Óscar Pereiro facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Óscar Pereiro

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) One-day races and Classics Classique des Alpes (2004)

Óscar Pereiro Sío (born August 3, 1977) is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer. He is best known for winning the 2006 Tour de France. He was declared the winner after the first-place rider, Floyd Landis, was disqualified.

Óscar Pereiro rode for several cycling teams during his career. These included Porta da Ravessa, Phonak Hearing Systems, Caisse d'Epargne, and Astana. After he stopped cycling in 2010, Pereiro joined a local football club called Coruxo FC.

Early Cycling Days

Óscar Pereiro showed his talent early in his career. In the 2004 Tour de France, he finished in tenth place overall. This was a great achievement for him.

In the 2005 Tour de France, he won the Most Aggressive Rider Award. This award is given to the cyclist who shows the most fighting spirit. He was part of many winning groups during the race. He also won Stage 16, beating other strong riders like Xabier Zandio and Cadel Evans. His efforts in Stage 15, which was a very tough mountain stage, were also highly praised.

Winning the 2006 Tour de France

During the 2006 Tour de France, Óscar Pereiro had an amazing ride in Stage 13. He finished second, gaining almost 30 minutes on many of the top riders. This big lead helped him unexpectedly take the yellow jersey, which is worn by the overall leader.

He and Floyd Landis swapped the lead a few times over the next days. Landis eventually took the lead for good near the end of the race.

Later, Landis was found to have failed a doping test. Because of this, he was disqualified from the 2006 Tour de France. This meant that Óscar Pereiro became the official winner of the race. Pereiro said he felt like the Tour de France champion and that it was a victory for his whole team.

Health Check and Crash

Pereiro in 2009

In 2007, there was a report about Óscar Pereiro's health. It was said that he had a higher than allowed level of salbutamol in some tests during the 2006 Tour de France. Salbutamol is a medicine used to treat asthma. Cyclists are allowed to use it if they have a doctor's prescription. The cycling authorities later confirmed that Pereiro had a valid medical reason for using the medicine. This meant he was cleared of any wrongdoing.

In the 2008 Tour de France, Pereiro had a serious crash. During Stage 15, he fell over a guardrail on a mountain descent. He landed on the other side of the turn. He broke his arm in the accident and had to leave the race. He was taken to a hospital nearby.

Pereiro's yellow jersey, Tour de France 2006.

Football Career

After retiring from professional cycling in 2010, Óscar Pereiro decided to follow another dream. He announced that he had signed with Coruxo FC, a football club in Spain. He said that becoming a professional footballer was a childhood dream for him. He played as a winger and made two appearances for the team that season. He even scored two goals!

Career Achievements

Major Results

Grand Tour Results Timeline

Grand Tour	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009
Giro d'Italia	11	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Tour de France	—	—	10	10	1*	10	DNF	DNF
Vuelta a España	30	17	—	25	49	DNF	—	—

* After the disqualification of Floyd Landis

See also

In Spanish: Óscar Pereiro para niños