Cor Vos, the Dutch photographer whose career captured decades of cycling history and helped launch the careers of some of the sport’s top photojournalists, died on Tuesday in Rotterdam. He was 77.
Born and raised in Rotterdam, Vos was a competitive amateur cyclist through the late 1960s. In 1975, he founded his own photo agency, which became a go-to source for newspapers and cycling outlets around the world, including Canadian Cycling Magazine.
“Cor was the leading figure in Dutch cycling photography,” Pim Ras said to AD, who got his start at Vos’ agency in 1988. “You couldn’t have asked for a better apprenticeship. In a short time, you had to learn to improvise and capture the decisive moment under pressure.”
Ras recalled the long evenings after weekend races when Vos and his team prepared photo deliveries, with his wife Carla bringing sandwiches to keep them going through the night.
For 35 years, Vos shot the Tour de France from the back of a motorcycle, documenting all of the incredible moments in sport. He fell suddenly ill on Tuesday morning and died a few hours later at Ikazia Hospital in Rotterdam.
“Cor wasn’t focused on style; he was focused on the moment,” Ras said. “He would always say: you can take a beautiful photo, but if it’s not the defining moment, it doesn’t matter. He made sure we understood that. It shaped how we approached every race.”