René Wenzel

Infobox Cyclist
ridername = René Wenzel


fullname = René Wenzel
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dateofbirth = Birth date and age|1960|4|20|df=yes
country = DEN
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discipline = Road
role = Rider & Coach
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updated = 11 September 2008

René Wenzel (born 20 April 1960) is a Danish cycle racing coach, currently working on a consultant basis. He is a former coach of USA Cycling's national junior team, elite club Koege Cykel Ring in his native Denmark and first cycling teacher at a Sports College in Denmark, the Gentofte Studenter Kursus.

Biography

Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, Wenzel went to school at Bispebjerg Skole and Efterslaegtselskabets Gymnasium before moving to Belgium in 1979, and to France in 1980, to pursue his dream of a career as a professional cyclist. He won both the Danish and the Scandinavian Junior National Road Race Championships.

Wenzel contracted Mononucleosis in 1980, and took over 18 months out of competitive racing due to this illness. A cycle racing trip to the Philippines in 1983 gave Wenzel his first taste of coaching when he and friend Stig Larsen were asked to perform duties as Assistant Coaches for the Philippine National Team. Later, training in California, Wenzel fell in love with America; and spent the following five years competing across America as a member of various cycling teams. He excelled especially in the endurance events on the velodrome.

Wenzel returned to Denmark in 1988, and ended his active racing career at the end of 1989, after more than 22 years of racing and over 300 victories on track and road. He returned to America as an US National Team Coach in January 1990, holding the job until December 1992 when he was laid off due to the downsizing of the National Team programs. During his employment, the team won two World Championships and several Silver and Bronze medals.

René Wenzel became the first Dane to uphold the title of "Directeur Sportif" of a UCI registered professional team in 1993, when he joined the Saturn Professional Cycling Team. He has later been followed by common household names such as Bjarne Riis, Brian Holm, Johnny Weltz and many more.

In 1994 Saturn changed management group and Wenzel left to create a coaching institute then called "Wenzel World Champion Coaching", now renamed "Wenzel Coaching". He returned to the expanded Saturn team, renamed Saturn Cycling, as Manager and "Directeur Sportif" in 1995. Wenzel worked for Saturn Cycling until spring 2000, when together with then wife, Kendra Wenzel, they returned to her native Oregon for personal reasons.

Four former athletes accused Wenzel, along with Chris Carmichael, Cycling USA and Angus Fraser, to have treated them with illegal drugs in 1990, by feeding them pills and giving them injections, such as Cortizone, an immunosuppressant; Greg Strock in 2000, Erich Kaiter later in 2001 and also Gerrik Latta and David Francis. The case was brought to court in 2006. [ [http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/79.0.html 'Strock Speaks', Charles Pelkey] 29 December 2000] [ [http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/9763.0.html 'Six years later, Strock case comes to court', Charles Pelkey] 18 April 2006] Both Strock and Kaiter reportedly made out-of-court settlements with him but the case against the USAC continued in April 2006. [ [http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/386.0.html 'Files suit against USOC and Strock', Charles Pelkey] 3 April 2001] Wenzel and Carmichael deny the charges.

Wenzel is published and his book, 'Bike Racing 101' written along with Kendra Wenzel was published in May 2003. ['Bike Racing 101', René Wenzel & Kendra Wenzel Published: May 2003 Pubisher:Human Kinetics Europe Ltd. ISBN 78-0736044745]

Wenzel directed the small Continental Team, Subway, in 2004 and in 2005 owned it. It's best result was an overall win in the UCI registered event named 2005 Tour of El Salvador, with Wenzel as the Director Sportif in effect.

Kendra and René Wenzel separated in May 2005, and officially divorced in August 2007.

In November 2007, the Malaysian National Cycling Federation offered Wenzel the position of director of coaching, but it never came to fruition.

References