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André Greipel

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André Greipel
Greipel in 2022
Personal information
Full nameAndré Greipel
NicknameThe Gorilla
Born (1982-07-16) 16 July 1982 (age 42)
Rostock, East Germany
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Weight78 kg (172 lb)[1]
Team information
Current teamRembe Pro Cycling Team Sauerland
DisciplineRoad
Role
Rider typeSprinter
Amateur teams
 –2001Polizei SV Rostock
2001Jan Ullrich Nachwuchsteam
Professional teams
2002–2004TEAG Team Köstritzer
2005Wiesenhof
2006–2010T-Mobile Team
2011–2018Omega Pharma–Lotto
2019Arkéa–Samsic[2]
2020–2021Israel Start-Up Nation[3][4]
Managerial team
2022–Saris Rouvy Sauerland Team
Major wins
Grand Tours
Tour de France
11 individual stages (2011–2016)
Giro d'Italia
7 individual stages (2008, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017)
Vuelta a España
Points classification (2009)
4 individual stages (2009)

Stage races

Tour Down Under (2008, 2010)
Ster ZLM Toer (2015)

One-day races and Classics

National Road Race Championship
(2013, 2014, 2016)
Vattenfall Cyclassics (2015)
Brussels Cycling Classic (2013, 2014)
Medal record
Men's road bicycle racing
Representing  Germany
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Copenhagen Road race

André Greipel (born 16 July 1982) is a German former professional road bicycle racer,[5] who rode professionally between 2002 and 2021. Since his retirement, Greipel now works as a directeur sportif for UCI Continental team Rembe Pro Cycling Team Sauerland.[6]

Born in Rostock, East Germany, Greipel competed as a pure sprinter and took 158 wins during his professional career. His major successes included 22 stage victories at Grand Tours: 11 at the Tour de France, 4 at the Vuelta a España, and 7 at the Giro d'Italia. Greipel also won the points classification in the 2009 Vuelta a España. He also prevailed in the classic Paris–Bourges and won the overall classification of the Australian race Tour Down Under twice, in 2008 and 2010.

Professional career

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T Mobile Team (2006–2010)

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Greipel in 2006

The 2008 Tour Down Under was to be a revelation for Greipel. He won the overall classification by a narrow margin of 7 seconds on the local Allan Davis of Team UniSA–Australia. He also earned the points classification thanks to an impressive four stage wins out of a possible six.[7] Later in the season he won his first Grand Tour stage in the Giro d'Italia.

In the 2009 Vuelta a España, Greipel competed as the top sprinter on Team Columbia–HTC benefiting from flat stages and the Columbia lead-out team. He won four stages including the prestigious last stage from group sprints. He also won the "Green Jersey" Points Classification. Greipel finished the 2009 season with an impressive 20 wins, second in victories only to his teammate Mark Cavendish.[8]

Greipel (center) at the 2010 Tour Down Under, which he won

In 2010, he started the year with his second overall victory at the Tour Down Under. He achieved that result thanks to three stage triumphs. The 4-second bonuses awarded to the winner of each stages helped him carry on to the top of the podium.[9] In April, Greipel completely dominated the Tour of Turkey in terms of stage wins, winning 5 stages out of 8 including the opening time trial. He finished eighth overall and earned the points classification jersey.[10] He later conquered his second Giro d'Italia stage.

Omega Pharma–Lotto/Lotto–Belisol (2011–2018)

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2011

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Greipel (right) on the podium at the 2011 UCI World Road Race Championships

In 2011, after moving to Omega Pharma–Lotto, he had his first Tour de France victory on stage 10, inching out his biggest rival and former teammate Mark Cavendish in a sprint in Carmaux.[11] Greipel later took the bronze medal at the World Road Race Championships in Copenhagen, after coming third in the mass sprint behind Cavendish and Matthew Goss, another former HTC teammate.

