Leontien van Moorsel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Leontien van Moorsel

Leontien van Moorsel in 1991
Personal information
Full name	Leontien Martha Henrica Petronella Zijlaard-van Moorsel
Born	(1970-03-22) 22 March 1970 (age 55) Boekel, Netherlands
Team information
Discipline	Road & track
Role	Rider
Major wins
Stage races Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale (1992, 1993) Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin (1991) Emakumeen Bira (2000) Trophée d'Or Féminin (2000) One day races & classics Olympic Road Champion (2000) Olympic Time Trial Champion (2000, 2004) World Road Champion (1991, 1993) World Time Trial Champion (1998, 1999) National Road Champion (1998–2000, 1992, 1993, 1998, 1999) National Time Trial Champion (1997, 1998–2002)

Leontien Martha Henrica Petronella Zijlaard-van Moorsel, born on March 22, 1970, is a famous retired cyclist from the Netherlands. She was one of the best cyclists in the 1990s and early 2000s. Leontien won four gold medals at the Olympic Games. She also held the women's Hour record from 2003 until 2015.

Leontien's Cycling Journey

Leontien van Moorsel at the Women's Amstel Gold Race in 2018.

Leontien van Moorsel started her cycling career in 1977. She became a top rider in both track cycling and road cycling. In the early 1990s, she won the Tour Féminin twice. This was a big race for women cyclists.

In 1994, Leontien took a break from cycling because of a health challenge. She worked hard to recover and came back strong. By 1998, she was competing again at the World Championships. She won the time trial event and finished second in the road race.

Olympic Success

At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Leontien had amazing success. She won three gold medals:

• One gold in the road race.
• One gold in the road time trial.
• One gold in the 3 km individual pursuit on the track.

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, she had a fall during the road race. Even after this, she bravely competed two days later. She successfully defended her time trial title, winning another gold medal.

Setting the Hour Record

In 2003, Leontien set a new Hour record for women. She rode 46.065 kilometers in one hour in Mexico City. This record stood for almost 12 years. It was a huge achievement in cycling.

Retirement and New Roles

Leontien van Moorsel retired from professional cycling after the 2004 Olympics. In 2017, she became a director for the Women's Amstel Gold Race. This shows her continued dedication to the sport.

Major Achievements

Leontien van Moorsel achieved many victories throughout her career. Here are some of her most important wins:

• Olympic Games:
  • 2000 Sydney: Gold in Road Race, Gold in Time Trial, Gold in Individual Pursuit, Silver in Points Race
  • 2004 Athens: Gold in Time Trial, Bronze in Individual Pursuit

• World Championships (Road):
  • 1991 Stuttgart: Gold in Road Race
  • 1993 Oslo: Gold in Road Race
  • 1998 Valkenburg: Gold in Time Trial, Silver in Road Race
  • 1999 Verona: Gold in Time Trial

• World Championships (Track):
  • 1990 Maebashi City: Gold in Individual Pursuit
  • 1998 Bordeaux: Silver in Individual Pursuit
  • 2001 Antwerp: Gold in Individual Pursuit
  • 2002 Copenhagen: Gold in Individual Pursuit
  • 2003 Stuttgart: Gold in Individual Pursuit

• Major Stage Races:
  • 1991: Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin (Overall)
  • 1992: Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale (Overall)
  • 1993: Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale (Overall)
  • 2000: Emakumeen Bira (Overall), Trophée d'Or Féminin (Overall)

• National Championships (Netherlands):
  • Many titles in Road Race, Time Trial, and Track Individual Pursuit.

Personal Life

Leontien van Moorsel married Michael Zijlaard in October 1995. Michael was also a track cyclist. They have a daughter together.

See also

In Spanish: Leontien van Moorsel para niños

• List of Dutch Olympic cyclists
• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists at a single Games