Festina (cycling team)
 The Festina–Lotus at the 1993 Paris–Nice | ||
| Team information | ||
|---|---|---|
| UCI code | FES | |
| Registered | Spain (1989–1992) Andorra (1993–1994, 1996) France (1995, 1997–2001) | |
| Founded | 1989 | |
| Disbanded | 2001 | |
| Discipline(s) | Road | |
| Key personnel | ||
| General manager | Miguel Moreno Cachinero (1989–1993) Bruno Roussel (1994–1998) Juan Fernández Martín (1999–2001) | |
| Team name history | ||
1989 1990–1992 1993–1999 2000–2001 | Lotus–Zahor Lotus–Festina Festina–Lotus Festina | |
| ||
Festina is a former professional cycling team that was active in the professional peloton from 1989 to 2001. The team was sponsored by Spanish watch manufacturers Festina.
History
Beginnings
The team first appeared as Lotus-Zahor but the following year, 1990, the team became Lotus-Festina. In 1993, the team became Festina-Lotus which it was known by until 2000. The team was a Spanish team from 1989 to 1992. Then the team was based in Andorra in 1993 and 1994. In 1995, the team became French-based from which it would stay until the team retired from the peloton, with the sole exception of 1996.
In 1991, the team signed the Portuguese cyclist Acacio Da Silva who would not win the sprints classification in that year’s Vuelta a España.[1]
The team signed Sean Kelly in 1992 who won Milan–San Remo, the first Classic victory for the team.[2] The team entered its first Tour de France in 1992. The team manager and directeur sportifs at this time included Miguel Moreno Cachinero and Carlos Machin Rodriguez but Bruno Roussel joined the team in 1993 and would lead the team during its most successful years. Richard Virenque joined the team in 1993.[3] The following year the team challenged Miguel Indurain in the 1994 Tour de France whereby teammates Luc Leblanc and Richard Virenque finished the race 4th and 5th overall and Festina won the team classification. Over the following years, Festina would be present in the Tour de France with Virenque finishing the race 3rd overall in 1996 and second overall in 1997.
Festina Doping Scandal
Virenque was a favourite in the 1998 Tour de France but after team soigneur Willy Voet was caught by France-Belgium border officials with large quantities of doping products in his Festina team car, all members of the 1998 Tour team including the World Champion Laurent Brochard and Christophe Moreau were arrested and seven admitted to taking EPO[4] and were ejected from the race.[5] Team doctor Eric Rijkaert was also arrested. Rijkaert was team doctor from 1993 to 1998. Laurent Brochard, Christophe Moreau and Didier Rous confessed and were served a six-month suspension before returning to racing[6] whereas Richard Virenque did not confess, releasing a book called Ma Vérité where he denied using doping products. However, on 24 October 2000, Virenque finally confessed and was handed a suspension.[7] The team doctor that was at the heart of the scandal, Eric Rijkaert, released a book in 2000 about the affair and discussing doping in the sport called De Zaak Festina.[8]
Post Festina affair
Due to these doping scandals, the team reorganised itself and sponsor Festina set up the Fondation d’Entreprise Festina which aimed to promote any actions that prevent doping taking place that are undertaken by institutions or individuals.[9] After the Festina Affair Juna Fernadez Martin, Yvon Sanquer, Michel Gros, Roberto Torres Toledano, Jacky Lachevere and Gerald Rue directed the team in its final years. The team achieved 3rd and 4th overall in the 2000 Tour de France with Joseba Beloki and Christophe Moreau and won the 2001 Vuelta a España with Angel Casero before retiring from the sport at the end of the 2001 season. The sponsor Festina continued in professional cycling for many years more by being the official timekeeper at the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia, the Vuelta a España and several other stage-races.
