Alex Zülle facts for kids
![]() Zülle at the 1993 Tour de France
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Personal information | |||
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Full name | Alex Zülle | ||
Nickname | Perro Loco "Rompetechos" | ||
Born | Wil, Switzerland |
5 July 1968 ||
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 | |||
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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.
Contents
Biography of Alex Zülle
Starting His Cycling Journey
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:
- 1990
- 1st Flèche du Sud
- 1991
- 1992
- 1st
Overall Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
- 1st
Overall Vuelta a Asturias
- 1st Stage 1b (ITT)
- 1st
Overall Vuelta a Burgos
- 1st Stage 5 (ITT)
- 1st
Overall Escalada a Montjuïc
- 1st Stage 1a
- 1st Stage 4 (ITT) Volta a Catalunya
- 1st Stage 2 Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
- 3rd Gran Piemonte
- 1993
- 1st
Overall Paris–Nice
- 1st Prologue & Stage 7b (ITT)
- 1st Chur-Arosa
- 2nd Overall Vuelta a España
- 1st Stages 1 (ITT), 6 (ITT) & 21 (ITT)
- 3rd Overall Tour of the Basque Country
- 1994
- 1st Stage 1 (ITT) Volta a Catalunya
- 1st Stage 6 (ITT) Vuelta a Aragón
- 2nd Overall Vuelta a La Rioja
- 4th Overall Vuelta a España
- 1995
- 1st
Overall Tour of the Basque Country
- 1st Stages 3 & 5b (ITT)
- 1st
Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
- 1st Stage 2b
- 1st Challenge Mallorca
- 1st Stage 16 Vuelta a España
- 2nd Overall Tour de Suisse
- 2nd Overall Tour de France
- 1st Stage 9
- 2nd Overall Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
- 1996
- 1st
Time trial, UCI Road World Championships
- 1st
Overall Vuelta a España
- 1st Stage 15
- 1st
Overall Volta a Catalunya
- 1st Prologue, Stages 3 (ITT) & 6 (ITT)
- 1st
Overall Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
- 1st Stage 3 & 5b (ITT)
- 1st GP Miguel Indurain
- 1st Prologue Tour de France
- 2nd Overall Euskal Bizikleta
- 1997
- 1st
Overall Vuelta a España
- 1st Stage 21 (ITT)
- 1st
Overall Tour of the Basque Country
- 1st Stage 5b (ITT)
- 2nd Overall Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
- 2nd Milano–Torino
- 3rd La Flèche Wallonne
- 1998
- Giro d'Italia
- 1st Prologue, Stages 6 & 15 (ITT)
- 2nd Overall Tour de Romandie
- 1st Stage 4b (ITT)
- 3rd Overall Tour of the Basque Country
- 3rd Overall Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
- 1st Stage 5b (ITT)
- 8th Overall Vuelta a España
- 1st Stage 21 (ITT)
- 1999
- 1st À travers Lausanne
- 1st Stage 13 Vuelta a España
- 2nd Overall Tour de France
- 2000
- 1st
Overall Volta ao Algarve
- 1st Stage 4 (ITT)
- 1st Stage 1 (ITT) Vuelta a España
- 4th Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
- 2001
- 1st Stage 4 Paris–Nice
- 3rd Overall Vuelta a Asturias
- 2002
- 1st
Overall Tour de Suisse
- 1st Prologue
- 1st
Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
- 1st Stage 5 (ITT)
- 2nd Overall Tour de Romandie
- 2nd Overall Volta ao Algarve
- 1st Stage 2
- 2003
- 3rd Overall Vuelta a Castilla y León
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 |
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— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | DNF | — | — | — | — | — |
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— | DNF | 41 | 8 | 2 | 26 | DNF | DNF | 2 | DNF | — | — | — | — |
![]() ![]() |
— | 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 |
![]() ![]() |
— | — | 1 | 53 | 3 | — | — | 4 | — | — | 17 | 17 | — | 25 |
![]() |
did not contest during his career | |||||||||||||
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— | 4 | 3 | — | 1 | DNF | 1 | 3 | — | — | 9 | DNF | 58 | DNF |
![]() ![]() |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 33 | — | — | 2 | 17 | DNF |
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— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | — |
![]() |
3 | 14 | 6 | 21 | — | 1 | — | — | DNF | — | — | — | — | — |
![]() |
— | — | — | — | 2 | — | DNF | — | — | — | 22 | 1 | 22 | 54 |
— | Did not compete |
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DNF | Did not finish |
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