Johan Museeuw photo gallery and short biography by BikeRaceInfo (original) (raw)
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Johan Museeuw (born October 13, 1965) was the outstanding cobbled classics rider of his era, having won both Paris-Roubaix and the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) each three times.
Greg LeMond was on Museeuw's ADR team when he won his comeback Tour de France, though the sprinters and classics riders on the team couldn't help LeMond much in the mountains.
Museeuw started to hit his stride in 1993 with his first Tour of Flanders victory, but it all almost came to a stop after he crashed horribly in the 1998 Paris-Roubaix in the Arenberg Forest. His right knee was wrecked and infection set in, infection so bad amputating his leg was contemplated.
He recovered and in 2000 he had a banner year with another Paris-Roubaix victory. As he crossed the finish line in the Roubaix velodrome he famously lifted up his leg and pointed to the rebuilt knee.
In the summer of 2000 he was in a motorcycle accident that resulted in a broken shin, collarbone and concussion. He was in a coma for two weeks. But two years later he was again first across the line in Roubaix.
Museeuw was a Flandrian throwback who possessed a serious work ethic, willing to train 30 hours a week. Much of his training was motor paced with his father on the moped. Like Jacques Anquetil decades before, many of Museeuw's teammates found training rides with him too brutal and shunned riding with the hard-working man from Varsenare.
Like so many riders of his time, there were suspicions he was doping, and in January of 2007 he confessed to using banned performance enhancing drugs. He said that virtually everyone took dope at that time and that it was a part of daily life for him.
Museeuw retired from racing in April of 2004. He later launched a line of Museeuw bikes, but the bike company's shareholders were dissatisfied with his participation and discharged him, though the bikes will still carry his name.
Major victories:
1989: Tour of Belgium points classification
1990: Tour of Ireland points classification, two stages Tour de France
1991: Championship of Zurich (Züri Metzgete)
1992: GP E3, Tour of Valence points classification, Tour of Luxembourg points
1993: Ronde van Vlaanderen, Dwars door Vlaanderen, Tour de France two days in yellow, Paris-Tours
1994: Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, Amstel Gold Race, Tour de France one day in yellow
1995: Trofeo Laigueglia, Ronde van Vlaanderen, Four days of Dunkirk, GP Eddy Merckx, Championship of Zurich (Züri Metzgete), Champion of Belgium, UCI World Cup
1996: Flèche Brabançonne (Brabantse Pijl), Paris-Roubaix, Champion of Belgium, World Road Champion, UCI World Cup
1997: Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, Four Days of Dunkirk
1998: GP E3, Flèche Brabançonne (Brabantse Pijl), Ronde van Vlaanderen
1999: Dwars door Vlaanderen
2000: Het Volk, Flèche Brabançonne (Brabantse Pijl), Paris-Roubaix
2002: Paris-Roubaix, HEW Cyclassic
2003: Het Volk
Professional Teams:
1988: ADR-Mini Flat
1989: ADR-W Cup, Bottecchia, Coors light
1990-1991: Lotto-Super CLub
1992: Lotto
1993-1994: GB-MG Maglificio
1995-1997: Mapei-GB
1998: Mapei-Bricobi
1999-2000: Mapei-Quick Step
2001: Domo-Farm Frites-Latexco
2002: Domo-Farm Frites
2003-2004: Quick Step-Davitamon
Nicknames: de Musse, The Seagul (de Zeemeeuw), the Lion of Flanders (de Leeuw van Vlaanderen)
Photos:
Museeuw wins the 1993 Ronde van Vlaanderen
Gianni Bugno edges out Museeuw to win the 1994 Ronde van Vlaanderen
1994 Tour of Flanders podium, from left: Johan Museeuw, Gianni Bugno and Andrei Tchmil
1995 Tour of Flanders: Museeuw attacks Fabio Baldato on the Grammont
Museeuw wins the 1995 Tour of Flanders
1996 Tour of Flanders podium, from left: Fabio Baldato, winner Michele Bartoli and third-place Museeuw
Johan Museeuw wins 1996 Paris-Roubaix. Second-place Gianluca Bortolami and third-place Andrea Tafi were ordered to wait for Museeuw after Museeuw flatted so Museeuw could win.
Museeuw wins the 1996 World Road Championships in Lugano, Switzerland.
1998 Tour of Flanders: Museeuw attacks on the Grammont.
Museeuw wins the 1998 Ronde van Vlaanderen
1999 Tour of Flanders: Peter van Petegem wins, Frank Vandenbourck is second, Museeuw third.
Johan Museeuw talks to Belgian TV reporters before the start of the 2000 Milano-San Remo. Mauro Mondonico photo.
Museeuw wins the 2000 Omloop Het Volk solo, after going alone with thirteen kilometers to go.
Museeuw wins the 2000 Paris-Roubaix, lifting his leg to point at his rebuilt knee.
Museeuw wins the 2002 Paris-Roubaix for the third time.
2003 Omloop Het Volk, Museeuw leads up the Molenberg.
Museeuw gets his last big win, a solo victory at the 2003 Omloop Het Volk.
2003 Tour of Flanders. Roberto Petito (Fassa Bortolo) lead Museeuw on the Berendries.
2003 Flanders, Museeuw on the Paterberg.
Museeuw at the start of the 2003 Paris-Roubaix with Tour boss Jean-Marie Leblanc
Museeuw in the 2003 Paris-Roubaix
Museeuw in the 2004 Tour of Flanders, on the Grammont.
At the start of the 2004 Paris-Roubaix, Museeuw with the late Franco Ballerini
Peter van Petegem (left) and Johan Museeuw finish 6th and 5th in the 2004 Paris-Roubaix.
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