Bekim Christensen
Encyclopedia
Bekim Christensen is a Danish
retired professional road bicycle racer. He was regarded as a loyal and hardworking domestique
, only winning one minor race himself before his retirement in 2004.
Starting his career in 1999 on Team EC-Bayer, Christensen would win his sole victory that year. He switched to Team Coast in 2000 where he rode with the big names of two-time Vuelta a España
winner Alex Zülle
and Tour de France
stage winner Fernando Escartín
. When the team turned into Team Bianchi
in 2003, to solely focus on former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich
's 2003 Tour de France
campaign, Christensen didn't follow the bulk of the Team Coast riders to Team Bianchi. Instead, he went on to ride for Team CSC
where Christensen rode in support of team captain Tyler Hamilton
in the 2003 Tour de France. Christensen ended his career at the end of the 2004 season.
1999
2000
2003
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
retired professional road bicycle racer. He was regarded as a loyal and hardworking domestique
Cycling domestique
A domestique is a road bicycle racer who works for the benefit of his team and leader. The French domestique translates as "servant". In Italy and Spain, the term gregario is used, while in Belgium and the Netherlands the term knecht or helper are used...
, only winning one minor race himself before his retirement in 2004.
Starting his career in 1999 on Team EC-Bayer, Christensen would win his sole victory that year. He switched to Team Coast in 2000 where he rode with the big names of two-time Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...
winner Alex Zülle
Alex Zülle
Alex Zülle is a Swiss former professional road bicycle racer. During the 1990s he was one of the best cyclists in the world, winning the Vuelta a España twice and taking the second place in 1999 Tour de France. He was world time-trial champion in Lugano in 1996.-Early career:Zülle was born and...
and Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
stage winner Fernando Escartín
Fernando Escartín
Fernando Escartín Coti is a Spanish former road racing cyclist. He won a stage and finished third overall in the 1999 Tour de France.He was born in Biescas, Aragon.- Major achievements :Tour de France record* 1992: 45th overall...
. When the team turned into Team Bianchi
Team Bianchi
Team Bianchi was a makeshift team that was put together from the remnants of the Coast team in time for the 2003 Tour de France.Team Coast had been unable to pay the salaries of their riders and Bianchi took over the team and the role of title sponsor. Coast had recently signed Jan Ullrich...
in 2003, to solely focus on former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich
Jan Ullrich
Jan Ullrich is a German former professional road bicycle racer. In 1997, he was the first German to win the Tour de France. He went on to take five second places and a fourth in 2004 and third in 2005. He is considered one of the best time-trialists in the history of the sport...
's 2003 Tour de France
2003 Tour de France
The 2003 Tour de France started and ended in Paris. Lasting from July 5 to July 27 the race covered 3,427.5 km , proceeding clockwise in twenty stages around France, including six major mountain stages...
campaign, Christensen didn't follow the bulk of the Team Coast riders to Team Bianchi. Instead, he went on to ride for Team CSC
Team CSC
Team Saxo Bank-SunGard is a professional cycling team from Denmark. It competes in the UCI ProTour. The team is owned and managed by former Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis, under the management of his company Riis Cycling. The sponsor is a Danish investment bank.Founded for 1998 Team home – Jack...
where Christensen rode in support of team captain Tyler Hamilton
Tyler Hamilton
Tyler Hamilton is a former American professional road bicycle racer and former Olympic gold medalist. Hamilton became a professional cyclist in 1995, and during the 1999, 2000 and 2001 Tour de France was a teammate of Lance Armstrong who won those races.Hamilton appeared at the 2000 Summer...
in the 2003 Tour de France. Christensen ended his career at the end of the 2004 season.
Career highlights
1991- Silver, Nordic Junior Championship
1999
- Stagewin and King of the MountainsKing of the MountainsThe King of the Mountains is the title given to the best climber in a cycling road race; usually and officially known as the Mountains classification...
, Tour of RhodesTour of RhodesThe Tour of Rhodes was a cycling race on Rhodes, Greece. It was first held in 1987, but the second edition only took place in 1995. Between 2001 and 2003 it was a professional race. Fabian Cancellara won the race twice, in 2001 and 2002, including his first victory as a professional in 2001. The...
2000
- 2nd on stage 1 and 4th overall, Tour de Cologne
2003
- 120th overall, 2003 Tour de France2003 Tour de FranceThe 2003 Tour de France started and ended in Paris. Lasting from July 5 to July 27 the race covered 3,427.5 km , proceeding clockwise in twenty stages around France, including six major mountain stages...
- 136th overall, Vuelta a EspañaVuelta a EspañaThe Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...