Erik Breukink

Infobox Cyclist
ridername = Erik Breukink


image_caption = Breukink at the 2007 Tour de France
fullname = Erik Breukink
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1964|4|1
country = NED
currentteam = Rabobank
discipline = Road
role = Team manager
ridertype = All-round
amateuryears =
amateurteams =
proyears = 1985 1986–1989 1990–1992 1993–1995 1996–1997
proteams = Skala-Gazelle Panasonic PDM ONCE Rabobank
manageyears = 2004–
manageteams = Rabobank
majorwins = Maillot blanc in 1988 Tour de France
updated = 31 July 2007

Erik Breukink (born April 1, 1964 in Rheden, Netherlands) is a former professional road racing cyclist. In 1988, Breukink won the youth competition in the Tour de France. In 1990, Breukink reached the podium in Paris, finishing 3rd in the 1990 Tour de France. Currently he is the manager of the Rabobank team.

Biography

Amateur cycling years

Breukink was born in a cycling family, as his father Willem Breukink was director of the Gazelle bicycle factory. Despite this, he chose to be a soccer player. In 1980 he changed to pursue a cycling career. [ [http://www.tourdefrance.nl/achtergronden/nederlandsehelden/Erik-Breukink-577.html tourdefrance.nl biography nl icon] ] In 1982, this appeared to be a good choice, when he won the Dutch national pursuit championship for juniors. At the 1984 Olympic Games, Erik Breukink competed with Gert Jakobs, Maarten Ducrot and Jos Albertsin the 100km Team Pursuit and finish fourth place. [ [http://www.aafla.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1984/1984v2.pdf Official results 1984 Olympic Games] ] In 1985, Breukink won 2 time trial stages in Olympia's Tour, and finished 3rd place overall. He decided to switch to a professional career.

Professional cycling years

Breukink made his debut as a pro in 1986 for the Skala-Gazelle team. He turned out to be a time trial specialist and was a good climber. In his Tour de France debut in 1987, he won one stage and finished second in the youth competition. His real breakthrough in the major courses was the 1988 Giro d'Italia, where he debuted with a 2nd place, winning the Gavia Pass stage in a snowstorm. In the 1988 Tour de France he won the youth competition and finished 13th place. In the 1989 Tour de France, he showed his time trial skills by winning the prologue, and wearing the yellow jersey for one day. In that year's Giro d'Italia, he almost won, but lost the lead in the Dolomites due to hunger.In 1990, Breukink wanted to focus on the Tour de France, so he switched to the PDM team, that allowed him to do so. In the 1990 Tour de France, the result was good, winning two stages and finishing 3rd overall. The result could even have been better, but Breukink suffered from some bad luck: in the climb to the Tourmalet Breukink had to switch bicycles three times.In 1991, Breukink together with the entire PDM-team had to leave the tour ranked 3rd, officially due to food poisoning, but it was later exposed that it was due to Intralipid [ [http://www.parool.nl/artikelen/SPO/1058332921293.html Terug naar ... 16 juli 1991nl icon] ] [ [http://www.cyclingnews.com/results/archives/dec97/dec1.html Dutch Drugs Scandal - Part 6] ] In 1992, he appeared weak, especially in his favourite time trials. In 1993, Breukink switched to the ONCE-team, where his performance improved again. Bad luck followed him however, as just before the start of the 1993 Tour de France, he was hit by a car. The damage to his left knee caused him to give up during the Tour.Breukink rode the Tour de France four times afterwards, but never reached his old level. In 1997 he ended his professional cycling career, having ridden 11 Tours de France and won 4 stages. He garnered 61 career victories in total.

ports commentator

After one year as a Public Relations officer for the Rabobank-team, Breukink started as co-commentator for the NOS, covering the Tour de France. In 2002 and 2003, the GP Erik Breukink [ [http://www.gp-erikbreukink.nl/ Official site GP Erik Breukink nl icon] ] , a UCI level 2.3 course [ [http://www.uci.ch/data_2002/road/calendar/03_2002.htm UCI 2002 road calendar] ] , was run, with Erik Dekker and Fabian Cancellara as winners, [ [http://www.velo-club.net/article.php?sid=14741 GP Erik Breukink final classifications] ] but it was discontinued in 2004 due to financial problems. [ [http://www.dewielersite.net/db2/wielersite/nieuwsfiche.php?nieuwsid=1121 GP Breukink afgelast nl icon] ]

Team manager

On 13 January 2004, it was announced that Erik Breukink started as a team manager for the Rabobank team. [ [http://www.tourdefrance.nl/nieuws%5C2004%5CErik-Breukink-ploegleider-Rabobank-1660.html Erik Breukink ploegleider Rabobanknl icon] ] Thanks to his ONCE-years, Erik Breukink speaks Spanish fluently, which is helpful to communicate with the Spanish cyclists in the Rabobank team and cyclist Denis Menchov, who also speaks Spanish better than English. [ [http://www.rabobank.nl/particulieren/sponsoring/wielrennen/proteam/de_ploegleiders/ Team informationnl icon] ] Since Breukink became team manager, the Rabobank cycling team's successes have included Paris-Tours, Milan-Sanremo, the Brabantse Pijl (3x), the Tirreno-Adriatico (2x), the Tour de Romandie, the final classification and three stages in the Vuelta a España, 6 stages in the Tour de France and the polka dot jersey (2x) in the Tour de France.On, 20 July 2006, Breukink received the "médaille de la fidélité" from the Tour de France organisation, because he had been present in the Tour de France for 20 years. (11 times as rider, 1 time as PR-officer, 5 times as sports commentator and 3 times as team manager). [ [http://www.tourdefrance.nl/nieuws%5C2006%5CTwintig-Tours-met-Breukink-3515.html Twintig Tours met Breukink nl icon] ]

Major victories

;1982 (amateur):flagicon|NED Dutch national junior pursuit champion;1986:Tour de Suisse: Winner 4th stage and mountain classification;1987:Stage 13 of the Tour de France:Stage 1A of the Giro d'Italia (finishing 3rd place overall);1988::Stage 14 of the Giro d'Italia (finishing 2nd place overall):Criterium International:Vuelta al País Vasco;1989:Prologue of the Tour de France:2 stages Tour de Romandie ;1990:Stages 12 and 20 of the Tour de France (finishing 3rd overall):1st Stage 2A and overall Nissan Classic;1991:Tour du Pont:GP Eddy Merckx;1992:Giro del Piemonte:Stage 7 in Vuelta a España;1993: flagicon|NED Dutch National Road Race Championship:Ronde van Nederland:Criterium International;1995: flagicon|NED Dutch National Road Race Championship;1997:flagicon|NED Dutch national time trial champion

Final classification grand tours

(* means did not finish)

External links

* [http://www.france-cyclisme.com/breukink.htm Palmares fr icon]
* [http://www.rabobank.nl/particulieren/sponsoring/wielrennen/proteam/de_ploegleiders/ Profile at official rabobank site nl icon]

Notes

Persondata
NAME= Breukink, Erik
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Cycling team manager and former road bicycle racer
DATE OF BIRTH= 1964-04-01
PLACE OF BIRTH=Rheden, Netherlands
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=