Thomas Voeckler
Thomas Voeckler (born 22 June 1979) is a French professional road racing cyclist. He rides for the Europcar cycling team.[2]
.JPG) Voeckler at the 2014 Grand Prix d'Isbergues | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Thomas Voeckler |
| Nickname | Ti-Blanc Francis |
| Born | 22 June 1979 Schiltigheim, Alsace, France |
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 8+1⁄2 in)[1] |
| Weight | 71 kg (157 lb; 11 st 3 lb)[1] |
| Team information | |
| Current team | Retired |
| Discipline | Road |
| Role | Rider |
| Rider type | All-rounder Climber Breakaway specialist |
| Amateur teams | |
| 1999–2000 | Vendée U |
| 2000 | Bonjour (stagiaire) |
| Professional team | |
| 2001–2017 | Bonjour |
| Major wins | |
Grand Tours
| |
Voeckler has been called a "national hero," because he has done well in the Tour de France.[3][4] His nickname is le Chouchou which means Sweetheart.[5]
Career
changeVoeckler has been a professional cyclist since 2001. He entered the 2004 Tour de France and earned the yellow jersey (maillot jaune) on Stage 5. He wore the jersey for ten days, which made him famous.
In 2006 he won the fifth stage in 2006 Vuelta al País Vasco. He also won the 2006 Paris–Bourges race.
In 2009, he won his first stage in a Tour de France. Voeckler went for victory on stage 15 with about 5 km to go.[6]
In the 2010 Tour de France he won Stage 15.
In the ninth stage of the 2011 Tour de France, Voeckler crossed the line second, taking the overall lead and therefore wearing the maillot jaune (yellow jersey). He kept the yellow jersey for 9 stages, but lost it on Stage 19. Voeckler finished the Tour in fourth place 3min 20sec behind the winner, Cadel Evans. This is his best career placement in the Tour so far. It was the best finish of any Frenchman in the Tour since Christophe Moreau came fourth in 2000.
In 2012, Thomas Voeckler earned more victories and top placements, including in the Spring Classics.
At the 2012 Tour de France, he was suffering from a knee injury and almost abandoned the race. However he won Stage 10, the first mountain stage of the race. He also won Stage 16 with four huge climbs including the Col du Tourmalet. On this stage he grabbed the polka dot jersey for best climber.[7] He kept the jersey from the Pyrenees to the finish.[8]
In the Ardennes Classic in 2013 Voeckler crashed and broke his collarbone.[9] By June he recovered and won stage 6 of the Critérium du Dauphiné.[10] Voeckler continued his winning form by winning the overall titles of the Route du Sud and the Tour du Poitou-Charentes.
Other
changeVoeckler is known for displaying many different facial expressions while racing, especially when trying very hard.[11] He often sticks out his tongue.[12] In August 2011, Voeckler raced on his bike against a horse in an exhibition contest, and lost.[13]
Palmarès
change- 2003
- 1st
Overall Tour de Luxembourg
- 1st Stages 1 & 3
- 1st Classic Loire Atlantique
- 1st Stage 8 Tour de l'Avenir
- 2nd Tour de la Somme
- 3rd Grand Prix de Denain
- 2004
- 1st
National Road Race Championships - 1st A travers le Morbihan
- 1st Stage 4 Route du Sud
- 2nd Clasica de Almeria
- 18th Overall Tour de France
- Held Maillot jaune from Stage 5–14
- Held Maillot blanc
from Stage 5–18
- Held Maillot jaune
- 2005
- 1st Stage 3 Four Days of Dunkirk
- Held
Mountains classification for Stage 2 Tour de France - 2006
- 1st Paris–Bourges
- 1st Stage 5 Vuelta al País Vasco
- 1st Overall Route du Sud
- 1st Stage 1
- 3rd Overall Étoile de Bessèges
- 2007
- 1st Mountains classification Paris–Nice
- 1st Overall Tour du Poitou Charentes et de la Vienne
- 1st Grand-Prix de Plouay Ouest-France
- 2008
- 1st Overall Circuit de la Sarthe
- 1st Overall Grand Prix de Plumelec-Morbihan
- Held Mountains classification from Stages 1–5 Tour de France
- 2009
- 1st Stage 5 Tour de France
- 1st Overall Étoile de Bessèges
- 1st Overall Tour du Haut Var
- 1st Stage 2
- 1st Trophée des Grimpeurs
- 2nd Grand Prix d'Ouverture La Marseillaise
- 3rd Tour de Vendée
- 2010
- 1st National Road Race Championships
- 1st Stage 15 Tour de France
- 1st Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec
- 3rd Overall Giro di Sardegna
- 2011
- 1st Overall Tour du Haut Var
- 1st
Overall Four Days of Dunkirk
- 1st Stage 4
- 1st Stage 1 Tour Méditerranéen
- 1st Stages 4 & 8 Paris-Nice
- 1st Cholet-Pays de Loire
- 1st Stage 2 Giro del Trentino
- 3rd GP Ouest-France
- 4th Overall Tour de France
- Held Maillot jaune from Stage 10–19
- Held Maillot jaune
- 2012
- 1st Brabantse Pijl
- Tour de France
- 1st Mountains classification
- 1st Stages 10 & Stage 16
- 1st
- 1st Stage 3 La Tropicale Amissa Bongo
- 4th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
- 5th Overall Four Days of Dunkirk
- 5th Amstel Gold Race
- 7th World Road Race Championships
- 8th Tour of Flanders
- 2013
- 1st
Overall Route du Sud
- 1st Stage 3
- 1st Overall Tour du Poitou-Charentes
- 1st Stage 4 (ITT)
- 1st Stage 6 Critérium du Dauphiné
- 2nd Tour du Doubs
- 2nd Grand Prix de Wallonie
- 5th Dwars door Vlaanderen
- 8th Milano–Torino
Combativity award Stage 4 Tour de France
References
change- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Thomas Voeckler profile". Archived from the original on 27 December 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
- ↑ "Team Europcar (EUC) – FRA". UCI World Tour. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
- ↑ The secret life of Thomas Voeckler (2012-04-11). "The secret life of Thomas Voeckler | Cycle Sport". Cyclesportmag.com. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
- ↑ "Voeckler In Top Form For Liège-Bastogne-Liège". Cyclingnews.com. 2012-04-16. Retrieved 2012-07-11.
- ↑ "French celebrate Thomas Voeckler's win as Mark Cavendish retains green jersey". The Guardian. UK. 8 July 2009.
- ↑ Peter Scrivener (8 July 2009). "Live text – Tour de France". BBC Sport. Retrieved 8 July 2009.
- ↑ Hymas, Peter (18 July 2012). "Voeckler solos to second Tour stage win". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
- ↑ "Bradley Wiggins wins 2012 Tour de France". BBC Sport. BBC. 22 July 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
- ↑ "Voeckler out with broken collarbone". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. 15 April 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
- ↑ "Thomas Voeckler wins stage six of Criterium du Dauphine Libere". SI.com. Sports Illustrated. 7 June 2013. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
- ↑ "Rubber face: the Tour's most expressive man". Bike Radar. Future Publishing Limited. Archived from the original on 25 August 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
- ↑ Jen See. "Monsieur Panache". bicycling.com. Bicycling. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
- ↑ Voeckler Loses Out To Trotting Horse. Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved on 21 August 2011.
Other websites
change
- Team Europcar profile Archived 2012-07-17 at the Wayback Machine
- Thomas Voeckler's profile on Cycling Base Archived 2011-09-20 at the Wayback Machine