Thomas Allier

Cyclist infobox
ridername = Thomas Allier


image_size =
image_caption =
fullname = Thomas Allier
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age |1975|3|24
height = 1.85m (6' 1" Imperial)
weight = (187lbs. Imperial)
country = FRA
currentteam = Free Agent Bicycles
discipline = Bicycle Motocross (BMX)
role = Racer
ridertype = Off Road
protourrank =
europetourrank =
amateuryears = 1993-1997
1997-1998
amateurteams = Sunn/Chipie
Sunn/Nike
proyears = 1998-1999
1999-2001
2001-2003
2003-2006
2006-Present
proteams = Sunn/Nike
GT Bicycles/Pansonic Shock Wave
Giant Bicycles
GT Bicycles
Free Agent Bicycles
majorwins =
updated = August 30, 2008

Thomas Allier (b. March 24, 1975 in Rillieux-la-Pape, [ [http://www.humanite.fr/journal/2005-07-19/2005-07-19-810699 FÊTE DE L’HUMANITÉ July 19, 2005 article in its original French] ] [ [http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.humanite.fr/journal/2005-07-19/2005-07-19-810699&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dthomas%2Ballier%2Bbmx%26start%3D80%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DN%26pwst%3D1 The rough Google translation of the same FESTIVAL OF HUMANITY article into English] ] Rhône, Rhône-Alpes, France) is a French professional "Mid/Current School" Bicycle Motocross (BMX) racer whose prime competitive years were from 1993-2006. Allier was a member of the French Olympic BMX Team participating in the debut of BMX racing at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Allier did not make it past the quarter finals.

Racing career

Note: Professional first are on the national level unless otherwise indicated.

----Started Racing: September 1989 at 14 years old.

Sanctioning Body: UCI

First race result:

First win (local):

First sponsor:

First national win:

Turned Professional: 1998

First Professional race result:

First Professional win:

First Junior Pro* win:

First Senior Pro** race result:

First Senior Pro win:

Retired: Active

Height & weight at height of his career (1995-2006): Ht:6'1" Wt:187lbs (1.85m, kg).

*In the NBL it is B"/Superclass/"A" pro (beginning with 2000 season); in the ABA it is "A" pro.
**In the NBL it is "A" pro (Elite men); in the ABA it is "AA" pro.

Career factory and major bike shop sponsors

Note: This listing only denotes the racer's primary sponsors. At any given time a racer could have numerous ever changing co-sponsors. Primary sponsorships can be verified by BMX press coverage and sponsor's advertisements at the time in question. When possible exact dates are given.

----

Amateur

* Sunn/Chipie: 1993-September 1997
* Sunn/Nike: September 1997-1999 Allier would turn pro in the US with this sponsor.

Professional

* Sunn/Nike: September 1997-1999
* GT (Gary Turner) Bicycles/Pansonic Shock Wave: 1999-October 2001. GT dropped its entire BMX and freestyle teams after Pacific Coast Cycles brought Schwinn/GT. [www.fatbmx.com, October 2001] Previously in October 1998 Schwinn Cycling & Fitness acquired GT Bicycles Inc. and merged. ["BMX Plus!" January 1999 Vol.22 No.1 pg.11]
* Giant Bicycles: Late December 2001-October 2003. In an odd repeat of his experience in in 2001 Giant Bicycles dropped its professional members of its team. Ironically GT Bicycles which dropped its team two years before due to financial difficulties picked him up for its European division after Allier moved back to France after the 2003 NBL season. ["Moto Mag" November/December 2003 Vol.2 No.6 pg.5]
* GT Bicycles: October 2003-December 11, 2006
* Free Agent Bicycles: December 12, 2006-Present

Career bicycle motocross titles

Note: Listed are District, State/Provincial/Department, Regional, National, and International titles in "italics". "Defunct" refers to the fact of that sanctioning body in question no longer existing at the start of the racer's career or at that stage of his/her career. Depending on point totals of individual racers, winners of Grand Nationals do not necessarily win National titles. Series and one off Championships are also listed in block.

----

Amateur

Association Francaise de Bicrossing (AFdB)

La Fédération Française de Bicrossing (FFB)

Fédération Française de Cyclisme (FFC)
*"1994 Junior Men French Champion".National Bicycle Association (NBA)
*None (defunct)National Bicycle League (NBL)
*NoneAmerican Bicycle Association (ABA)
*NoneUnited States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA)
*None (Defunct)International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
*"1994 18-24 Cruiser World Champion"Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*

Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*

*See note in Professional section.

Professional

Association Francaise de Bicrossing (AFdB)

La Fédération Française de Bicrossing (FFB)

Fédération Française de Cyclisme (FFC)
*"1995-1998 Elite Men French Champion"
*"2005 Elite Men French Champion" National Bicycle Association (NBA)
*None (defunct)National Bicycle League (NBL)
*"2000 National No.1 Pro"American Bicycle Association (ABA)
*"2000, 2002 Pro World Cup Champion" United States Bicycle Motocross Association (USBA)
*None (defunct)International Bicycle Motocross Federation (IBMXF)*
*None (defunct)Fédération Internationale Amateur de Cyclisme (FIAC)*
*None (defunct)Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)*
*1997 Elite Men Grand Prix BMX Valkenswaard Champion (World Cup Pre-Race)
*"1998 Elite Men European Elite/Junior Champion"
*"1998, 1999 Gold medal Elite Cruiser World Champion"
*"1998 Gold medal Elite Men European Champion"
*"1998 Gold medal Elite Men World Champion"
*"2000 Gold medal Elite Men World Champion"
*"2004, 2005 Elite Men European Champion"

*Note: Beginning in 1991 the IBMXF and FIAC, the amateur cycling arm of the UCI, had been holding joint World Championship events as a transitional phase in merging which began in earnest in 1993. Beginning with the 1996 season the IBMXF and FIAC completed the merger and both ceased to exist as independent entities being integrated into the UCI. Beginning with the 1996 World Championships held in Brighton, England the UCI would officially hold and sanction BMX World Championships and with it inherited all precedents, records, streaks, etc. from both the IBMXF and FIAC.

