Richard Groenendaal

Infobox Cyclist
ridername = Richard Groenendaal

---

fullname = Richard Marinus Anthonius Groenendaal
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1971|7|13
country = NED
height =
weight =
currentteam = AA Drinks
discipline = Cyclo-cross
role = Rider
ridertype =
amateuryears =
amateurteams =
proyears = 1994–1995 1996–2006 2007–
proteams = Concorde-American Eagle Rabobank AA-Drinks
majorwins = flagiconUCI World Elite Cyclo Cross Championships (2000/01) flagiconUCI World Junior Cyclo-Cross Championships (1988/89) flagicon|NED Dutch Elite Cyclo-Cross Champion (1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005) flagicon|NED Dutch Elite Mountain Bike Champion (1997) Superprestige (1998, 2001) World Cup (1998, 2001, 2002, 2004)
updated = April 28, 2008

Richard Marinus Anthonius Groenendaal (born July 13, 1971 in Den Bosch, Netherlands) is a professional cyclo-cross cyclist who rides for the AA Drink team.

Early career

Groenendaal's father Reinier was an Elite cyclo-cross cyclist and was Dutch Elite champion in 1985. Groenendaal began to ride as a junior in 1987. He was Dutch Junior champion in 1987-1988 and 1988-89 where he also won the Junior World Cyclo-Cross championships. The following season he joined the Amateur category which he stayed until the 1993-94 season when he turned professional. Early in his career he showed promise as a road rider by finishing in the top ten in the 1992 Tour de l'Avenir, the year he also took part in the Summer Olympics road race. At the start of Groenendaal's career he was often compared to his father Rein and one commentator in Belgium sometimes referred to him as "Reintje." However after two seasons, Groenendaal had stood on more international podiums than his father and the comparisons stopped. [cite web|url=http://wielersport.slogblog.nl/post/1/1565|title=De periode dat Richard Groenendaal...|publisher=Wielersport|accessdate=2008-03-04]

In 1996 Groenendaal joined the newly formed Dutch cycling team Rabobank which he would stay with until the end of the 2006-2007 season when he choose to ride for an individual sponsor. Groenendaal's greatest achievements include winning the Cyclo-Cross World Cup in 1998, 2001 and 2004 and becoming Cyclo-Cross World Champion in 2000. Groenendaal attacked during the first lap and was chased by defending cyclo-cross world champion Mario De Clercq who was followed by Groenendaal's Rabobank teammate Sven Nys. Nys would not cooperate in the chase of his commercial teammate and as a result De Clercq never caught Groenendaal enabling Groenendaal to become World Champion. [cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/results/2000/jan00/ccworlds00/elite.shtml|title=Rabobank win:at what cost?|publisher=Cyclingnews.com|accessdate=2008-01-01] In the following season, Groenendaal dominated cyclo-cross with wins in the Superprestige series and the World Cup as well as being number one UCI ranked rider. Groenendaal also won the Dutch National Cyclo-cross championships. Groenendaal started as a big favourite for the World Championships but suffered a crash during the race and did not recover and as a result lost his Rainbow jersey. [cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/results/2001/feb01/ccworlds01/elite.shtml|title=Vervecken finally does it|publisher=Cyclingews.com|accessdate=2008-01-02] In the 2001-2002 season, Groenendaal lost the national cyclo-cross jersey to teammate Gerben de Knegt but did win the final World Cup of the season in Heerlen which made him a favourite for the World Championships which were taking place a week later. However, Mario De Clercq won ahead of Nys and Vannoppen. Groenendaal finished fourth and as best non-Belgian. Groenendaal won the first race of the Gazet van Antwerpen trophy of the 2002-2003 season with the Koppenbergcross ahead of Nys and Wellens. He also won a World Cup.

For the 2003-2004 season, Groenendaal suffered from a knee injury at the start of the season. At the end of the season, he recovered some form and won the Dutch national champions jersey. In an unexpected finale, Groenendaal took the 2003-2004 World Cup classification after the final event of the season. Groenendaal won the final world cup race where there were double points on offer in Pijnacker, while teammate and World Cup leader Sven Nys finished further back and lost the lead in the World Cup classification. [cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/cross.php?id=cross/2004/feb04/worldcup6_04|title=Groenendaal scores surprise double|publisher=Cyclingnews.com|accessdate=2008-01-03] Groenendaal kept up his form to win the final Gazet van Antwerpen race.

In the 2008 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships Groenendaal helped Dutch National teammate Lars Boom to launch his attack at the start of the final lap and win the gold medal. Groenendaal finished in twelfth place. [cite web|url=http://www.brabantsdagblad.nl/sport/2541448/Groenendaal-blaast-de-aanvalstrompet.ece|title=Groenendaal blaast de aanvalstrompet|publisher=Brabants dagblad|accessdate=2008-03-04]

Major Victories

;1993-94:NED National Cyclo-Cross championships:1st, Telleriarte Cross:2nd place World championship cyclo-cross;1994-05:2nd place World championship cyclo-cross:1st, Telleriarte Cross, Soestduinen & Wetzikon Cross ;1995-96:NED National Cyclo-Cross Championships:1st, Cyklokros Tabor, Zeddam & Harnes;1996-97:1st, Steinmaur, Eschenbach, Zurich-Waid, Prada di Pordenone, Vossem:: Superprestige Gavere, Grand Prix Nommay & Soestduinen;1997-98:World Cup overall title:Superprestige overall title:NED National Championships:1st, Steinmaur, Eschenbach, Zurich-Waid, Vlaamse Druivenveldrit Overijse, :: Superprestige Gieten, Hagendorf, Dijon, Brouilly-Odenas, Heerlen, :: Haarnes, Superprestige Gavere, Super Prestige Sint-Michielsgestel, :: Cyclo-cross Kalmthout, Essen & Duinencross Koksijde;1998-99:1st, Harderwijk, Prague, Eschenbach & Zurich-Waid;1999-2000:flagiconUCI World Cyclo-cross Championships:NED national champion cyclo-cross:2nd place World Cup:2nd place Superprestige:1st, Vlaamse Druivenveldrit Overijse;2000-01:World Cup overall title:Superprestige overall title:NED national champion cyclo-cross;2001-02:World Cup overall title:2nd place Superprestige;2002-03:NED national champion cyclo-cross:Koppenbergcross;2003-04:World Cup overall title:NED national champion cyclo-cross;2004-05:2nd place Superprestige:NED national champion cyclo-cross;2005-06:1st, Surhuisterveen Cross, Nacht van Woerden & Gieten Cross;2006-07:1st, Surhuisterveen Cross;2007-08:1st, Hamburg Cross

References

External links

* [http://www.richardgroenendaal.nl/ Official Website]
* [http://www.cyclocross-oostmalle.be Website of Sluitingsprijs Oostmalle]
* [http://www.cyclingbase.com/palcoureurs.php?id=27&idtitle=1 Complete palmares fr icon]