Reimund Dietzen

Infobox Cyclist
ridername = Reimund Dietzen


fullname = Reimund Dietzen
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1959|5|29
country = GER
height =
weight =
currentteam = Gerolsteiner
discipline = Road
role = Directeur sportif
ridertype = All-rounder
proyears = 1982
1983–1990
proteams = Puch
Teka
majorwins = GER champion road race (1984, 1986)
GER champion cyclo-cross (1984, 1985)
Vuelta a La Rioja 1987
Vuelta a Castilla y León 1988
Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme 1989
updated = September 22, 2007

Reimund Dietzen sometimes written Raimund Dietzen (born May 29, 1959 in Trier, West Germany) is a retired road and cyclo-cross cyclist from Germany, who was a professional rider from 1982 to 1990. He is currently a directeur sportif with the Gerolsteiner cycling team.

Dietzen was a successful amateur winning the German cyclo-cross championship in 1980 and 1981 as well as winning in road races. He turned professional with the Swiss team Puch in 1982. He won the cyclo-cross race the Grand Prix Jean Bausch-Pierre Kellner that year. The following year he joined a Spanish cycling team Teka with whom he would stay with for the rest of his career. In his first year with his new team he won the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana. The following year he became the champion of Germany in the road race and cyclo-cross as well his first stage victory in the Vuelta a Espana. He won the stage to the Lagos de Covadonga which is a very steep climb and a prestigious stage to win. He would finish that year's edition of the Vuelta third overall. [cite web|url=http://www.cyclebase.nl/?lang=nl&news=nl&pc=normal&page=renner&db=m&id=4599|title=Raimund Dietzen|publisher=cyclebase.nl|accessdate=2007-09-22] The following year he was again cyclo-cross champion as well as the winner of the Vuelta a Cantabria. In 1986 he was again German road champion and won a second stage in the 1986 Vuelta a Espana. In 1987 he wore the leader's jersey in the 1987 Vuelta a Espana for five days before losing it to Herrera and then finishing the race second overall to Luis Herrera of Colombia. Dietzen finished the 1988 Vuelta a Espana second overall, this time to Seán Kelly of Ireland. In the 1989 Vuelta a Espana, Dietzen won a stage but several days later he crashed. He had ridden into a tunnel which was not illuminated and crashed, suffering career-ending injuries. He was only 30 years of age when the following year he stopped as a professional after not recovering. Seventeen years later, the Supreme Court of Spain ordered the organisers of the Vuelta a Espana to pay damages to Dietzen. [cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2006/jun06/jun15news|title=Vuelta organisers must pay damages to Dietzen|publisher=cyclingnews.com|accessdate=2007-09-22] Dietzen obtained nearly all of his success in Spanish races [cite web|url=http://www.sportgeschiedenis.nl/2007/09/07/raimund-dietzen-een-duitser-die-alleen-in-de-vuelta-presteerde.aspx|title=Raimund Dietzen een Duitser die alleen in de Vuelta presteerde|publisher=Sport Geschiedenis.nl|accessdate=2007-09-22] with wins in Vuelta a La Rioja, Vuelta a Castilla y León and the Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme. Since 2003 Dietzen is a directeur sportif with Team Gerolsteiner. He currently lives in Spain.

References

External links

* [http://www.reimunddietzen.de/home.html Official site]
* [http://www.gerolsteiner.de/index.php?id=1527 Profile on Team Gerolsteiner website]