2012

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Greipel at the 2012 World Ports Classic

At the Tour de France, Greipel and his Lotto–Belisol teammates had high hopes for stage victories. It almost happened on Stage 2, where he was edged on the line by Mark Cavendish despite having a "nearly perfect lead out train" by his own admission.[12] On the next bunch sprint stage (Stage 4 finishing in Rouen), a crash occurred with a little less than 3 kilometers to go, which included Cavendish among other riders. Greipel steered clear of the accident and won the sprint by beating Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre–ISD) and Tom Veelers (Argos–Shimano).[13] Greipel repeated the feat the very next day on Stage 5, taking his second win in a row while the peloton reached the escapees in Saint-Quentin inside the final kilometer. Cavendish was part of the sprint this time around, finishing fifth.[14] He was the victor again on Stage 13, surviving the short but steep category 3 climb Mont-Saint-Clair situated 23 km (14.3 mi) from the finish and clawed his way back to the bunch in the following flat section. A few late attacks were reeled in during the final kilometers and he edged Peter Sagan on the line to take his third win of the Tour.[15]

In August, Greipel took second place after winner Arnaud Démare (FDJ–BigMat) in the Vattenfall Cyclassics, the only World Tour event disputed in Germany, his home country.[16] He stated that the scorching heat did not help matters in the 245.6 km (152.6 mi) race, and that his "engine had some cooling problems".[17] He also announced after the race that he would not participate in the World Championships in Limburg, citing the course is not suited to his characteristics.[17]

Greipel followed his second place with victories in the first two stages of the Danmark Rundt.[18] In October, Greipel reacted to the Lance Armstrong–United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) affair: "[...] the fight against cheating and the falsely-earned successes must absolutely be continued! This fight for honesty and a fair sport has already proven itself, even if cycling's reputation seems to be continually damaged." the German wrote on his blog, supportive of the investigation.[19]

2013

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Griepel at the 2013 Tour de France

Greipel started the 2013 campaign successfully in Australia by winning the Down Under Classic and the first stage of the Tour Down Under two days later. With that victory, Greipel equaled the record for most stage wins at this race with 12, which was held by Robbie McEwen.[20] He went on to win stages 4 and 6, establishing his own record and registering his 100th career victory in Adelaide, on the last day of the event.[21] During Stage 3 of the Tour of Turkey, it was announced to Greipel that his grandmother had died. He talked to his family after the stage and they chose to continue. The next day, he won Stage 4, surviving a climb in the final 10 kilometers to come up a victor of a group of 38 riders. He declared after the stage: "They [his family] supported me to stay here for racing. It's also good for me. It's an important race for my build-up for the Tour de France. I promised my dad that I'd win a stage for my grandmother. I'm happy I could make it."[22] He won another stage the next day.[23] In late June, Greipel won the German national road race ahead of Gerald Ciolek and John Degenkolb. He was part of an eighteen-man leading group as he won the sprint on a rainy day in Wangen im Allgäu.[24]

2014

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Greipel at the Grote Prijs Jef Scherens in September 2014

In January, Greipel started his season with a couple of stage victories in Australia at the Tour Down Under, as has become his habit in recent years.[25] He then went on to compete in the Tour of Oman, winning three stages and the points classification.[26] He crashed heavily in the finale of Gent–Wevelgem with Tyler Farrar, dislocating his collarbone and tearing off the bone's ligaments. He was successfully operated upon that same evening, but that event greatly hindered his spring campaign.[27] Greipel made his return to racing at the Tour of Turkey, where he went winless since he was still recuperating from his injuries and trying to get his form back.[28] His next victory came on Stage 4 of the Tour of Belgium. He later participated to the Tour de Luxembourg to fine-tune his form before the Tour de France, amassing 2 stage wins in the process. On the last stage, Greipel soloed to the finish line, a rare feat for such a pure sprinter.[29] Right before the Tour, Greipel added another win to his tally at the Ster ZLM Toer. At the Tour, success came on the sixth stage in Reims after rival fast men Arnaud Démare and Marcel Kittel had been dropped from the peloton. Greipel outsprinted Alexander Kristoff (Team Katusha) and Samuel Dumoulin (Ag2r–La Mondiale) to claim the first step of the podium.[30]

2015

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Greipel celebrating victory in Stage 21 of the 2015 Tour de France on the Champs-Élysées.

