his form, as proven by his two wins at the amateur road race at the road world championships in 1958 and 1959, he was the first amateur to defend his title. He won the DDR Rundfahrt in 1953, 1954, 1959 and 1961.