Major results
- 1989
- 1st Stage 6 Vuelta a España, Luc Suykerbuyk
- 1st Criterium Bavel, Luc Suykerbuyk
- 1990
- 1st Route Adélie de Vitré, Roberto Torres
- 1991
- 1st
Spain National Cyclo-cross Championships - 1st Giro del Veneto, Roberto Pagnin
- 1st Stage 2 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, Mathieu Hermans
- 1992
- 1st Milan–San Remo, Sean Kelly
- 1st Trofeo Luis Puig, Sean Kelly
- 1st Stage 3 Vuelta a Aragon, Andrei Zubov
- 1st Stage 13 Vuelta a Espana, Roberto Torres
- 1st Stage 10 Giro d'Italia, Roberto Pagnin
- 1st Stage 7 Tour de Suisse, Sean Kelly
- 1st Stage 9 Tour de Suisse, Roberto Pagnin
- 1st
Switzerland National Road Race Championships, Thomas Wegmuller - 1st Giro del Lago Maggiore, Thomas Wegmuller
- 1st Circuito de Getxo, Mathieu Hermans
- 1993
- 1st Stages 4 & 8 Vuelta a España, Jean-Paul Van Poppel
- 1st Stage 14, Tour de France, Pascal Lino
- 1st Stage 3 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, Jean-Paul Van Poppel
- 1st Profronde van Oostvoorne, Gert Jakobs
- 1st Stage 2 Tour du Poitou Charentes et de la Vienne, Thierry Marie
- 1st Criterium Ulvenhout, Sean Kelly
- 1994
- 1st Ronde van Boxmeer, Jean-Paul Van Poppel
- 1st Etoile de Bessèges, Jean-Paul Van Poppel
- 1st Ronde van Pijnacker, Jean-Paul Van Poppel
- 1st Stage 9 Vuelta a España, Jean-Paul Van Poppel
- 1st Stage 5 Critérium du Dauphiné, Pascal Herve
- 1st
Mountains classification Tour de France, Richard Virenque
- 1st Stage 2, Jean-Paul Van Poppel
- 1st Stage 11, Luc Leblanc
- 1st Stage 12, Richard Virenque
- 1st World Road Race Championships, Luc Leblanc
- 1st Boucles de l'Aulne - GP Le Télégramme, Richard Virenque
- 1st Trophée des Grimpeurs - Polymultipliée, Richard Virenque
- 1995
- 1st
France National Cyclo-cross Championships - 1st La Poly Normande, Richard Virenque
- 1st
Overall Vuelta a Burgos, Laurent Dufaux - 1st
Overall Route du Sud, Laurent Dufaux - 1st Gent-Wevelgem, Lars Michaelsen
- 1st Stages 4 & 6 Critérium du Dauphiné, Richard Virenque
- 1st Stages 7 Critérium du Dauphiné, Fabian Jeker
- 1st Mountains classification Tour de France, Richard Virenque
- 1st Stage 15, Richard Virenque
- 1996
- 1st France National Cyclo-cross Championships, Emmanuel Magnien
- 1st Overall Vuelta Ciclista de Chile, Christophe Moreau
- 1st
Finland National Road Race Championships, Joona Laukka - 1st La Boucle de l'Artois, Jean-Miche Thilloy
- 1st Escalada a Montjuic, Fabian Jeker
- 1st La Poly Normande, Laurent Brochard
- 1st
Overall Tour du Limousin, Laurent Brochard - 1st Overall Tour du Haut Var, Bruno Boscardin
- 1st Stage 7 Paris–Nice, Bruno Boscardin
- 1st Stage 6 Giro d'Italia Pascal Herve
- 1st Stage 4 Critérium du Dauphiné, Richard Virenque
- 1st Mountains classification Tour de France, Richard Virenque
- 1st Stages 17 & 19, Laurent Dufaux
- 1st Switzerland National Hill climb Championships, Laurent Dufaux
- 1st Giro del Piemonte, Richard Virenque
- 1997
- 1st Overall Vuelta Ciclista de Chile, Patrice Hagland
- 1st Etoile de Bessèges, Patrice Hagland
- 1st La Poly Normande, Richard Virenque
- 1st Prueba Villafranca de Ordizia, Laurent Lefevre
- 1st GP d'Ouverture La Marseillaise, Richard Virenque
- 1st Stage 7 Giro d'Italia, Marcel Wust
- 1st Mountains classification Tour de France, Richard Virenque
- 1st Stage 9, Laurent Brochard
- 1st Stage 14, Richard Virenque
- 1st Stage 17, Anthony Neil Stephens
- 1st Stage 18, Didier Rous
- 1st Coppa Bernocchi, Gianluca Bertolami
- 1st Stages 2, 3 & 5 Vuelta a España, Marcel Wust
- 1st World Road Race Championships, Laurent Brochard
- 1st Giro del Piemonte, Gianluca Bertolami
- 1998
- 1st Overall Vuelta Ciclista de Chile, Marcel Wust
- 1st Grand Prix du Midi Libre, Laurent Dufaux
- 1st Escalada a Montjuic, Fabian Jeker
- 1st GP Chiasso, Gianluca Bertolami
- 1st Stage 5b Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme, Alex Zuelle
- 1st Stage 3 Critérium International, Christophe Moreau