Greipel took his first victory of the season at the Volta ao Algarve. He then waited until the second stage of Paris–Nice to grab the next one, dedicating the victory to his mother, who he said "is going through a very hard time".[31] In April, he was denied his third victory of the season as he was edged by 3/10,000th of a second on the finish line by Alexander Kristoff at the Three Days of De Panne.[32] At the end of the month, he renewed with victory on the fourth stage of the Tour of Turkey. As some of his main rivals were dropped on a climb close to the finish, he won the sprint of the reduced group.[33] His next victory was Stage 6 of the Giro d'Italia ahead of Matteo Pelucchi and Sacha Modolo.[34] He then withdrew from the Giro ahead of stage 14.[35] He grabbed his next success on Stage 1 of the Tour de Luxembourg.[36]

At the Tour de France, Greipel was the victor of the second stage, a very windy affair that saw splits occur in the peloton. He was in the front group and out-sprinted Peter Sagan, Mark Cavendish and Fabian Cancellara.[37] On the fifth stage, a bunch sprint occurred and Greipel got the better of it by besting Sagan and Cavendish.[38] He also won the bunch sprints at the end of stages 15 in Valence and the final stage (stage 21) to Paris on the Champs-Élysées, giving him four stage victories — the most of any competitor at that year's Tour de France.[39][40]

2016

[edit]
Greipel at the 2016 Tour de France

Greipel took three sprint victories on the Giro d'Italia before deciding to withdraw before the mountains. He was wearing the red jersey when he decided to quit.[41] On 26 June, he won his third German championship in the road race, beating Max Walscheid (Team Giant–Alpecin) and Marcel Kittel (Etixx–Quick-Step) in a bunch sprint in Erfurt.[42]

2017

[edit]

Greipel enjoyed success in the early part of the 2017 season, taking his first win at the opening race of the Challenge Mallorca in late January[43] before going on to take the fifth stage of Paris–Nice.[44] At the Giro d'Italia, Greipel won the second stage: the time bonuses he collected from this and his third place on the opening stage put him in the overall race lead, earning him the pink jersey for the first time in his career.[45] However, he subsequently suffered a victory drought: at the Tour de France, he was unable to take a stage win – the first time he did not take at least one win at a Grand Tour since the 2008 Giro d'Italia.[46] He did not win another race until he took the honours in the inaugural edition of the Omloop Eurometropool at the end of September.[47]

2018

[edit]

Greipel started his season in January with a win on the first stage of the Tour Down Under in Lyndoch.[48] He also took the closing sixth stage of the race, held in Adelaide.[49] He was forced to withdraw from the spring classics after breaking his collarbone in a crash at Milan–San Remo, but returned to competition after seven weeks at the Four Days of Dunkirk,[50] where he took another pair of stage wins, and he collected another two stages and the points jersey at the Tour of Belgium.[51][52] However, he could not translate this form into a stage win at the Tour de France, and was forced to withdraw from the race after finishing outside the time limit on one of the Alpine stages. Subsequently, Lotto–Soudal announced that after eight seasons with the team, Greipel would be leaving at the end of the season.

Arkéa–Samsic (2019)

[edit]

In August 2018, Greipel announced that he had signed a two-year deal with Fortuneo–Samsic, later renamed Arkéa–Samsic from 2019.[53] Greipel made his debut for the team at La Tropicale Amissa Bongo, where he won a stage.[54] However, Greipel struggled to be competitive in sprints for much of the season. In October 2019 Greipel and Arkéa–Samsic announced that they had agreed to end their contract a year early, making his final appearance for the team at the Münsterland Giro. Greipel also revealed that his competitiveness was affected in the first half of the season by a bacterial disease which he suffered from for several months, recovering a fortnight before the Tour de France.[55]

Israel Start-Up Nation (2020–2021)

[edit]

In November 2019, Israel Start-Up Nation announced that they had signed Greipel for the 2020 season.[56] He started his first season with the team in Australia, racing in the Tour Down Under, Race Torquay and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, taking a best result of fourth place on stage four of the Tour Down Under before returning to Europe. However, in February 2020, Greipel suffered a shoulder fracture in a training crash near Cologne.[57] The injury prevented Greipel from racing further before competition was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[58]

In April 2021 Greipel stated that he would retire in 2022.[59] The following month he took his first win in over two years at the Trofeo Alcúdia, having twice finished second in stages of the Presidential Tour of Turkey in April.[60] He subsequently won a stage at the Vuelta a Andalucía.[61] In July, ahead of the penultimate stage of the Tour de France, Greipel announced that he would retire from competition at the end of the season.[5] His final race was at the Münsterland Giro, finishing tenth.[62]

