Johan Museeuw
 Museeuw in 2006 |
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||
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| Full name | Johan Museeuw | ||||||||||||
| Nickname | Lion of Flanders | ||||||||||||
| Born | 13 October 1965 Varsenare, Belgium |
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| Team information | |||||||||||||
| Current team | Retired | ||||||||||||
| Discipline | Road | ||||||||||||
| Role | Rider | ||||||||||||
| Rider type | Classics specialist | ||||||||||||
| Professional team(s) | |||||||||||||
| 1988-1989 1990-1992 1993-1994 1994-2000 2001-2002 2003-2004 |
ADRenting Lotto GB-MG Mapei Farm Frites Quick Step |
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| Major wins | |||||||||||||
| World Cycling Champion (1996) UCI Road World Cup (1995, 1996) Tour de France, 2 stages Tour of Flanders (1993, 1995, 1998) Paris–Roubaix (1996, 2000, 2002) Amstel Gold Race (1994) HEW Cyclassics (2002) Paris–Tours (1993) Züri-Metzgete (1991, 1995) |
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Medal record
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Johan Museeuw (born 13 October 1965 in Varsenare) is a retired Belgian professional road bicycle racer. He was a professional from 1988 to 2004 and was particularly successful in the classic cycle races in the nineties.
Cycling
Museeuw is the winner of 11 World Cup races, including six victories in "Monument" events:
- Tour of Flanders 1993, 1995, 1998
- Paris–Roubaix 1996, 2000, 2002
- Züri-Metzgete 1991, 1995
- Paris–Tours 1993
- HEW Cyclassics 2002
- Amstel Gold Race 1994
He won the World Cup in 1995 & 1996. He was also the Belgian Champion in 1992 & 1996.
Museeuw won the World Cycling Championship in the road race in Lugano 1996. In that year, he also won the UCI Road World Cup, the only rider in history to accomplish both in the same year.
Museeuw also won the following classics and semi-classics:
- Omloop "Het Volk" 2000, 2003
- Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne 1994, 1997
- Dwars door Vlaanderen 1993, 1999
- E3 Prijs Vlaanderen 1992, 1998
- Brabantse Pijl 1996, 1998, 2000
Biography
Museeuw's father Eddy rode as a pro for two seasons without much success. Johan started his professional career in 1988 with ADR. In 1989 he was part of the ADR team in which Greg LeMond won his second Tour de France. In 1990 Museeuw went to the Lotto team for which he won two stages in the Tour de France that year. Later on he rode for the MG-GB, Mapei, Domo-Farm Frites and Quick-Step. He ended his career in the spring of 2004.
Starting as a sprinter, Museeuw won the final stage of his first Tour de France in 1990. He subsequently traded his powerful sprint for more endurance and stamina that allowed him to win the spring classics such as Paris–Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders. While his attempt to set a new record by winning both races four times failed, he holds the record for the number of combined podium places in those races. He is often compared to other Flemish spring classics specialists such as Roger de Vlaeminck. He has a special friendship with current Quickstep team manager Patrick Lefevere (formerly of Mapei and Lotto-Domo) who admitted that he treats all his riders the same, but Museeuw has a special place in his heart.
One week after winning the 1998 Tour of Flanders, Museeuw had a terrible fall in Paris–Roubaix (Bois de Wallers) in which his knee was shattered. On top of this came a dangerous infection which almost caused him to lose the injured leg. He fought back and resumed cycling after a long healing process. A couple of years later, he was again injured in a motor cycle accident. His dogged determination and powerful riding style won him legions of fans all over the world, but he is especially popular in his native Flanders, and was nicknamed Lion of Flanders. Upon crossing the finish line in victory in the 2000 Paris–Roubaix, he lifted his left foot and pointed at his knee as a reminder of the injury that almost ended his career two years earlier.
Towards the end of his career, he acted as a mentor to Tom Boonen.
In his last Classic race the 2004 Paris–Roubaix he punctured while riding in the winning break, losing his last chance of equaling the record of four wins. He finished in tears in fifth place with his long-time rival Peter Van Petegem sixth. Johan's last race was the Grote Scheldeprijs held in his native Flanders on 14 April 2004. It was won by his team mate Tom Boonen. He "won" a tribute race on 2 May in his home town Gistel. After his retirement, Museeuw took up a non-riding position with Quickstep Innergetic.
In 2003 a doping allegation surfaced in which Museeuw was implicated. In January 2007, Museeuw gave a press conference in Kortrijk, revealing that he had "not been completely honest in my last year as a pro, as I wanted to end my career in style", and announcing his resignation from Quickstep Innergetic. On 24 January 2007 Museeuw confessed to these charges.[1] Reports insinuated his using human growth hormone which he obtained from a Belgian vet Jose Landuyt. The police authorities claimed that Museeuw purchased banned substances and recorded phone conversations that spoke of wasps a codeword for Aranesp, a synthetic drug which increases red blood cell levels. Despite the absence of direct evidence, it was ruled in 2004 that there was sufficient argument for his athletic suspension.
