Pieter (Piet) van Nek (Nieuwendam, October 10, 1885 – Leipzig, April 14, 1914) was a Dutch track cyclist, best known for his success as a stayer. Piet came from a family of cyclists — his younger brother Klaas was also a notable rider. Piet turned professional in 1908 and that year set a Dutch hour record behind pacer Piet Dickentman, covering 69.55 kilometers. He made his debut as a stayer on the Zeeburgerbaan and in 1913 became Dutch champion over 40 kilometers. Van Nek often competed in Germany, where track races offered significant prize money, and was known for his fearless riding.
Tragically, his promising career was cut short during a race in Leipzig. On April 12, 1914, while competing over a distance of 100 kilometers, he suffered a tire blowout in full speed around a bend and fell heavily. He was taken to Klinikum St. Georg but never regained consciousness and died two days later. The news of his death shocked both friends and rivals alike. Around 80,000 people attended his funeral in Amsterdam, with a procession that carried his coffin — draped in the red-white-blue champion’s jersey — past the Olympia sports hall on Rembrandtplein and his mother’s house on Van Woustraat. At the Nieuwe Ooster cemetery, 5,000 supporters, including the legendary Jaap Eden, paid their respects.
His grave, created by sculptor Kees Smout, memorializes him in perpetuity. The monument depicts the mustachioed cyclist in his jersey, flanked by two symbolic figures; death and an angel. Though his life was brief, Piet van Nek remains remembered as a talented and fearless cyclist whose achievements and tragic story left a lasting mark on Dutch cycling.