Personal life

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He currently lives in Hürth, close to Cologne in Germany. After his win of the 2008 Tour Down Under, he was nicknamed the "Gorilla" by various sports media.[7]

Career achievements

[edit]
Main article: List of career achievements by André Greipel

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "André Greipel – Arkea-Samsic". Archived from the original on 5 July 2019. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  2. ^ "Arkéa-Samsic". Directvelo (in French). Association Le Peloton. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  3. ^ Ostanek, Daniel (11 December 2019). "Israel Cycling Academy become Israel Start-Up Nation as WorldTour beckons". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  4. ^ "Israel Start-Up Nation". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 1 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  5. ^ a b Benson, Daniel (17 July 2021). "André Greipel to retire at the end of the season". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  6. ^ Lindner, Sebastian (14 January 2022). "Greipel gibt Starthilfe für Rostocker Talent" [Greipel gives start-up help for Rostock talent]. Radsport-News.com (in German). Sport Aktiv Media GmbH. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  7. ^ a b Greg Johnson and Paul Verkuylen (27 January 2008). "'Gorilla' Greipel gets the stage – and the overall". Cycling News. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  8. ^ "Cycling Quotient". Cqranking.com. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  9. ^ "Sutton wins finale as Greipel takes Tour Down Under". Velo News. Competitor Group. 24 January 2010. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  10. ^ Jean-François Quénet (18 April 2010). "Greipel takes the final stage". Cycling News. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  11. ^ Farrand, Stephen (12 July 2011). "Greipel defeats Cavendish for stage win in Carmaux". Cycling News. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  12. ^ "Tour de France: Greipel pledges to try again after near miss on stage two". VeloNation Press. VeloNation. 3 July 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  13. ^ Benson, Daniel (4 July 2012). "Greipel wins Tour de France stage in Rouen". Cycling News. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  14. ^ "Greipel doubles up on Tour de France stage 5". Cycling News. 5 July 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
  15. ^ "Greipel wins photo finish over Sagan in mid-Tour sprint". Cycling News. 14 July 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  16. ^ Susan Westemeyer (19 August 2012). "Demare wins Vattenfalls Cyclassics". Cycling News. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  17. ^ a b "Greipel to miss World Championships in Limburg". Cycling News. 20 August 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  18. ^ Greipel gav ny undskyldning for at sejre, Jyllands Posten, 23 August 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-23.
  19. ^ "Greipel voices support of USADA investigation". Cycling News. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  20. ^ Peter Kogoy (22 January 2013). "André Greipel wins opening stage of Tour Down Under". The Australian. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  21. ^ Alex Malone (27 January 2013). "100th career victory for Greipel in Adelaide City". CyclingNews. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  22. ^ Jean-François Quénet (24 April 2013). "Greipel wins stage 4 of the Tour of Turkey". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
  23. ^ Shane Stokes (25 April 2013). "Tour of Turkey Video: Greipel in press conference after stage five victory". VeloNation. VeloNation LLC. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  24. ^ Lukas Knöfler (23 June 2013). "Greipel wins rainy race for German title". cyclingquotes.com. Retrieved 24 June 2013.
  25. ^ Brian Holcombe (25 January 2014). "Greipel wins stage 6 of Tour Down Under, Gerrans secures overall". VeloNews. Competitor Group, Inc. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  26. ^ "André Greipel wins stage 6; Chris Froome wins Tour of Oman 2014". CyclingPerspective. Kim Hull. 23 February 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  27. ^ Stephen Farrand (31 March 2014). "Greipel undergoes surgery after Gent–Wevelgem crash". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  28. ^ "André Greipel returns to racing". DBM Endurance. 27 April 2014. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  29. ^ "André Greipel wins Stage 4; Matti Breschel wins Skoda Tour de Luxembourg 2014". CyclingPerspective. Kim Hull. 1 June 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  30. ^ "André Greipel Wins Stage 6 Sprint". Bicycling. Rodale, Inc. 10 July 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
