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Óscar Pereiro facts for kids

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Óscar Pereiro
Pereiro in 2009
Personal information
Full name Óscar Pereiro Sío
Born (1977-08-03) 3 August 1977 (age 47)
Mos, Galicia, Spain
Height 1.77 m
Weight 67 kg (148 lb; 10 st 8 lb)
Team information
Current team Retired
Discipline Road
Role Rider
Rider type All-rounder
Major wins
Grand Tours
Tour de France
General classification (2006)
1 individual stage (2005)
Combativity award (2005)

Óscar Pereiro Sío (born 3 August 1977) is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer. He became famous for winning the 2006 Tour de France. This happened after the original winner, Floyd Landis, was disqualified. Pereiro rode for several teams during his career. After he stopped cycling in 2010, he started playing football for a local team.

Óscar Pereiro's Early Cycling Career

Óscar Pereiro showed great talent early in his cycling journey. In the 2004 Tour de France, he finished in tenth place. This was a strong result for him.

Winning the Most Aggressive Rider Award

In the 2005 Tour de France, Pereiro earned the Most Aggressive Rider Award. This award goes to the cyclist who shows the most fighting spirit. He was part of the leading groups in several stages. He even won Stage 16, beating other strong riders. His efforts in Stage 15, which was very tough, were admired by everyone.

Winning the 2006 Tour de France

The 2006 Tour de France was a very important race for Óscar Pereiro. In Stage 13, he made a big breakaway. This move helped him gain almost 30 minutes on the other top riders. It put him unexpectedly into the yellow jersey, which is worn by the overall leader.

Becoming the Champion

Pereiro and Floyd Landis traded the yellow jersey back and forth for a few days. Landis eventually took the lead for good near the end of the Tour. However, after the race, Landis was disqualified. This meant that Óscar Pereiro became the official winner of the 2006 Tour de France. Pereiro said he felt like the champion and that it was a victory for his whole team.

Pereiro's Health and Racing

Oscar Pereiro Sio
Pereiro at the 2007 Tour de Romandie

In 2007, there was an investigation about a substance found in Pereiro's samples from the 2006 Tour. This substance, called salbutamol, is used to treat asthma. Cyclists can use it if they have a medical reason. Pereiro provided enough medical proof for its use. The French anti-doping agency then closed its investigation.

Crash in the 2008 Tour de France

MaillotAmarilloPereiro
Pereiro's yellow jersey from the 2006 Tour de France

During the 2008 Tour de France, Pereiro had a serious crash. He fell over a guardrail during a downhill section. He broke his arm but stayed conscious. This crash unfortunately ended his race that year.

Óscar Pereiro's Football Career

After retiring from professional cycling in 2010, Óscar Pereiro decided to try a new sport. He announced that he signed with a football club called Coruxo FC. He said that becoming a professional footballer was a dream he had since he was a child. He played as a winger for the team. He made two appearances and scored two goals in that season.

Major Cycling Achievements

Road Racing Highlights

  • 2001
    • 6th Overall Grande Prémio Jornal de Notícias
  • 2002
    • 1st Stage 5 Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
    • 3rd Prueba Villafranca de Ordizia
  • 2003
    • 2nd Overall Vuelta a Burgos
    • 3rd Overall Tour de Suisse
      • 1st Stage 6
  • 2004
    • 1st Classique des Alpes
    • 10th Overall Tour de France
  • 2005
    • 10th Overall Tour de France
      • 1st Stage 16
      • Jersey red number.svg Combativity award Overall
  • 2006
  • 2007
    • 1st Stage 1 (TTT) Volta a Catalunya
    • 10th Overall Tour de France
  • 2008
    • 3rd Road race, National Road Championships

Grand Tour Results Timeline

This table shows Óscar Pereiro's results in the biggest cycling races, called Grand Tours.

Grand Tour 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
A pink jersey Giro d'Italia 11
A yellow jersey Tour de France 10 10 1 10 DNF DNF
A gold jersey/A red jersey Vuelta a España 30 17 26 49 DNF
Legend
Did not compete
DNF Did not finish

Cyclo-cross Achievements

Óscar Pereiro also competed in cyclo-cross, which is a type of bicycle racing that involves riding on various terrains.

  • 1998–1999
    • 1st MaillotEspaña.PNG National Under-23 Championships
  • 1999–2000
    • 1st MaillotEspaña.PNG National Under-23 Championships

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Óscar Pereiro para niños

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