Alex Zülle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Alex Zülle

Zülle at the 1993 Tour de France
Personal information
Full name	Alex Zülle
Nickname	Perro Loco "Rompetechos"
Born	(1968-07-05) 5 July 1968 (age 56) Wil, Switzerland
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	72 kg (159 lb; 11 st 5 lb)
Team information
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	All-rounder
Major wins
Grand Tours Tour de France 2 individual stages (1995, 1996) Giro d'Italia 3 individual stages (1998) Vuelta a España General classification (1996, 1997) 9 individual stages (1993 - 2000) Stage races Tour de Suisse (2002) Tour of the Basque Country (1995, 1997) Paris–Nice (1993) Volta a Catalunya (1996) One-day races and Classics World Time Trial Championships (1996)

Alex Zülle (born 5 July 1968) is a former professional road bicycle racer from Switzerland. He was one of the best cyclists in the world during the 1990s. Alex Zülle won the Vuelta a España race twice, in 1996 and 1997. He also finished second in the Tour de France in 1995 and 1999. In 1996, he became the world champion in the time-trial event in Lugano.

Biography of Alex Zülle

Starting His Cycling Journey

Zülle (centre) during an amateur race at the 1990 UCI Road World Championships

Alex Zülle was born and grew up in Wil, Switzerland. As a child, he dreamed of becoming a skier. However, at 18, he had an accident that injured him.

He started cycling in the Netherlands to help with his recovery. He almost gave up because it was too windy there! But his father convinced him to try cycling again when they returned to Switzerland.

After several years as a successful amateur rider, Zülle became a professional cyclist in 1991. He joined the ONCE team, where most of the riders were from Spain. When he first joined, he only spoke Swiss-German. But by the end of the 1993 Vuelta a España, he could answer reporters in Spanish!

Challenges and Later Career

In 1998, Alex Zülle joined a team called Festina. This team faced problems during the 1998 Tour de France due to issues with banned substances. Alex Zülle, along with other riders, admitted to using substances that were not allowed in the sport. This was a difficult time for cycling, and it led to new rules to keep the sport fair.

Despite these challenges, Zülle continued his career. He finished second in the Tour de France in 1999. He also won the Vuelta a España and the Tour de Suisse. He won several stages in the Giro d'Italia too.

Alex Zülle retired from professional cycling in 2004. He held a special party for his fans in his hometown of Wil that year.

Alex Zülle's Career Achievements

Major Race Results

Alex Zülle achieved many important victories throughout his career. Here are some of his main results:

Grand Tour Results Timeline

This table shows Alex Zülle's overall results in the biggest cycling races, called Grand Tours.

Grand Tour general classification results
Grand Tour	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004
Giro d'Italia	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	14	DNF	—	—	—	—	—
Tour de France	—	DNF	41	8	2	26	DNF	DNF	2	DNF	—	—	—	—
/ Vuelta a España	—	DNF	2	4	20	1	1	8	37	49	109	—	DNF	—
Major Stage Race General Classification Results
Race	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004
/ Paris–Nice	—	—	1	53	3	—	—	4	—	—	17	17	—	25
Tirreno–Adriatico	did not contest during his career
Tour of the Basque Country	—	4	3	—	1	DNF	1	3	—	—	9	DNF	58	DNF
/ Tour de Romandie	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	2	33	—	—	2	17	DNF
Critérium du Dauphiné	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	4	—	—	—	—	—
Volta a Catalunya	3	14	6	21	—	1	—	—	DNF	—	—	—	—	—
Tour de Suisse	—	—	—	—	2	—	DNF	—	—	—	22	1	22	54

See Also

In Spanish: Alex Zülle para niños

• Doping at the Tour de France
• List of doping cases in cycling
• List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences