Richard Virenque

Richard Virenque is a Cycliste French, born the November 19th 1969 with Casablanca, the Morocco and currently lives with Carqueiranne, close to Toulon. Virenque is known as much for its qualities of specialist in the mountain than for his implication in a scandal of resounding doping.

Richard Virenque was one of the youngest carriers of the yellow jersey in 1992, and a charismatic runner throughout his career cyclist, at which it put an in October 2004 term. It will remain in the history of Large-Buckles like the runner having gained the most once the shirt with the pea of best climbing, since it endorses it with 7 recoveries (1994 - 1997, 1999, 2003 - 2004).

Virenque and French

During his career, Richard Virenque was one of the runners more in sight in French cycling, because of his victories of stage and his results over the Tour de France, but also in the way in which it acquires them: runner full with plume, it launches out in long escaped S, agreeing of the significant efforts for a dubious success. The image of Virenque oscillates between that of large climbing and that of a Paradigme of doping in cycling. For its supporteurs, he is an goat-emissary of the fight against the doping, generalized in the sport of high-level at the end of the 20th century.

Its successes apart from the Tour de France (victories of stages in front of Miguel Indurain in the Critérium of Dauphine released, one day races) were obtained, except notable for Paris-Turns 2001, before the Affaire Feasted.

The business Feasted

See also: Affaire Feasted

Of 1993 with 1998 he is member of the team cyclist Festina. In 1998, the Festina team is touched by a scandal of doping after the arrest of the welfare man of the team Willy Voet, in possession of a great quantity of doping products. Richard Virenque then denies to be himself doped intentionally but, according to his own words, “without the knowledge of full sound liking” ( i.e. involuntarily). Of its side, Willy Voet explains that Virenque was perfectly conscious of what it did, and had even taken part in the traffic between professional cyclists.

In October 2000, with the lawsuit of the team Feasted, Richard Virenque initially denies to be doped before acknowledging. After a sporting suspension, it returns in 2003 and 2004 to gain its sixth and seventh “shirt with pea” (shirt which rewards the best climbing one for the Tour de France).

Virenque and Paris-Turns

Richard Virenque, classified like climbing runner, gains as a recluse the traditional queen of the sprinters Paris-Turns in 2001, and thus signs his return within the professional group while confirming his temperament of leaf.

Recent facts

In April 2006, it takes part and gains the first place with the emission of TV-reality I am a celebrity, leave me from there! on TF1.

The August 11th 2006, the former champion cycle is allowed at the hospital of Moûtiers then transferred to CHU from Grenoble after a serious fall which has occurred at the time of a short individual timed test of six kilometers to Méribel organized within the framework of the Alps Open Turn, five days a cyclosportive test on courses of high mountain. He suffered from a fracture of the nose, of a fracture open to the face and wounds on the face, one reviewed 32 joining to him. It should be noted that it did not carry a helmet at the time of this Against the watch.

Prize list

  • 7 shirts with pea of better climbing on the Tour de France (record): 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2004
  • 7 victories of stage in mountain: in 1994, Luz Ardiden; 1995, Cauterets; 1997, Courchevel; 2000, Morzine; 2002, Ventoux Mount; 2003, Morzine and 2004, Saint-Flour
  • victory in the Traditional Paris-Turns: 2001
  • Turn of the Limousin: 1993
  • Trophy of the climbing ones: 1994
  • Turn of Piedmont: 1996
  • Grand Prix the Marseillaise : 1997 (GP of opening of the season)
  • Bowl of gold of Monedières: 1992
  • Circuit of the Alder: 1994
  • Critérium of Castillon-the-Battles: 1995,1997,2002 and 2004
  • 1 stage of the Turn of Italy in 1999
  • 4 stages of the Critérium of Dauphine released: 1995 (2), 1996 (1), 1998 (1)
  • 1 stage of the Road of the South in 1994
  • Critèrium de Vayrac (46): 1996 and 1997
  • 2nd of the Tour de France: 1997
  • 2nd of the championship of France on road: 2003 (3rd: 1998)
  • 3rd of the Tour de France: 1996
  • 3rd of the Championships of the world on road: 1994

Results on the Tour de France

Results on the Giro

  • 1999 : 14th.

Anecdote

He is the eighteenth cyclist of the turn of France to have gained several stages over one 10 years period or more. Only Jean Alavoine, Henri Pelissier, Philippe Thys, Louis Mottiat, Andre Leducq, Antonin Magne, Rene Vietto, Gino Bartali, Andre Darrigade, Jean Stablinski, Raymond Poulidor, Felice Gimondi, Gerben Karstens, Ferdinand Bracke, Joaquim Agostinho, Lucien Van Impe and Lance Armstrong made a success of this performance. Since, only Cédric Vasseur could make in the same way.

Books

  • My Truth : publication in 1999 with the Editions of the Rock. Written with the assistance of C. Eclimont & Guy Caput. Richard Virenque explains there that it was never doped. With the lawsuit Feasted, it will end however up acknowledging to be itself doped.
  • more extremely than before : publication in 2002 at Robert Laffont. Written with the assistance of Jean-Paul Vespini.

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