Kim Kirchen
Kim Kirchen ( born July 3, 1978 in Luxembourg ) is a Luxembourgian cyclist.
Career
The 1.77 meter tall and 67 kg of Luxembourg has been a professional since 2001. In his career in 2002 he managed to win at the Tour of Holland. 2004 Churches, who was then at Fassa Bortolo under contract, in Nidderanven Luxembourg road champion. In the same year he took part in the Tour de France for the first time.
At the Tour de France 2005, he retired from 20th place in the overall standings in the 11th stage. The reason was as already in the Giro in 2003 and the Tour 2004 problems in back and hips. In the 2007 season, churches gained his first ProTour points at the Italian race Tirreno - Adriatico. Lying on the second separated the former T - Mobile rider just 4 seconds from the overall victory.
On 23 April 2008 churches celebrated his greatest success to date when he won his stated favorite race, the Flèche Wallonne for himself after he let an der Mur d' Huy ( Mur de Huy ) in the final sprint Cadel Evans and Damiano Cunego behind could.
On 29 April 2008 it was announced that Alexander Vinokourov is denied his victory on the 15th stage of the 2007 Tour de France for doping. So Kim Kirchen is now officially winner of this stage.
After 6.Etappe the 2008 Tour de France from Aigurande to Super Besse took over churches the yellow jersey of the leader of the German Stefan Schumacher, with whom he was in front of the target involved a few hundred meters in a collision. Churches was the first cyclists of Luxembourg nationality since Charly Gaul in Tour de France 1958 (or on Stage 1 in 1959 ), who wore the yellow jersey.
Churches joined on 1 January 2010 for Team Katusha. During the Tour de Suisse in 2010, he suffered a cardiac arrest but was successfully resuscitated.
Others
Kim Kirchen is the son of ex- professionals Erny. As a teenager, he was Fränk Schleck with a Radverein. Since 2007, he is married to Caroline. On July 8, 2010, both parents were of the twins Liam and Mika.
Achievements
2001
- A stage of Tour de Luxembourg
2002
- Winner Holland Tour
- Winner Tour de Berne
2003
- Winner Paris -Brussels
- A stage Mediterranean cruise
2004
- Winner of the Gala Tour de France in Luxembourg
- Luxembourg Champion - Road Race
- 6th place Olympic Games
2005
- Winner Trofeo Laigueglia
- Winner GP Chiasso
- Overall victory and a stage Tour of Poland
2006
- Winner prologue Tour de Luxembourg
- Luxembourg Champion - Road Race
2007
- A stage and 7th place overall Tour de France
- 2nd place overall Tirreno- Adriatico
- 2nd place overall Tour de Suisse
- 3rd place Milan -Turin
- 3rd place overall Tour of Poland
2008
- A stage of the Tour de France
- Two stages Basque Country Tour
- Winner Fleche Wallonne
- A stage in the Tour de Suisse
- Luxembourg Champion - Individual Time Trial
- The yellow jersey of the Tour de France after the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th stage
- Carrier of the green jersey in the Tour de France after the 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th stage
2009
- A stage in the Tour de Suisse
- Luxembourg Champion - Individual Time Trial