International Olympic Committee (IOC)
:"Games of the XXIX Olympiad (2008 Summer Olympics)":Discipline: Men's BMX:French BMX Teammates: Damien Godet, Anne-Caroline Chausson, Laëtitia Le Corguillé:Location: Laoshan BMX Field Beijing, China:Number of competitors: 32:Positions::"Event Results Wednesday August 20":"Men's First Seeding Run‡:" 37.176sec.:"Men's Second Seeding Run:" 36.649sec.:"Seconds behind leader:" +0.957 (19th place).:"Seeding Run leader:" Mike Day USA:Allier advances to Quarterfinals†:"Men's Quarter Finals (Overall after three motos of Run 4):" 6th place; did not qualify for Semi Final*.:"Event Results Thursday August 21":Posponed due to rain.:"Event Results Friday August 22":"Men's Semi Finals:"DNQ:"Men's Final (Medal Round):" DNQ:"Bronze medal winner:" Donny Robinson USA:"Silver medal winner:" Mike Day USA:"Gold medal winner:**" Māris Štrombergs LAT

:DNQ = Did Not Qualify.:‡ [http://www.nbcolympics.com/cycling/resultsandschedules/rsc=CBM001900/index.html Time Trial data from nbcolympics.com] :† [http://www.nbcolympics.com/cycling/resultsandschedules/rsc=CBM001300/index.html Quarter Finals data from nbcolympics.com] :* [http://www.nbcolympics.com/cycling/resultsandschedules/rsc=CBM001200/index.html Semi Finals data from nbcolympics.com] :** [http://www.nbcolympics.com/cycling/resultsandschedules/rsc=CBM001100/index.html Final (Medal round) data from nbcolympics.com]

Allier's teammate on the Men's French team Damien Godet, the fourth member of the French team made the Men's Finals but came in last place with a DNF, Did Not Finish. His teammates the women's team Anne-Caroline Chausson and Laëtitia Le Corguillé won the first Gold and Silver medals respectively to be awarded in the Olympic Games for BMX.
Independent Invitationals and Pro Series Championships

Notable accolades

ignificant injuries

*Dislocated finger on left hand in July 23, 1998
*Broke hand at the 1999 ABA Super Nationals in Desoto, Texas on day 1 in the last pro main. [ [http://www.bmxtreme.com/news/news_prev_11011999.htm bmxtreme.com News article] ] Soon after while cross training on his mountain bike he slipped a pedal resulting in the chainring imbedding itself into his right leg, tearing muscle. ["Snap BMX Magazine" February 2000 Vol.7 Iss.2 No.40 pg.30]

Racing Traits and Habits

Miscellaneous and Trivia

*Set the World Bunny Hoping record of 47" in 2001 at the "BMX Plus!" BMX Olympics, ["BMX Plus!" May 2006 Vol.29 No.5 pg.24] breaking Steve Veltman's previous record of 46" set in 1996. ["BMX Plus!" July 1996 Vol.19 No.7 pg.10] It still stands. Note: This BMX "Olympics," which was created and held by "BMX Plus!" magazine every five years, has "nothing" to do with the international olympic games held every four years and sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
*He won the first Republic of China pro BMX race which was held in Taiyuan, China on Saturday, September 25, 2004 (local time, east of the International Dateline). It was seen as either as a vehicle to have Taiyuan as an Olympic sports venue or to introduce BMX to China. It was seen in any case as a preparatory race for the 2008 Summer Olympics. [ [http://www.bmxmania.com/september04.htm September 2004 bmxmania article.] ]

Post BMX career

BMX magazine covers

Note: (defunct) denotes that the magazine was out of business before the career of the racer started.

----"Bicycle Motocross News:"
*None (defunct)"Minicycle/BMX Action" & "Super BMX:"
*None (defunct)"Bicycle Motocross Action" & "Go:"
*None"BMX Plus!:"

"Total BMX:"
*None (defunct)"Bicycles and Dirt:"
*None (defunct)"Snap BMX Magazine" & "Transworld BMX:"
*January 2000 Vol.7 Iss.1 No.39 (Snap)"Moto Mags:"

"ABA Action, American BMXer, BMXer" (The official publication of the ABA under three names):

BMX press magazine interviews and articles

*"The French Invasion" "Snap BMX Magazine" May 1999 Vol.6 Iss.3 No.31 pg.40 Joint interview with fellow countryman and racer Christophe Lévêque.

End Notes

External links

* [http://www.ababmx.com/ The American Bicycle Association (ABA) Website.]
* [http://www.nbl.org/ The National Bicycle League (NBL) Website.]
* [http://www.bmxonline.com/bmx/interviews/article/0,15737,381467,00.html "The Thomas Allier Interview" March 9, 2001 bmxoline.com interview.]
* [http://www.daleholmes.com/interviews/thomas.shtml 2002 Daleholmes.com Interview.]