- Michael Hubner won six world titles in track cycling in the 1990s
- In 1986 he also broke the world record in the men’s 200 meter time trial
- The German cyclist became a mentor for Olympic champions after his retirement
The German cycling federation has announced that six-time world champion Michael Hubner has died at the age of 65.
Hubner died in hospital in Saxony after a sudden illness. The news was confirmed on Tuesday.
The track cycling legend was known for his prominence in sprint events as he racked up a huge amount of accolades in the 1990s.
He later became a mentor to top athletes in the sport, including two-time Olympic champion Kristina Vogel, who paid tribute to her former boss.
“This shocks us all,” Vogel told German newspaper Bild. ‘You have no words, you don’t know what to say. He was a sprint legend.
German track cycling legend Michael Hubner has died in Saxony at the age of 65
Hubner won six world titles in a brilliant race within the sprint races on the circuit
Hubner was the mentor of two-time Olympic champion Kristina Vogel, who paid tribute to him
‘He, Lutz Hesslich and Jens Fiedler were the ones who made sprinting great in Germany.’
During his illustrious career, Hubner won two world titles in the individual sprint, one in the team sprint and three in the Keirin.
He is also known for breaking the world record in the men’s 200 meter time trial in 1986, which he held for an entire year.
In 1997, Hubner decided to retire from professional competition. However, his influence within the sport would continue.
Hubner met Vogel and other Olympic champions such as Lea Friedrich and Maximilian Levy, working as a senior management figure within cycling.
Until 2022 he was sporting director of the track team TheedProjekt-Cycling, where he guided several top stars.
Hubner is survived by his two sons and leaves a legacy within the sport that will be remembered by many.