Joseba Beloki
Encyclopedia
Joseba Beloki Dorronsoro (born August 12, 1973) is a Spanish
former professional road bicycle racer.
, joined Festina
in 2000, and then Team ONCE in 2001. A strong climber in the high mountains and a top performer in individual time trial
s, he made it to the podium in each of his first three rides in the Tour de France: in 2000
(3rd place), 2001
(3rd place) and 2002
(2nd place). In 2001, Beloki also finished first overall in the Volta a Catalunya.
On 14 July 2003, during the ninth stage of the 2003 Tour de France
, Beloki was in second place overall (just 40 seconds behind Lance Armstrong
) and negotiating a turn at speed while descending the Cote de La Rochette
, just 4 km from the stage finish at Gap
. He lost control of his bicycle after locked his rear brake and the rear tire came off the wheel on a patch of tarmac that was softened by the sun, sending his rear wheel skidding first in one direction and then the other. Beloki suffered a hard fall that broke his right femur
in two places, his elbow and his wrist
. Armstrong was following immediately behind Beloki and, to avoid the fallen rider, headed off the road to go down the hill through the underbrush and across a small field. The crash effectively ended Beloki's career as a premier bicycle racer.
For the 2004 season, Beloki opted to sign for the French team Brioches La Boulangère in preparation for the 2004 Tour de France
. He was reported as being fully recovered from his injuries by early 2004, but it later transpired that those injuries were taking longer to heal than initially anticipated. By mid-April 2004, Beloki had yet to begin serious competition for the season. He started his home race, the Vuelta al País Vasco, but failed to even complete the first stage before retiring in pain from his injuries. Citing incompatibility with the French team, he switched to the Spanish Saunier Duval-Prodir
team for the remainder of the 2004 season. Beloki switched back to Manolo Saiz
's team (now called Liberty Seguros-Würth) for 2005. Beloki completed the 2005 Tour de France
and finished in 75th place. In the Vuelta a Espana, he also completed the race without being recognized, since he was only 39th overall.
In 2006, he was among those implicated in Operación Puerto
, and was withdrawn from the Tour de France. However on July 26, he was cleared by Spanish officials of any wrongdoing.
1999 – Euskaltel-Euskadi
2000 – Festina-Lotus
2001 – ONCE-Eroski
2002 – ONCE-Eroski
2003 – ONCE-Eroski
2004 – Saunier Duval-Prodir
and Brioches La Boulangère
2005 – Liberty Seguros-Würth
2006 – Liberty Seguros-Würth/Team Astana
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
former professional road bicycle racer.
Biography
Beloki turned professional in 1998 with Euskaltel-EuskadiEuskaltel-Euskadi
Euskaltel-Euskadi is a professional road bicycle racing team from Spain. The team is commercially sponsored, but also works as an unofficial Basque national team and is partly funded by the Basque Government. Its riders are either from Basque Country, or at least have grown up in the cycling...
, joined Festina
Festina cycling team
Festina is a former professional cycling team that was active in the professional peloton from 1989 to 2001. The team was sponsored by the watch manufacturers Festina Lotus AV.-Beginnings:...
in 2000, and then Team ONCE in 2001. A strong climber in the high mountains and a top performer in individual time trial
Individual time trial
An individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials...
s, he made it to the podium in each of his first three rides in the Tour de France: in 2000
2000 Tour de France
The 2000 Tour de France was the 87th Tour de France, and took place from July 1 to July 23, 2000. It was won by American cyclist Lance Armstrong. The Tour started with an individual time trial in Futuroscope and ended traditionally in Paris. The distance travelled was 3662.5 km...
(3rd place), 2001
2001 Tour de France
The 2001 Tour de France was particularly difficult, having contained a 67-km long team time trial, two individual time trials and five mountain-top finishes on consecutive days, the second of which being the Chamrousse special category climb time trial. Thus, all the high-mountain stages were...
(3rd place) and 2002
2002 Tour de France
The 2002 Tour de France started in Luxembourg on July 6, 2002, and ended in Paris on July 28. France was visited counter-clockwise, so the Pyrenees were there before the Alps...
(2nd place). In 2001, Beloki also finished first overall in the Volta a Catalunya.
On 14 July 2003, during the ninth stage of the 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...
, Beloki was in second place overall (just 40 seconds behind Lance Armstrong
Lance Armstrong
Lance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support...
) and negotiating a turn at speed while descending the Cote de La Rochette
La Rochette, Hautes-Alpes
La Rochette is a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in southeastern France.-Population:-References:*...
, just 4 km from the stage finish at Gap
Gap, Hautes-Alpes
Gap is a commune in southeastern France, the capital of the Hautes-Alpes department.-Geography:An Alpine crossroads at the intersection of D994 and Route nationale 85 the Route Napoléon, Gap lies above sea level along the right bank of the Luye River...
. He lost control of his bicycle after locked his rear brake and the rear tire came off the wheel on a patch of tarmac that was softened by the sun, sending his rear wheel skidding first in one direction and then the other. Beloki suffered a hard fall that broke his right femur
Femur
The femur , or thigh bone, is the most proximal bone of the leg in tetrapod vertebrates capable of walking or jumping, such as most land mammals, birds, many reptiles such as lizards, and amphibians such as frogs. In vertebrates with four legs such as dogs and horses, the femur is found only in...
in two places, his elbow and his wrist
Wrist
In human anatomy, the wrist is variously defined as 1) the carpus or carpal bones, the complex of eight bones forming the proximal skeletal segment of the hand;...
