Alex Zülle

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Alex Zülle
Personal information
Full name Alex Zülle
Nickname Perro Loco "Rompetechos"
Date of birth July 5, 1968 (1968-07-05) (age 39)
Country Flag of Switzerland Switzerland
Team information
Current team Retired
Discipline Road
Role Rider
Professional team(s)
1991–1997
1998
1999–2000
2001–2002
2003–2004
ONCE
Festina
Banesto
Team Coast
Phonak
Major wins
Vuelta a España (1996, 1997), 9 stages
World Time-Trial Champion (1996)
Giro d'Italia, 3 stages
Tour de France, 2 stages
Tour de Suisse (2002)
Vuelta al País Vasco (1995, 1997)
Infobox last updated on:
August 14, 2007
Medal record
Competitor for Flag of Switzerland Switzerland
Road bicycle racing
World Championships
Gold 1996 Lugano Elite Men's Time Trial

Alex Zülle (born July 5, 1968 in Wil) is a Swiss road bicycle racer. During the 1990s he was one of the best cyclists in the world, winning Vuelta a España two times and taking the second place in 1999 Tour de France.

During his career, Alex Zülle raced for the following teams: ONCE (1991-1997), Festina cycling team (1998), Banesto (1999-2000), Coast (2003), Phonak (2003-2004). Although Zülle has an impressive palmarès, his career unfortunately coincided with the one of Miguel Indurain, five times Tour de France winner and of Lance Armstrong, the seven times Tour de France winner, which meant that he never won the Tour de France, but finished this prestigious race twice as second best. Furthermore, Zülle met with success in the Vuelta, Giro d'Italia, Tour de Suisse, Tour de Romandie and other races. Zülle retired in 2004.

In 1998 Zülle was part of the Festina cycling team which got banned from the 1998 Tour de France because of serious doping allegations. This known as the Festina Scandal. See Doping at the Tour de France.

[edit] Palmarès

1992
1st Overall, Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
1st Overall, Vuelta a Asturias
1st Overall, Vuelta a Burgos
1st, Escalada a Montjuïc
1993
Paris-Nice
1st Stage 1 and 8
Vuelta a España
1st Stage 1, 6 and 21
2nd Overall
3rd Overall Vuelta al País Vasco
1994
4th Overall, Vuelta a España
1995
Tour de France
1st Stage 9
2nd Overall
Vuelta al País Vasco
1st Overall, Stage 3 and Stage 5(b)
Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
1st Stage 5(b)
2nd Overall
Euskal Bizikleta
1st Stage 4(b)
2nd Overall
Tour de Suisse
1st Stage 1, 6 and Points Classification
2nd Overall
3rd Overall, Paris-Nice
1st Stage 16, Vuelta a España
1996
World Time-Trial Championship (1996)
Vuelta a España
1st Overall and Stage 15
Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
1st Overall, Stage 3 and 5(b)
Volta a Catalunya
1st Overall, Prologue, Stage 3 and 6
Euskal Bizikleta
1st Stage 4(b)
2nd Overall
1st Prologue, Tour de France
1997
Vuelta a España
1st Overall and Stage 21
Vuelta al País Vasco
1st Overall and Stage 5(b)
2nd Overall, Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
2nd Milano-Torino
3rd La Flèche Wallonne
1998
Tour de Romandie
1st Stage 4(b)
2nd Overall
Giro d'Italia
1st Prologue, Stage 6 and 15
3rd Overall, Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
3rd Overall, Vuelta al País Vasco
1st Stage 21, Vuelta a España
1999
2nd Overall, Tour de France
1st Stage 13, Vuelta a España
2000
1st Stage 1, Vuelta a España
2001
1st Stage a, Paris-Nice
2002
Tour de Suisse
1st Overall and Stage 1
Tour de Romandie
1st Stage 4, 5 and Points Classification
2nd Overall

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Laurent Jalabert
Winner of the Vuelta a España
1996, 1997
Succeeded by
Abraham Olano
Preceded by
Miguel Indurain
World Time Trial Champion
1996
Succeeded by
Laurent Jalabert


Persondata
NAME Zülle, Alex
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Road bicycle racer
DATE OF BIRTH 1968-07-05
PLACE OF BIRTH Wil, Switzerland
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH