Tom Steels

Infobox Cyclist
ridername = Tom Steels

---

image_caption =
fullname = Tom Steels
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1971|9|2
country = BEL
height =
weight =
currentteam = Landbouwkrediet-Tönissteiner
discipline = Road
role = Rider
ridertype =
proyears = 1994–1995
1996–2002
2003–2004
2005–2007
2008–
proteams = Vlaanderen 2002
Mapei
Landbouwkrediet-Colnago
Davitamon-Lotto
Landbouwkrediet-Tönissteiner
majorwins = Tour de France, 9 stages
BEL Road Race Champion :(1997, 1998, 2002, 2004)
Gent-Wevelgem (1996, 1999)
updated = January 2, 2008

Tom Steels (born September 2, 1971, Sint-Gillis-Waas) is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer, specialising in sprint finishes and one-day races.

Although now at the end of his career, he was once feared as one of the top sprinters in the peloton. He began his career in 1994 with the team "Vlaanderen 2002", managing to capture eight victories in his first two seasons. His breakthrough season, however, wasn't until he signed with Mapei in 1996. That year he captured the Belgian semi-classics Omloop Het Volk, and Gent-Wevelgem. His best season, arguably, was 1998 when he won his national championships for the second time (1997) and four stages in the Tour de France. Throughout his career he would become national champion again in 2002 and 2004 and would win five more stages in the Tour de France. 2006 was his first year as a professional that he failed to win a race.

In June 2007, Steels announced he would be retiring as a professional cyclist at the end of the 2008 season.

Career

Victories

;1994
*Stage Tour de l'Avenir
*GP Zele;1995
*1 mei prijs Hoboken
*Stage West Virginia Mountain Classic
*GP Rik Van Steenbergen
*Dwars door ’t Pajottenland
*Stage Ronde van Nederland
*Grote Sluitingsprijs Putte-Kapellen;1996
*Omloop Het Volk
*Gent-Wevelgem
*Stage, Tour de la Mediterranée
*2 Stages, Tour of Belgium
*Stage, Volta a la Comunidad Galega
*Kustpijl
*Criterium Aalst;1997
*BEL Championships
*Vuelta a Mallorca
*4 Stages, Paris-Nice
*Stage, Tour de Luxembourg
*Stage, Tour de Suisse
*2 Stages, Tour de la Région Wallonne
*Schaals Sels Merksem;1998
*4 Stages, Tour de France
*BEL Championships
*Trofeo Pollensa-Alcudia
*Trofeo Magalluff-Calvia
*2 Stages, Ruta del Sol
*2 Stages, Parijs-Nice
*Dwars door België
*Criterium Aalst
*Oostrozebeke
*GP Merelbeke;1999
*3 Stages, Tour de France
*Gent-Wevelgem
*2 Stages, Ruta del Sol
*Stage, Paris-Nice
*Stage, Driedaagse van de Panne;2000
*2 Stages, Tour de France
*Stage, Tour de la Mediterrannée
*Stage, Paris - Nice
*Stage, Driedaagse van De Panne
*2 Stages, Tour de la Région Wallonne;2001
*Stage, Deutschland Tour
*2 Stages, Tour de Suède;2002
*BEL Championships
*Stage, 4-jours de Dunkerque
*Stage, Tour de Catalonia;2003
*Stage, Étoile de Bessèges
*Stage, Tour of Belgium
*Stage, Tour de l'Autriche
*GP Heusden ;2004
*BEL championships
*Stage, Étoile de Bessèges
*Stage, Tour de Luxembourg
*2 Stages, Tour de l'Autriche
*Dernycriterium St.Niklaas;2005
*2 Stages, Étoile de Bessèges
*Stage, Volta ao Algarve
*Stage, Driedaagse van De Panne-Koksijde

External links

*trapfriis|belgium.Steels.htm

Persondata
NAME= Steels, Tom
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Road bicycle racer
DATE OF BIRTH= 1971-09-02
PLACE OF BIRTH=Sint-Gillis-Waas, Belgium
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=