Ron Kiefel

Ronald ("Ron") Alexander Kiefel (born 11 April, 1960 in Denver) is a former professional road bicycle racer from the United States. Kiefel is a seven-time Tour de France racer, Olympic bronze medallist and member of the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame.

Kiefel was a veteran of several U.S.-based professional cycling teams as 7-Eleven, Motorola, Coors Light and Saturn, where he captured wins in such European races as the 1985 Trofeo Laigueglia and the 1987 Tour of Tuscany. Kiefel became the first American stage winner in a Grand Tour when he won Stage 15 of the 1985 Giro d’Italia. He competed in seven Tours de France, and represented USA Cycling at the 1984 Olympic Games where he won a Bronze Medal in the Men's Team Time Trial along with Clarence Knickman, Davis Phinney, and Andrew Weaver.

In 1983 Kiefel was a triple U.S. National Champion with victories in the Road Race, Individual Time Trial, and the Team Time Trial, repeating as National Road Champion in 1988. Following his retirement from professional competition in 1996, he has provided TV and radio broadcast commentary and live reporting for many of the European classics and major tours. Ron remains active in the cycling community in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, where he provides coaching and guidance for aspiring cyclists, is Vice President of Wheat Ridge Cyclery, and promotes races and rides for area cyclists.

In 2004, Keifel was inducted in the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame.

He and his wife, Meegan, at one time hosted a weekly AM radio show. [http://66.165.84.174/cyclinghour/]

Major achievements

* Stage 15, Giro d'Italia (1985)
* National Road Race Champion (1983, 1988)
* National Time Trial Champion (1983)
* National Team Time Trial Champion (1983)
* Bronze Medal, Summer Olympics - Men's Team Time Trial (1984)

Year by year

;1980
* 5th, U.S. National Cyclocross Championships [ [http://www.angelfire.com/realm/cvccbikers/ten_years/us_cross.html US National Cyclocross Champions 1975-2004 ] ] ;1981
* 5th, U.S. National Cyclocross Championships;1983
* 1st, U.S. National Cycling Championships - Road Race
* 1st, U.S. National Cycling Championships - Individual Time Trial
* 1st, U.S. National Cycling Championships - Team Time Trial;1984
* 3rd, "Bronze Medal", Los Angeles Summer Olympics - Men's Team Time Trial
* 9th, Los Angeles Summer Olympics - Men’s Individual Road Race

;1985
* 1st, Trofeo Laigueglia (ITA)
* 1st, Stage 15, Giro d'Italia (ITA)
* 1st, Prologue, Coors Classic (USA);1986
* 1st, Prologue, Coors Classic (USA)
* 1st, Stage 17, Coors Classic (USA);1987
* 1st, Los Gatos Cat's Hill Classic [ [http://www.catshill.org/ Cat's Hill Classic Bicycle Race ] ] (USA) ;1988
* 1st, Overall, Tour of Tuscany (ITA)
* 1st, U.S. National Cycling Championships - Road Race;1989
* 1st, Stage 10, (USA)
* 6th, Overall, Tour de Trump (USA);1990
* 2nd, Stage 10, Tour de Trump (USA)
* 3rd, Stage 8, Tour de France;1993
* 1st, Los Gatos Cat's Hill Classic (USA)

Tour de France

* 1986 - 96th
* 1987 - 82nd
* 1988 - 69th
* 1989 - 73rd
* 1990 - 83rd
* 1991 - 138th

Teams

* 1985 - 7 Eleven
* 1986 - 7 Eleven
* 1987 - 7 Eleven
* 1988 - 7 Eleven
* 1989 - 7 Eleven
* 1990 - 7 Eleven-Hoonved
* 1991 - Motorola
* 1992 - Motorola
* 1993 - Coors Light
* 1994 - Coors Light
* 1995 - Saturn

References

External links

* [http://www.letour.fr/HISTO/TDF/riders/us/4797.html Tour de France results]