. Armstrong was following immediately behind Beloki and, to avoid the fallen rider, headed off the road to go down the hill through the underbrush and across a small field. The crash effectively ended Beloki's career as a premier bicycle racer.
For the 2004 season, Beloki opted to sign for the French team Brioches La Boulangère in preparation for the 2004 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...
. He was reported as being fully recovered from his injuries by early 2004, but it later transpired that those injuries were taking longer to heal than initially anticipated. By mid-April 2004, Beloki had yet to begin serious competition for the season. He started his home race, the Vuelta al País Vasco, but failed to even complete the first stage before retiring in pain from his injuries. Citing incompatibility with the French team, he switched to the Spanish Saunier Duval-Prodir
Saunier Duval-Prodir
Geox-TMC is a Spanish-based road bicycle racing team, registered for 2011 as a UCI Professional Continental team. Established as Saunier Duval-Prodir in 2004, the team has had success in one-day races such as Clásica de San Sebastián....
team for the remainder of the 2004 season. Beloki switched back to Manolo Saiz
Manolo Saiz
Manuel "Manolo" Saiz Balbás is the former team manager of one of the most successful Spanish professional road bicycle racing teams, first called Team ONCE, then Liberty Seguros-Würth, Astana-Würth, and lastly Astana Team.Saiz was a hands-on manager and directeur sportif...
's team (now called Liberty Seguros-Würth) for 2005. Beloki completed the 2005 Tour de France
2005 Tour de France
The 2005 Tour de France was the 92nd Tour de France, taking place from July 2 to July 24, 2005. It comprised 21 stages over 3592.5 km, the winner's average speed was 41.654 km/h. The first stages were held in the département of the Vendée, for the third time in 12 years. The 2005 Tour was...
and finished in 75th place. In the Vuelta a Espana, he also completed the race without being recognized, since he was only 39th overall.
In 2006, he was among those implicated in Operación Puerto
Operación Puerto doping case
Operación Puerto is the code name of a Spanish Police operation against the doping network of Doctor Eufemiano Fuentes, started in May 2006, which resulted in a scandal that involved several of the world most famous cyclists at the time.Media attention has focused on the small number of...
, and was withdrawn from the Tour de France. However on July 26, he was cleared by Spanish officials of any wrongdoing.
Major achievements
1998 – Euskaltel-Euskadi1999 – Euskaltel-Euskadi
2000 – Festina-Lotus
- 1st, Stage 3b (ITT), Tour de RomandieTour de RomandieThe Tour de Romandie is a stage race which is part of the UCI World Tour. It runs in the Romandie region, in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. It began in 1947, to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Swiss Cycling....
- 3rd, Overall, Tour de France2000 Tour de FranceThe 2000 Tour de France was the 87th Tour de France, and took place from July 1 to July 23, 2000. It was won by American cyclist Lance Armstrong. The Tour started with an individual time trial in Futuroscope and ended traditionally in Paris. The distance travelled was 3662.5 km...
2001 – ONCE-Eroski
- 1st, Overall, Volta a Catalunya
- 1st, Points Classification
- 1st, Stage 1 (Team Time TrialTeam time trialA team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart...
) - 1st, Stage 4
- 1st, Stage 8 (Individual Time TrialIndividual time trialAn individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials...
)
- 3rd, Overall, Tour de France2001 Tour de FranceThe 2001 Tour de France was particularly difficult, having contained a 67-km long team time trial, two individual time trials and five mountain-top finishes on consecutive days, the second of which being the Chamrousse special category climb time trial. Thus, all the high-mountain stages were...
2002 – ONCE-Eroski
- 2nd, Overall, Tour de France2002 Tour de FranceThe 2002 Tour de France started in Luxembourg on July 6, 2002, and ended in Paris on July 28. France was visited counter-clockwise, so the Pyrenees were there before the Alps...
- 3rd, 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...
- 1st, Stage 1 (Team Time TrialTeam time trialA team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart...
) - Golden jersey, General classification leader, Stages 1 through 4
- 1st, Stage 1 (Team Time Trial
2003 – ONCE-Eroski
- DNF, Stage 9, 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...
(2nd overall prior to injury)
2004 – Saunier Duval-Prodir
Saunier Duval-Prodir
Geox-TMC is a Spanish-based road bicycle racing team, registered for 2011 as a UCI Professional Continental team. Established as Saunier Duval-Prodir in 2004, the team has had success in one-day races such as Clásica de San Sebastián....
and Brioches La Boulangère
2005 – Liberty Seguros-Würth
- 75th, Overall, Tour de France2005 Tour de FranceThe 2005 Tour de France was the 92nd Tour de France, taking place from July 2 to July 24, 2005. It comprised 21 stages over 3592.5 km, the winner's average speed was 41.654 km/h. The first stages were held in the département of the Vendée, for the third time in 12 years. The 2005 Tour was...
2006 – Liberty Seguros-Würth/Team Astana