- 1st Stage 3 Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco, Pascal Herve
- 1st Trophée des Grimpeurs - Polymultipliée, Pascal Herve
- 1st Overall Tour de Romandie, Laurent Dufaux
- 1st Prologue, Stages 1 & 3, Laurent Dufaux
- 1st Stage 4b, Alex Zuelle
- 1st Prologue, Stages 6 & 15 Giro d'Italia, Alex Zuelle
- 1st Circuito de Getxo, Marcel Wust
- 1st Stage 6 Critérium du Dauphiné, Richard Virenque
- 1st GP Ouest France-Plouay, Pascal Herve
- 1st Stages 14 & 17 Vuelta a España, Marcel Wust
- 1st Stage 21 Vuelta a España, Alex Zuelle
- 1999
- 1st A Travers le Morbihan, Patrice Hagland
- 1st Stage 1 Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme, Marcel Wust
- 1st Grand Prix de Plumelec-Morbihan, Patrice Hagland
- 1st Stage 5 Critérium du Dauphiné, Laurent Madouas
- 1st Overall Tour du Poitou Charentes et de la Vienne, Christophe Moreau
- 1st Stage 4, Christophe Moreau
- 1st Stages 4, 5, 6 & 7 Vuelta a España, Marcel Wust
- 1st Stage 9, Vuelta a España, Laurent Brochard
- 1st
Australia National Time Trial Championships, Jonathan Hall - 2000
- 1st Profronde van Surhuisterveen, Marcel Wust
- 1st Escalada a Montjuic, Fabian Jeker
- 1st
Overall Vuelta Ciclista Asturias, Joseba Beloki - 1st Stage 3b Tour de Romandie, Joseba Beloki
- 1st Overall Deutschland Tour, David Plaza Romero
- 1st Stage 6, Marcel Wust
- 1st Stage 7, David Plaza Romero
- 1st Stage 3 Tour de Suisse, Wladimir Belli
- 1st Stage 5 Tour de France, Marcel Wust
- 1st GP Città di Camaiore, Wladimir Belli
- 1st Stage 5 Tour du Poitou Charentes et de la Vienne, Stéphane Auge
- 2001
- 1st Overall Vuelta Ciclista de Chile, David Plaza Romero
- 1st Stage 2 Etoile de Bessèges, Steffen Radochla
- 1st Stage 5 Etoile de Bessèges, Florent Brard
- 1st Cholet - Pays De Loire, Florent Brard
- 1st Stage 3 Tour de Romandie, David Plaza Romero
- 1st
Overall Critérium du Dauphiné, Christophe Moreau - 1st France National Time Trial Championship, Florent Brard
- 1st Prologue Tour de France, Christophe Moreau
- 1st Prueba Villafranca de Ordizia, David Clinger
- 1st
Overall Vuelta a España, Angel Moreno - 1st Paris-Bourges, Florent Brard
Notable riders
 | This list of "famous" or "notable" people has no clear inclusion or exclusion criteria. Please help improve this article by defining clear inclusion criteria to contain only subjects that fit those criteria. (March 2017) |
- Acacio Da Silva
- Sean Kelly
- Abraham Olano
- Steven Rooks
- Richard Virenque
- Jean-Paul van Poppel
- Thierry Marie
- Pascal Lino
- Luc Leblanc
- Lars Michaelsen
- Laurent Brochard
- Emmanuel Magnien
- Christophe Bassons
- Patrice Halgand
- Christophe Moreau
- Didier Rous
- Anthony Neil Stephens
- Marcel Wüst
- Joseba Beloki
- Angel Casero
- Alex Zülle
References
- ^ "History Vuelta 1991". la vuelta .com. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2007.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Lotus-Festina 1992". the cycling website.net. Archived from the original on 20 June 2010. Retrieved 27 October 2007.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Festina-Lotus 1993". cyclebase.nl. Retrieved 27 October 2007.
- ^ "Tour riders down wheels over drug use". London independent. Retrieved 28 July 2007. [dead link]
- ^ "A hint of doping at Tour de France". Herald Tribune. Archived from the original on 20 February 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2007.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Dopage 2". Humanite. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 29 July 2007.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Richard Virenque - sa vérité!". Dopage free cyclisme. Retrieved 27 October 2007.
- ^ De Zaak Festina
- ^ "Sponsorship cycling". Archived from the original on 24 October 2007. Retrieved 27 October 2007.
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External links
Media related to Festina (cycling team) at Wikimedia Commons