Alex Zülle

Infobox Cyclist
ridername = Alex Zülle


fullname = Alex Zülle
nickname = "Perro Loco" "Rompetechos"
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1968|7|5
country = SUI
currentteam = Retired
discipline = Road
role = Rider
ridertype =
amateuryears =
amateurteams =
proyears = 1991–1997 1998 1999–2000 2001–2002 2003–2004
proteams = ONCE Festina Banesto Team Coast Phonak
majorwins = Vuelta a España (1996, 1997), 9 stages flagiconUCI World Time-Trial Champion (1996) Giro d'Italia, 3 stages Tour de France, 2 stages Tour de Suisse (2002) Vuelta al País Vasco (1995, 1997)
updated = August 14, 2007

Alex Zülle (born July 5, 1968 in Wil) is a Swiss road bicycle racer. During the 1990s he was one of the best cyclists in the world, winning Vuelta a España twice and taking the second place in 1999 Tour de France.

During his career, Alex Zülle raced for the following teams: ONCE (1991-1997), Festina cycling team (1998), Banesto (1999-2000), Coast (2003), Phonak (2003-2004). Although Zülle has an impressive palmarès, his career unfortunately coincided with the one of Miguel Indurain, five time Tour de France winner and of Lance Armstrong, the seven times Tour de France winner, which meant that he never won the Tour de France, but finished this prestigious race twice as second best. Furthermore, Zülle met with success in the Vuelta, Giro d'Italia, Tour de Suisse, Tour de Romandie and other races. Zülle retired in 2004.

In 1998 Zülle was part of the Festina cycling team which got banned from the 1998 Tour de France because of serious doping allegations. This known as the Festina Scandal. See Doping at the Tour de France.

Palmarès

;1992:1st Overall, Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme:1st Overall, Vuelta a Asturias:1st Overall, Vuelta a Burgos:1st, Escalada a Montjuïc;1993:Paris-Nice::1st Stage 1 and 8:Vuelta a España::1st Stage 1, 6 and 21::2nd Overall:3rd Overall Vuelta al País Vasco;1994:4th Overall, Vuelta a España;1995:Tour de France::1st Stage 9::2nd Overall:Vuelta al País Vasco::1st Overall, Stage 3 and Stage 5(b):Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme::1st Stage 5(b)::2nd Overall:Euskal Bizikleta::1st Stage 4(b)::2nd Overall:Tour de Suisse::1st Stage 1, 6 and Points Classification::2nd Overall:3rd Overall, Paris-Nice:1st Stage 16, Vuelta a España;1996:flagiconUCI World Time-Trial Championship (1996):Vuelta a España::1st Overall and Stage 15:Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme::1st Overall, Stage 3 and 5(b):Volta a Catalunya::1st Overall, Prologue, Stage 3 and 6:Euskal Bizikleta::1st Stage 4(b)::2nd Overall:1st Prologue, Tour de France;1997:Vuelta a España::1st Overall and Stage 21:Vuelta al País Vasco::1st Overall and Stage 5(b):2nd Overall, Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme:2nd Milano-Torino:3rd La Flèche Wallonne;1998:Tour de Romandie::1st Stage 4(b)::2nd Overall:Giro d'Italia::1st Prologue, Stage 6 and 15:3rd Overall, Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme:3rd Overall, Vuelta al País Vasco:1st Stage 21, Vuelta a España;1999:2nd Overall, Tour de France:1st Stage 13, Vuelta a España;2000:1st Stage 1, Vuelta a España;2001:1st Stage a, Paris-Nice;2002:Tour de Suisse::1st Overall and Stage 1:Tour de Romandie::1st Stage 4, 5 and Points Classification::2nd Overall

ee also

* List of doping cases in cycling
*List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences

External links

* [http://www.alex-zuelle.com/ Official Website de icon]

Persondata
NAME= Zülle, Alex
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Road bicycle racer
DATE OF BIRTH= 1968-07-05
PLACE OF BIRTH=Wil, Switzerland
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=