In December 2008 Museeuw was convicted of doping offences by a Belgian Court.[2] He was sentenced to ten months imprisonment (suspended) and ordered to pay a fine of 2500 Euro. Jose Landuyt was given a 12 month suspended sentence and the same fine.
More recently, Johan has begun marketing his own brand of frames (made in Poland) from a combination of carbon fibre and flax.[3]
In 2009 Museeuw left his wife and two children and moved in with his new girlfriend Ilse, who previously had a relationship with cyclist Jo Planckaert. Planckaert was involved in the same doping affair as Museeuw.
Victories
- 1988
- Grote Prijs Briek Schotte, Desselgem
- 1989
- GP Deutsche Weinstrasse
- Criterium Oostende
- Criterium Deerlijk
- 5th stage Tour of Belgium
- 1990
- 3d stage Driedaagse van De Panne
- 1st stage Four Days of Dunkirk
- 1st stage Tour de l'Oise
- 3d stage Tour of Ireland, Nissan Classic
- Tour de France
- 1st Stages 4 & 21
- Dwars door de Morbihan
- Criterium Aalst
- Criterium Dilsen
- Criterium Valkenswaard
- Criterium Lichtervelde
- 1991
- 2nd stage Ruta Del Sol
- 5th stage Ruta Del Sol
- 5th stage Four Days of Dunkirk
- 3d stage Midi Libre
- 2nd stage Tour of Britain
- 3d stage Tour of Ireland, Nissan Classic
- Züri-Metzgete
- Championship of Flanders
- Criterium De Haan
- Criterium Deerlijk
- Criterium Bavikhove
- 1992
- 5th stage Vuelta a Andalucía
- 1st stage Tour of Valencia
- 2nd stage Tour of Valencia
- E3-Prijs Harelbeke
- Criterium Bellegem
- 1st stage Bicicleta Vasca
- 2nd stage Ronde van de Mijnvalleien
- Criterium Peer
Road Championship of Belgium
- 1993
- GP Wielerrevue
- 4th stage Paris–Nice
- Dwars door België
- 4th stage Hofbrau Cup
- Tour of Flanders
- 1st stage Tour of Switzerland
- Paris–Tours
- Criterium Hengeloo
- Criterium Bavikhove
- 1994
- Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne
- Amstel Gold Race
- Criterium Made
- Teleport Derny Amsterdam
- Wielsbeke
- 8th stage Tour of Switzerland
- Geraardsbergen
- Druivenkoers Overijse
- 1995
- Trofeo Laigueglia
- Omloop de Vlaamse Ardennen, Ichtegem
- Tour of Flanders
- 6th stage Four Days of Dunkirk
- Four Days of Dunkirk
- Züri-Metzgete
- Druivenkoers Overijse
- Grand Prix Eddy Merckx
- Championship of Flanders
- Criterium Bavikhove
- Criterium Graz
- UCI Road World Cup
- 1996
- Brabantse Pijl
- Paris–Roubaix
- Omloop Mandel-Leie-Schelde
- 1st stage Tour of Puglia
- Road Championship of Belgium
World Cycling Championship, Lugano- UCI Road World Cup
- 1997
- Time trial Four Days of Dunkirk
- Four Days of Dunkirk
- 2nd stage Ruta del Sol
- 4th stage Ruta del Sol
- 5th stage Ruta del Sol
- Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne
- Criterium Peer
- Criterium Kortrijk
- GP Breitling (with Camenzind)
- Criterium Karlsruhe
- Gala Tour de France
- 1998
- E3-prijs Harelbeke
- Brabantse Pijl
- Tour of Flanders
- 1999
- Dwars door België
- Omloop Mandel-Leie-Schelde
- Criterium Bavikhove
- Grand Prix Briek Schotte, Desselgem
- 2000
- Paris–Roubaix
- Omloop "Het Volk"
- Brabantse Pijl
- 2001
- Dernycriterium Wilrijk
- 2002
- 1st stage Guldensporen Tweedaagse
- Paris–Roubaix
- Profronde van Made
- 3d stage Tour du Région wallonne
- HEW Cyclassics Hamburg
- Profronde van Almelo
- 2003
- Omloop "Het Volk"
- 3d stage Tour of Denmark
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Franco Ballerini |
Winner of Paris–Roubaix 1996 |
Succeeded by Frédéric Guesdon |
| Preceded by Andrea Tafi |
Winner of Paris–Roubaix 2000 |
Succeeded by Servaïs Knaven |
| Preceded by Servaïs Knaven |
Winner of Paris–Roubaix 2002 |
Succeeded by Peter van Petegem |
See also
↑Jump back a sectionExternal links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Johan Museeuw |
- Johan Museeuw profile at Cycling Archives
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