Robert Förstemann (born 5 March 1986) is a German track cyclist specialising in the sprint disciplines and world champion in team sprint in 2010. In his later career he has transitioned to Paralympic track cycling, representing Germany as a sighted 'pilot' in tandem events at the 2020 Summer Paralympics. In 2023, Förstemann piloted Thomas Ulbricht to a silver medal in the tandem B sprint and a bronze medal in the tandem B kilo at the 2023 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Glasgow.
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 March 1986 Greiz, East Germany |
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) |
| Weight | 96 kg (212 lb; 15.1 st) |
| Team information | |
| Discipline | Track |
| Role | Rider |
| Rider type | Sprinter |
Medal record | |
Major results edit
| Date | Placing | Event | Competition | Location | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 3 | Team sprint[N 1] | National championships | Leipzig |  Germany
|
| 25 July 2005 | 3 | Team sprint[N 2] | European Track Championships | Fiorenzuola |  Italy
|
| August 2005 | 3 | Team sprint[N 3] | National championships | Hamburg | Germany
|
| 11 December 2005 | 3 | Team sprint[N 4] | World Cup | Manchester |  United Kingdom
|
| 19 August 2006 | 3 | Team sprint[N 5] | National championships | Cottbus | Germany
|
| 25 February 2007 | 2 | Team sprint[N 6] | World Cup | Manchester | United Kingdom
|
| 29 March 2007 |  |
Team sprint[N 7] | World Championships | Palma de Mallorca |  Spain
|
| 23 August 2007 | 2 | Team sprint[N 8] | National championships | Berlin | Germany
|
| 26 August 2007 | 3 | Sprint | National championships | Berlin | Germany
|
| 30 November 2007 | 2 | Team sprint[N 9] | World Cup | Sydney |  Australia
|
| 28 August 2008 | 2 | Team sprint[N 10] | National championships | Büttgen | Germany
|
| 29 August 2008 | 1 | 1 km time trial | National championships | Büttgen | Germany
|
| 30 August 2008 | 1 | Sprint | National championships | Büttgen | Germany
|
| 11 December 2008 | 1 | Team sprint[N 11] | World Cup | Cali |  Colombia
|
| 25 March 2009 | |
Team sprint[N 12] | World Championships | Pruszków |  Poland
|
| 8 July 2009 | 1 | Team sprint[N 13] | National championships | Erfurt | Germany
|
| 1 November 2009 | 3 | Team sprint[N 14] | World Cup | Manchester | United Kingdom
|
| 11 December 2009 | 2 | Sprint | World Cup | Cali | Colombia
|
| 12 December 2009 | 2 | Team sprint[N 15] | World Cup | Cali | Colombia
|
| 24 March 2010 |  |
Team sprint[N 16] | World Championships | Ballerup |  Denmark
|
| 19 February 2012 | 3 | Sprint | World Cup | London | United Kingdom
|
| 2 August 2012 | |
Team sprint[N 17] | Summer Olympics | London | United Kingdom
|
| 18 October 2013 | |
Team sprint[N 18] | European Track Championships | Apeldoorn |  Netherlands
|
| 19 October 2013 |  |
Sprint | European Track Championships | Apeldoorn | Netherlands
|
| 4 August 2023 | |
Kilo B1 | World Para-cyling Track Championships | Glasgow | United Kingdom
|
- ^ The other riders on the squad were Sebastian Döhrer and Dominik Harzheim
- ^ The other riders on the squad were Daniel Giese and Marco Jager
- ^ The other riders on the squad were Sascha Jäger and Alexander Lesser
- ^ The other riders on the squad were Maximilian Levy and Benjamin Wittmann
- ^ The other riders on the squad were Sebastian Döhrer and René Enders
- ^ The other riders on the squad were Matthias John and Michael Seidenbecher
- ^ The other riders on the squad were Maximilian Levy and Stefan Nimke
- ^ The other riders on the squad were Carsten Bergemann and Benjamin Wittmann
- ^ The other riders on the squad were Matthias John and Stefan Nimke
- ^ The other riders on the squad were Stefan Nimke and Benjamin Wittmann
- ^ The other riders on the squad were Carsten Bergemann and Stefan Nimke
- ^ The other riders on the squad were René Enders and Stefan Nimke
- ^ The other riders on the squad were Carsten Bergemann and Sascha Hübner
- ^ The other riders on the squad were Stefan Nimke and Tobias Wachter
- ^ The other riders on the squad were Maximilian Levy and Mathias Stumpf
- ^ The other riders on the squad were Maximilian Levy and Stefan Nimke
- ^ The other riders on the squad were Maximilian Levy and René Enders
- ^ The other riders on the squad were Maximilian Levy and René Enders
Olympics 2012 edit
The German Olympic team used a loophole in the International Cycling Union (UCI) regulations to include Förstemann as an additional member of their 2012 sprint cycling team.[1] He was also included in the German team for the mountain bike event.
Physique edit
In July 2012, a photograph of Förstemann's legs was widely circulated by the world's media during the 2012 Summer Olympics.[2] Described as a 'quad off' with Olympic team-mate André Greipel, the photo showed his quad muscles compared with those of the road cyclist. His thighs were measured with a circumference of 73 centimetres (29 in).[3] A circumference of 86 centimetres (34 in) has also been recorded, and the size of his quad muscles has led to him being called "Quadzilla" by some in his sport.[4]
References edit
- ^ Gallagher, Brendan (2 August 2012). "Sir Chris Hoy sets the wheels turning in the hunt for Olympic gold". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
- ^ Roberts, Christine (30 July 2012). "The thigh's the limit! Olympic athletes Robert Forstemann and Andre Griepel compete in 'quad-off'". Daily News (New York). Retrieved 2 August 2012.
- ^ "Wer toppt diese Olympia-Schenkel?". B.Z. (in German). 1 August 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
- ^ "They call him Quadzilla. Picture captures scale of cyclist Robert Forstemann's massive thighs". The Independent. 5 November 2013.
External links edit
- Robert Förstemann at Cycling Archives
- Robert Förstemann at Olympedia
- Robert Förstemann at Olympics.com
- Robert Förstemann at the Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund (in German)
- Robert Förstemann at Team Deutschland Paralympics (in German)
- Official website at the Wayback Machine (archived 3 July 2013) (in German)
