Gert-Jan Theunisse

Infobox Cyclist
ridername = Gert-Jan Theunisse


fullname = Gert-Jan Theunisse
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1963|01|14
country = NED
currentteam = Retired
discipline = Road
role = Rider
ridertype =
amateurteams =
amateuryears =
proyears = 1984–1986
1987–1989
1990
1991–1992
1993–1994
1995
proteams = Panasonic
PDM-Concorde
Panasonic-Sportlife
TVM Sanyo
TVM-Bison Kit
Collstrop-Lystex
majorwins = Clásica de San Sebastián (1989)
King of the Mountains, Tour de France (1989)
Tour de France, 1 stage
updated = November 7, 2007

Gert-Jan Theunisse (born January 14, 1963 in Oss) is a Dutch former road bicycle racer. Theunisse turned professional in 1984 with the Panasonic cycling team. That year he came third in the Ronde van Nederland and continued with several places of honour in races such as the GP Fourmies and the GP d'Isbergues in 1986. However it was not until 1988 that Theunisse started to achieve great successes. In the 1988 Tour de France he provided a challenge to his former teammate Pedro Delgado. However during the race he tested positive for testosterone and received a ten-minute penalty which moved him from fourth place overall to eleventh overall. [cite web|url=http://www.abcc.co.uk/Articles/DrgsTdeF.html|title= Drugs and the Tour de France] Theunisse returned the following year where he won the Polka dot jersey in 1989 Tour de France and the same year's prestigious stage up to Alpe d'Huez.

In 1990 he also tested positive in Flèche Wallonne and Bicicleta Vasca.Fact|date=November 2007 Theunisse retired from racing in March 1995. He abandoned the second stage of Tirreno-Adriatico and stopped his career after allegedly receiving medical advice due to heart trouble. [cite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/c10a/uk/mtb.htm|title=Stepped down for good|publisher=Tribute to Theunisse|accessdate=2008-01-11] After finishing his active career, Theunisse began giving some advice and helping with training for Mario Gutte and then Mountain Biker Bart Brentjens from late 1995. Theunisse's coaching of Brentjens stepped up a gear the following gear where Theunisse drew up a personal training scheme for Brentjens with an aim toward the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Brentjens went on to win the Dutch National Championship, the World Championship, the World Cup, the Tour de France VTT and then the gold medal at the Olympic Games. Brentjens signed with the Specialized Mountain Bike team at the end of 1996 and stipulated in the contract that Theunisse would became the team manager.

During this time, Theunisse occasionally rode regional Mountain Bike races. On September 8, 1997 Theunisse was hit by a car while training with members of the team. He was diagnosed as having a Paraplegia which was the result of a spinal cord injury sustained when the car hit him.cite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/c10a/uk/mtb.htm|title=No cure, if it's in the blood|publisher=Tribute to Theunisse|accessdate=2008-01-11] Theunisse was unable to walk after the accident but recovered over the following six months and returned to his coaching activities of the Specialized team. In January 1999, Theunisse entered and won a Mountain Bike race in the United Kingdom but was unable to walk for three days after the win. In June 1999 Theunisse had a heart attack. In 2000 he admitted that he used illegal substances although he denied that he took testosterone. [ [http://www.cyclingnews.com/results/2000/jan00/jan6news.shtml Theunisse - confesses] ] Theunisse continued working with the Specialized team until the sponsor retired from the sport at the end of 2001. Theunisse then moved to the Spanish island Majorca where he began riding his mountain bike 150 kilometres a day as he became an active Mountain Bike rider. Theunisse won the European Championships for the over 30 category in 2002. [cite web|url=http://www.geocities.com/c10a/daarna.htm?200811#krant|title=Ik wil voor mensen een voorbeeld zijn. Je moet je nooit laten afschrijven|publisher=Tribute to Theunisse|accessdate=2008-01-11] With this Theunisse marked his comeback to active competition and competed from 2003 to 2005. During this time Theunisse suffered from consistent pain due to his spinal damage such as nerve damage, difficulty in walking straight as well as involuntary muscle or spastic attacks. [cite web|url=http://www.hatchoo.nl/pivot/entry_354.html|title=Liever sterven in het harnas|accessdate=2008-01-11] Theunisse had twelve wins as a active Mountain bike cyclist. Theunisse was sponsored by PowerPlate-Giant and concentrated on the Mountain bike marathon disciplines of the World and European championships. [cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2005/mar05/mar01news|title=Theunisse continues on the dirt|publisher=Cyclingnews.com|accessdate=2008-01-11] Theunisse rode his final race as active Mountain Bike competitor in October 2005 at a race at Scheveningen, in the Netherlandscite web|url=http://www.trouw.nl/hetnieuws/sport/article23294.ece/Mountainbiken+%2F+Lijf+Theunisse+schreeuwt+om+rust|title=Mountainbiken / Lijf Theunisse schreeuwt om rust|publisher=Trouw|accessdate=2008-01-11] and immediately discussed his plans to build a Sports centre for disabled competitors. Theunisse himself is said to be 13% handicapped and aims to compete in the Paralympics. [cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2005/oct05/oct01news|title= Theunisse creates training centre for disabled|publisher=Cyclingnews.com|accessdate=2008-01-11]

Palmarès

;1988 –PDM-Concorde:1st, Clásica de San Sebastián;1989 –PDM-Concorde:4th, Overall, Tour de France:: King of the Mountains::1st, Stage 17 (Briançon - Alpe d'Huez):1st, Stage 4, Tour de Trump:1st, Overall, Vuelta a Asturias::1st, Stage 6;1991 –TVM-Sanyo:1st, Vuelta a los Valles Mineros:1st, Overall, Tour de Luxembourg::1st, Stage 1;1992 –TVM-Bison:1st, Stage 3, Tour de Luxembourg

ee also

* List of doping cases in cycling

References

External links

* [http://www.gertjantheunisse.nl/ Official website]
* [http://velopalmares.free.fr/theunisse.htm Palmarès by velopalmares.free.fr] fr icon
* [http://www.museociclismo.it/corridori/palmares.php?id=4295 Palmarès by museociclismo.it] it icon
* [http://www.dewielersite.net/db2/wielersite/coureurfiche.php?coureurid=7165 Profile by dewielersite.net] nl icon

Persondata
NAME=Theunisse, Gert-Jan
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Road bicycle racer
DATE OF BIRTH=1963-01-14
PLACE OF BIRTH=Oss, Netherlands
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=