Bjarne Riis

Bjarne Riis (born April 3, 1964 in Herning) is a Danish professional road bicycle racer who won the Tour de France in 1996.

Related Topics:
April 3 - 1964 - Herning - Danish - Road bicycle racer - Tour de France - 1996

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Riis began cycling professionally in 1986, but his career ended prematurely due to a crash on June 18, 1999 while cycling to the starting line of a stage in the Tour de Suisse. He never fully recovered and officially retired in 2000.

Related Topics:
1986 - June 18 - 1999 - Tour de Suisse - 2000

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Other career highlights include winning the Amstel Gold Race in 1997, multiple Danish National Championships, and stage wins in the Giro d'Italia. Riis's crowing achievement as cyclist was unseating Miguel Induráin's five-year stranglehold on the Tour de France by winning it in 1996.

Related Topics:
Amstel Gold Race - 1997 - Giro d'Italia - Miguel Induráin - Tour de France - 1996

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Riis is otherwise known as Mr. 60%, a suggestion that he has used performance enhancing drugs. The 60% is an allusion to high hematocrit (red blood cell), an indication of EPO usage. It has been published that Riis had a hematocrit level of %56 during one test in July 1995; Well above typical natural levels, as well as his published reading of %41 in the offseason earlier that year http://cyclisme.dopage.free.fr/actualite/1999-03-13-lesoir.htm .

Related Topics:
Performance enhancing drugs - Hematocrit - EPO

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After retiring as a cyclist, Riis moved on to coaching; he is now the General Manager of his own cycling team, Team CSC.

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