| content | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Hendrik Gerardus Jozef Zoetemelk |
| Nickname | De Eeuwige Tweede De Wieltjeszuiger |
| Date of birth | December 3, 1946 |
| Country | The Netherlands |
| Team information | |
| Current team | Retired |
| Discipline | Road |
| Role | Rider |
| Rider type | All-around |
| Professional team(s) | |
| 1970–1972 1973–1974 1975–1979 1980–1981 1982–1983 1984–1986 1987 |
Mars-Flandria Gitane-Frigecreme Gan-Mercier TI-Raleigh Coop-Mercier Kwantum Superconflex |
| Major wins | |
Tour de France 1980: overall winner  Vuelta a España |
|
| Infobox last updated on: | |
| April 16, 2008 | |
| Medal record | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Competitor for the  Netherlands |
|||
| Road bicycle racing | |||
| Olympic Games | |||
| Gold | 1968 Mexico City | Team time trial | |
| World Championships | |||
| Gold | 1985 Giavera di Montello | Elite Men's Road Race | |
Hendrik Gerardus Jozef "Joop" Zoetemelk (born December 3, 1946 in Rijpwetering) is a retired cyclist from The Netherlands. He is listed as the 8th greatest road cyclist of all time in a widely published and yearly updated weighted ranking, edging out Fausto Coppi and Roger De Vlaeminck.
After winning a gold medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City in the 100k team time trial (with Fedor den Hertog, Jan Krekels and René Pijnen) Zoetemelk turned professional. His career was threatened in 1974 by a skull fractured in a crash.
In 18 years as a professional (1969-87), he won in the 1980 Tour de France and the Vuelta a España in 1979. A testament to the competition at the time, notably Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault, Zoetemelk came second in the Tour de France six times. Additionally, he set a record by completing all 16 Tours in which he started. He became the oldest World Cycling Champion in 1985, at 38 and 9 months. After retiring, Zoetemelk became a directeur sportif with Superconflex which became eventually Rabobank in 1996. Zoetemelk stayed with the Rabobank team for 10 years retiring as a directeur sportif and from the sport after the 2006 Vuelta a Espana.
Zoetemelk and his French spouse live in Meaux where they owned and operated a hotel. His son Karl was a French mountain bike rider, being French champion.
Major results
|
|
External links
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Claude Criquielion |
World Road Racing Champion 1985 |
Succeeded by Moreno Argentin |
| Preceded by Bernard Hinault |
Winner of the Tour de France 1980 |
Succeeded by Bernard Hinault |
| Preceded by Bernard Hinault |
Winner of the Vuelta a España 1979 |
Succeeded by Faustino Ruperez |
| Preceded by Peter Kisner |
Dutch National Road Race Champion 1971 |
Succeeded by Tino Tabak |
| Preceded by Tino Tabak |
Dutch National Road Race Champion 1973 |
Succeeded by Cees Priem |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by Jan Raas |
Dutch Sportsman of the Year 1980 |
Succeeded by Hennie Stamsnijder |
| Preceded by Stephan van den Berg |
Dutch Sportsman of the Year 1985 |
Succeeded by Hein Vergeer |