  31. ^ "Paris–Nice: Greipel wins in Saint-Amand-Montrond". Cyclingnews.com. 10 March 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  32. ^ "Kristoff strikes again at Driedaagse de Panne". Cyclingnews.com. 2 April 2015. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  33. ^ "Greipel kicks into gear with stage 4 win in Turkey". VeloNews. Competitor Group, Inc. 29 April 2015. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  34. ^ Spencer Powlison (14 May 2015). "Greipel wins Giro d'Italia stage 6; Contador crashes". VeloNews. Competitor Group, Inc. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  35. ^ Nigel Wynn (23 May 2015). "André Greipel and Michael Matthews withdraw from Giro d'Italia". Cycling Weekly. IPC Media Sports & Leisure network. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  36. ^ "Tour de Luxembourg: Greipel secures stage 1 sprint victory". Cyclingnews.com. 4 June 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  37. ^ "Tour de France: Greipel wins storm-swept stage to Neeltje Jans". Cyclingnews.com. 5 July 2015. Retrieved 5 July 2015.
  38. ^ MacMichael, Simon (8 July 2015). "Tour de France Stage 5: André Greipel takes second win, Mark Cavendish third". RoadCC. Farrelly Atkinson Ltd. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  39. ^ "Tour de France: Greipel victorious in Valence". Cyclingnews.com. 19 July 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  40. ^ "Tour de France: Chris Froome wins Tour de France 2015". Cyclingnews.com. 26 July 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  41. ^ Andrew, Hood (19 May 2016). "Greipel defends decision to abandon Giro". VeloNews. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  42. ^ "Greipel besiegt Kittel bei Tour-Generalprobe" (in German). MDR. 26 June 2016. Archived from the original on 29 June 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  43. ^ Wynn, Nigel (26 January 2017). "André Greipel wins opening race of 2017 Challenge Mallorca (video)". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  44. ^ Wynn, Nigel (9 March 2017). "André Greipel storms to Paris-Nice 2017 stage five win". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  45. ^ Brown, Gregor (6 May 2017). "André Greipel: 'It's a childhood dream to wear the Giro d'Italia maglia rosa'". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  46. ^ "André Greipel's Grand Tour winning streak ends on the Champs-Élysées". cyclingnews.com. 24 July 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  47. ^ "Greipel wins Omloop Eurometropool in bunch sprint". cyclingnews.com. 2 October 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  48. ^ Cyclingnews.com (16 January 2018). "Griepel wins stage 1 of the tour down under". Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  49. ^ "Impey wins 2018 Tour Down Under". cyclingnews.com. 21 January 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  50. ^ "Greipel makes racing return at the 4 Jours de Dunkerque". cyclingnews.com. 8 May 2018.
  51. ^ "Greipel and Lotto Soudal break-up confirmed". sbs.com.au. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  52. ^ Benson, Daniel (6 August 2018). "Transfer mechanics: André Greipel, Lotto Soudal and the end of the road". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  53. ^ "Marc Sergeant: We owe a great deal to André Greipel". cyclingnews.com. 2 August 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  54. ^ Fletcher, Patrick (15 February 2019). "Greipel hoping for lift-off in Oman after disappointing African adventure". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  55. ^ "André Greipel terminates contract with Arkéa-Samsic but puts off announcing his future plans". cyclingnews.com. 1 October 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  56. ^ "André Greipel joins Israel Cycling Academy". cyclingnews.com. 5 November 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  57. ^ Ostanek, Daniel (16 February 2020). "Greipel undergoes successful shoulder surgery". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  58. ^ Ostanek, Daniel (16 April 2021). "Greipel centimetres away from first win for Israel Start-Up Nation at Tour of Turkey". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  59. ^ "André Greipel to retire at end of 2022". cyclingnews.com. 14 April 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  60. ^ "André Greipel celebrates breaking the dry spell with victory number 157". cyclingnews.com. 17 May 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  61. ^ "Greipel, Martin confirmed alongside Woods and Froome for Tour de France". cyclingnews.com. 18 June 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  62. ^ "Mark Cavendish wins reduced sprint at Sparkassen Münsterland Giro 2021". Cycling Weekly. 3 October 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021. André Greipel rounded out the top 10 in the final race of his career [...]
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