Thomas Voeckler
French Champion in the road race in 2004, 2010 Mountains classification Tour de France 2012
Thomas Voeckler ( born June 22, 1979 in Schiltigheim, Alsace ) is a French professional cyclist. He is a specialist in breakaways and has an aggressive driving style.
Career
The family of Thomas Voeckler emigrated in the 1980s to Martinique, he returned with 17 years back to France alone. His father ( a psychiatrist and an enthusiastic amateur sailor ) applies, since October 1992 after a sailing trip to be lost. He had given an age of 13 whose first bike Voeckler.
Thomas Voeckler made his professional debut in 2000 at the French Bonjour team for which he drove until 2002. He then got a contract with the successor team brioches La boulangère. In 2003, he first participated in the Tour de France and finished there the 117th place in the overall standings. In 2004, Voeckler was in Pont -du- Fossé ( Hautes -Alpes) French champion in the road race.
In the next Tour de France Voeckler conquered in the 5th stage from Amiens to Chartres the yellow jersey of the overall leader. In a five- man breakaway group succeeded Voeckler, remove the 33 seconds until then leader Lance Armstrong 12 minutes. After the 15th stage, he had to give back the yellow jersey to Lance Armstrong, but was able to keep the white jersey of best young rider, but only up to the penultimate stage, the individual time trial at Besançon. There, he lost it to the Russians Vladimir Karpets. Nevertheless, the French hailed him as a national hero and found by his fighting spirit a new favorite.
In the 2005 Tour de France Voeckler won for a day the polka-dot jersey for the best climber, In 2008 he was again wore in the Tour de France five days. A stage victory in the Tour de France could Voeckler finally celebrate 2009: The fifth stage from Cap d' Agde to Perpignan he finished as a soloist seven seconds ahead of the peloton.
At the Tour de France 2010 Thomas Voeckler could, who also French Champion in the road race was in that year, winning the 15th stage of Pamiers to Bagneres- de -Luchon. In the Pyrenees he broke up the Port de Balès ( Hors Category ) from a top group and won as a soloist with safe edge.
Voeckler 2011 for the Team Europcar, which is the successor team Bbox Bouygues Télécom. In the voyage Paris-Nice, he won two stage wins, including the prestigious final stage over the traditional Col d'Eze in Nice.
In the 2011 Tour de France he won at the 9th stage as part of a breakaway group of the yellow jersey. He had then a lead of around two and a half minutes on the favorites in the general classification. Against all expectations, Voeckler was initially able to defend the yellow jersey as early as 2004 at the Plateau de Beille. After he had the yellow jersey as "saved" over the Pyrenees, he succeeded then in the Alps it on the 18th stage to defend the " queen stage " of this Tour de France. His margin over Andy Schleck was now but already melted to 15 seconds. The following day he lost on the 19th stage up to L' Alpe d' Huez over three minutes, and thus the yellow jersey to Andy Schleck. In the final overall standings Voeckler finished fourth. He was the best-placed Frenchman in the Tour de France since Christophe Moreau in 2000. Now with 20 days in the yellow jersey of overall leader, he belongs alongside Miguel Indurain and Lance Armstrong to the drivers, most often put on their jersey in the past 20 years were allowed.
In 2006, his annual income was 380,000 euros.
Achievements
2003
- Appreciation Tour de Luxembourg
2004
- French Champion - Road Race
2006
- A stage Basque Country Tour
- Paris - Bourges
2007
- General Classification Tour du Poitou Charentes
- Grand Prix Ouest France
2008
- General Classification Circuit de la Sarthe
- Grand Prix de Plumelec Morbihan
- Appreciation Étoile de Bessèges
- Appreciation and a stage Tour du Haut -Var
- Trophée des grimpeurs
- Fifth stage of the Tour de France
- French Champion - Road Race
- A stage of the Tour de France
- Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec
- A stage Mediterranean cruise
- General Classification Tour du Haut -Var
- Two stages of Paris-Nice
- Grand Prix Cholet - Pays de la Loire
- A stage of the Giro del Trentino
- A stage and Appreciation Four Days of Dunkirk
- Brabantse Pijl
- A stage La Tropicale Amissa Bongo
- Two stages and mountain Classification Tour de France
- Critérium du Dauphiné stage a
- A stage and General Classification Tour du Poitou Charentes
Rankings in the Grand Tours
Legend:
- WD: withdrawal, the driver has the tour canceled after a stage