Nathan Dahlberg

Roger Nathan Dahlberg (22 February 1965 – 23 August 2024) was a New Zealand racing cyclist. He rode in the Tour de France in 1988 and 1989 and was 39th in the 1990 Giro d'Italia. Dahlberg spent his career being a domestique for other riders and occasionally being allowed to race for himself.

After retiring from racing Dahlberg managed the Marco Polo Cycling–Donckers Koffie until it folded in 2012. In 2015 he set sights on the world record for highest elevation cycled. He chose Broad Peak as the place for this attempt as it provided flat enough terrain to ride the required 20m for the record. While he was hiking up the 12th highest mountain in the world he slipped on some ice and fell down the hill but was able to use his ice pick to stop himself. He survived with just a head cut but lost his passport and other valuables. His team abandoned the expedition at the second camp as conditions were unsuitable for the attempt.

Dahlberg died in China on 23 August 2024, at the age of 59.

Career

Dahlberg's professional cycling career started with the 7-Eleven–Hoonved team in 1988. His first race for the team was Tour of the Basque Country where he came 73rd overall. He then rode Amstel Gold Race and Bordeaux–Paris followed by the GP Betekom where he placed sixth.

Dalhberg's first Tour de France participation was at the expense of his teammate, Bob Roll, who crashed into a spectator the day before the Tour started. Dahlberg had just come home from a training ride, and was met by a staff member from the team saying he needed to get to France tomorrow. They ended up driving all night and arrived at 5:30am with the first stage starting at 9am.

In 2001 Dahlberg did not race for a professional team but he still managed to get some great results. In April he won the Tour du Maroc, a 13-stage race in Morocco. He won Stage 5 of the race by 54 seconds taking the leaders jersey then not losing time to his rivals in the remaining stages.

In 2005 while riding for Marco Polo Dahlberg and fellow kiwi cyclist Robin Reid had a competition to see who could reach 10,000km the fastest. Dahlberg lost as he spent a lot of 2005 being the team director.

Major results

1985

2nd Grand Prix de la ville de Pérenchies

1988

6th GP Betekom

1990

1st Stage 1 Tour de Suisse

7th Giro della Toscana

1991

1st Stage 9 Ruta Mexico

3rd Reading Classic

6th Trofeo dell'Etna

1992

3rd Overall Casper Classic

1st Stage 8

2000

10th Overall Tour of South China Sea

2001

1st Overall Tour du Maroc

1st Stage 5

4th Overall Tour du Faso

10th Overall Perlis Open

2002

1st Stage 2 Tour de Serbia

2004

1st Overall Tour d'Indonesia

2010

7th Overall Tour d'Indonesia