Johan Museeuw

Johan Museeuw is a former Belgian racing cyclist born the October 13rd 1965 with Varsenare. Called " The Lion of Flandres" , this specialist in traditional in north gained the Tour of Flandres and Paris-Roubaix has three resumptions and summer world champion of cycling in 1996. Its imposing prize list is worth to him to be regarded as one of the best runners of the years 1990.
It was caught up with by a business of doping after having taken its retirement and was suspended two years by its federation.

Biography

Johan Museeuw becomes professional in 1988 in the team AD Renting. During this first year, it gets busy before very helping the leader Eddy Planckaert, who gains the Tour of Flandres and the green shirt of the Tour de France. It gains a first victory (the GP Briek Schotte) and obtains some places of honors on Paris-Brussels (7th), or the Grand Prix of Isbergues (2nd).

Always in the same team the following year, it takes part in the victory of Greg Lemond with the Tour de France. It gains the 5th stage of the Tour of Belgium, on which it finishes 3rd with the final classification. It takes the same place on Paris-Turns, Through Flandres and the Grand Prix Eddy Merckx.

Team AD Renting being dissolved, Museeuw signs in 1990 for the team Lotto. It uses then of its talents of sprinter to gain eleven victories in the year, including 2 stages of the Tour de France.

In 1991, for its last year at Lotto, it is essential on the Championnat of Zurich; it also takes the 2nd place of the Turn of Flandres, and the third of Paris-Brussels. The following year it gains the Grand Prix E3, becomes champion of Belgium and finishes 3rd Milan-San Remo and 7th of Paris-Roubaix.

As from 1993, Johan Museeuw runs under the direction of Patrick Lefevere, then to manage of Italian team GB-MG. The Belgian runner then starts to be devoted more to traditional to the sprints. This choice is quickly crowned success, as its victories over the Tour testify some to Flandres at the beginning of season, then on Paris-Turns at the end of the season. Meanwhile it carries the yellow jersey of the Tour de France during 2 days.

As from its victory over the Lathe of Flandres, Johan Museeuw becomes one of the principal favorites for the traditional ones of north which are Paris-Roubaix and the " Round van Vlaanderen" . It gains each one of these tests with three recoveries. It plays there however of bad luck on several occasions. Thus, in 1994 he concedes the victory over the Ronde with Gianni Bugno for a difference of 7 Misters In 1996, engineering problems prevent it from disputing the victory, and the following year Bruno Boscardin breaks the nose to him. In 1998, one week after its third victory with the Turn of Flandres, it falls during Paris-Roubaix, in the trench of Wallers-Arenberg, and fractures the kneecap. Contracting a virus, the amputation is even considered a moment. Museeuw returns however also strong, and still is essential on Roubaix twice. For its Paris-Roubaix last in 2004, it seems still measurement of being able to carry it until a puncture comes to put an end to its hopes.

In addition to a championship of the world (1996) and its victories over the traditional ones of north, Johan Museeuw counts with its prize list two Championnats of Zurich, the Amstel Gold Race and the HEW Cyclassics, as well as sowing-traditional Flemish which are Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, the Het Volk, the Grand Prix E3 and the Flèche brabançonne.

Museeuw counts eleven tests of world cup to its prize list. It is about a record. Its places on the podium of the Turn of Flandres (three times 1st, three times 2nd and 2 times 3rd) constitute one of them also.

It takes its retirement on May 2nd, 2004 at the time of a critérium organized in its honor.

To have taken shortly after its retirement, Museeuw is implied in the business known as " Landuyt" (of the name of a Belgian veterinary surgeon suspected of traffic of doping products), like other Belgian runners (Mario De Clercq, OJ Planckaert and Chris Peers). It is suspended two years by the disciplinary commission of the Belgian federation for intentional doping. Its started reputation, the Flemish public television put an end to its collaboration as a consultant at the time of retransmissions of competitions cyclists.

This same business is worth to him, as well as the other runners concerned, to be accused by the court of Courtrai. In January 2007, he acknowledges " not to have run honestly during last année".
October 28th, 2007, the prosecutor has required against them heavy fines. The business is put on of deliberated until October 23rd.

Prize list

Trophy of the Belgian Sporting Merit: 1996
Prize winner of the world Gold Bicycle: 1996
Prize winner of Mendrisio d' Oro: 1996
Prize winner of the Gold Sprint: 1995,1996,2002 (3rd: 2003)
Prize winner of the Crystal Bicycle: 1993,1995,1996,1997,2002

World champion in Lugano (Swiss) in 1996 Victorious
of World cup UCI in 1995 and 1996 (2nd: 1993,1994,2002)
Champion of Belgium on road in 1992 and 1996
victorious Triple of the Turn of Flandres (1993, 1995 and 1998) (2nd: 2002)
victorious Trible of Paris-Roubaix (1996, 2000 and 2002)
Victorious of Paris-Turns (1993)
Double winner of the Grand Prix of Zurich (1991 and 1995)
Victorious of the Amstel Gold Race (1994)
Victorious of the HEW Cyclassics (2002) ( Hamburgische Electricitäts-Werke Cyclassic)
Victorious of the circuit of Het Volk (2000)
victorious Triple of the Arrow Brabançonne (1996, 1998 and 2000)
Double winner of Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurnes (1994 and 1997) (2nd: 1999)
Double the 4 day old Winner of Dunkirk (1995 and 1997)
Victorious of the Three Days of the Breakdown (1997)
Victorious of the Circuit of the Flemish Ardennes (1995)
Victorious of Dwars door Vlaanderen (1999)
Victorious of Through Belgium (1999)
Trophy Laigueglia (1995)
Grand Prix Eddy Merckx (1995) (3rd: 1996)
Grand Prix E3 (1998)
Omloop-Mandel-Leie-Schelde (1999, 2003) (2nd: 2002) (behind derny)
Critérium de Gistel (2004) ( Jubilee Johan Museeuw , its last race, on May 2nd)

Victorious of two stages of the Tour de France in 1990

Notes and references of the article

Random links: