Matthias Kessler
Matthias Kessler ( born May 16, 1979 in Nuremberg, Germany) is a former German cyclist.
Sports career
The all-rounder was already the beginning of his cycling career in the service of Deutsche Telekom, first in the Junior Team Telekom from 2000 and as a professional in the Team Telekom, later T-Mobile team.
Among his greatest achievements include the third place in the road Cycling Championship in the U23 class, third place at the German U-23 Championship in the same year and a win on the third stage of the Tour de France 2006. During the same year he also his helpers skills to the test and was instrumental in the second place by Andreas Klöden in Paris. In 2004, he landed at Flèche Wallonne with the 3rd place in a major one-day races on the podium. The former World Cup race Amstel Gold Race and Liege -Bastogne- Liege, he finished in the same year in the top 10
The end of 2006, he joined, among others, Andreas Klöden to the newly formed team Astana.
After a doping suspension crashed Kessler, difficult even without a team for the 2010 season, at a training trip to Mallorca on January 14, 2010. Seven months after his serious training accident Kessler was still under medical treatment and has made progress in rehab. However, his professional career, he was unable to continue.
In March 2014, Kessler, who is partially paralyzed after his crash in training, together with Jan Ullrich, his former Telekom team-mate, start in South Africa at the grassroots race " Cape Argus " over 110 kilometers on the tandem.
Doping
On 27 June 2007 it was announced that Kessler had been tested positive for testosterone in an unannounced exercise control on 24 April 2007 in Charleroi, Belgium. He was initially suspended from his Astana team with immediate effect. On 11 July 2007 it was announced that Kessler's B sample is also positive. Then Astana announced the immediate dismissal of Kessler. The beginning of 2008 closed the disciplinary chamber of the Swiss Olympic Association Matthias Kessler for two years until 26 July 2009. Moreover, the process cost him was imposed and he must repay all prize money won after the positive doping test.
Achievements
- Gran Premio Miguel Indurain
- Gran Premio Miguel Indurain
- 3rd La Flèche Wallonne
- A stage of the Tour de France
- 2nd Place German Championship road