Kim Kirchen
Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Infobox cyclist tracking".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Kim Kirchen (born 3 July 1978) is a Luxembourgish former road racing cyclist. He is the son of cyclist Erny Kirchen and the great-nephew of cyclist Jeng Kirchen.[1]
Career
Kirchen signed as a professional cyclist in 2000 with De Nardi-Pasta Montegrappa, and went on to join Template:Cycling data FAS in 2001. For the 2006 cycling season, he joined the Template:Cycling data THR following the demise of the Fassa Bortolo team.
His first recorded race was in Dommeldange in 1999, and he had to wait until 2000 for his first professional victory when he won the Piva Col trophy. Kirchen was named the Luxembourgian Sportsman of the Year in 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008, surpassing the achievement of fellow cyclist Charly Gaul and putting him fourth in the all-time stakes.
In July 2008 he showed good form during the Tour de France, placing 7th in the general classification[2] and wearing the yellow jersey for a total of four stages.
In 2010, Kirchen joined Template:Cycling data KAT, after he was unable to agree with Template:Cycling data THR on a contract extension.[3] He suffered a suspected heart attack during the 2010 Tour de Suisse, in June 2010.[4] He did not race in 2011 because of the heart condition and later retired from the sport.[5][6]
Since 2011, Kirchen co-commentates all cycling races broadcast on RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg, along with former Cofidis cyclist Tom Flammang.
Personal life
Kim Kirchen was born on July 3, 1978, in Luxembourg. His father, Erny Kirchen, was a cyclist, notably winning the Flèche du Sud and being the national vice-champion in 1974.[7]
Kim Kirchen started cycling at the age of 13 in 1992, with the Amis du Cyclisme de la Commune de Contern (ACC Contern), a renowned Luxembourgish club presided over by Marcel Gilles, where he notably rode alongside Fränk Schleck.[8]
Kim Kirchen married Caroline in 2007.[9] On July 8, 2010, just a few days after emerging from a coma, his wife gave birth to twins, Liam and Mike.[10]
Major results
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- 1999
- 1st File:MaillotLuxemburgo.PNG Road race, National Road Championahips
- 1st File:Jersey yellow.svg Overall Flèche du Sud
- 1st Coppa Città di San Daniele
- 4th Road race, UCI Under-23 Road World Championships
- 2000
- 2nd Time trial, National Road Championahips
- 2nd Oberall Okolo Slovenska
- 1st File:Jersey white.svg Young rider classification
- 1st Stage 3
- 4th Road race, UCI Under-23 Road World Championships
- 4th Overall Jadranska Magistrala
- 9th Paris–Tours Espoirs
- 2001
- Tour de Luxembourg
- 1st File:Jersey green.svg Points classification
- 1st Stage 3
- National Road Championships
- 2nd Time trial
- 3rd Road race
- 4th Overall Tour de Pologne
- 2002
- 1st File:Jersey yellow.svg Overall Ronde van Nederland
- 1st File:Jersey white.svg Young rider classification
- 1st Tour de Berne
- 9th Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne
- 10th Overall Regio-Tour
- 2003
- 1st Paris–Brussels
- 1st Stage 6 (TTT) Tour Méditerranéen
- 4th Overall Tour de Suisse
- 4th Overall Tour de la Région Wallonne
- 8th Brabantse Pijl
- 2004
- 1st File:MaillotLuxemburgo.PNG Road race, National Road Championahips
- 1st Stage 5 Tour de Luxembourg
- 6th Road race, Olympic Games
- 2005
- 1st File:Jersey yellow.svg Overall Tour de Pologne
- 1st File:Jersey green.svg Points classification
- 1st Stage 7a
- 1st Trofeo Laigueglia
- 1st Gran Premio di Chiasso
- 2nd Road race, National Road Championahips
- 2nd La Flèche Wallonne
- 2nd Coppa Placci
- 7th Overall Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
- 1st Stages 1b (TTT) & 4
- 8th Overall Tour Méditerranéen
- 2006
- 1st File:MaillotLuxemburgo.PNG Road race, National Road Championahips
- Tour de Luxembourg
- 1st File:Jersey green.svg Points classification
- 1st Prologue
- 2nd Gran Premio di Lugano
- 6th Gran Premio di Chiasso
- 2007
- 2nd Overall Tour de Suisse
- 2nd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
- 3rd Overall Tour de Pologne
- 3rd Brabantse Pijl
- 3rd Milano–Torino
- 7th Overall Tour de France
- 1st Stage 15
- 2008
- National Road Championships
- 1st La Flèche Wallonne
- 4th Overall Bayern Rundfahrt
- 7th Overall Tour de France
- 1st Stage 4
- Held File:Jersey yellow.svg after Stages 6–9
- Held File:Jersey green.svg after Stages 2–4, 6, 7 & 9
- 7th Overall Tour de Suisse
- 1st Stage 6
- 7th Overall Tour of the Basque Country
- 1st Stages 2 & 4
- 2009
- National Road Championships
- 9th Overall Tour de Suisse
- 1st Stage 7
- 2010
- 6th Trofeo Deià
Grand Tour general classification results timeline
| Grand Tour | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A pink jersey Giro d'Italia | — | — | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| A yellow jersey Tour de France | — | — | — | 63 | DNF | — | 7 | 7 | 54 | — |
| A gold jersey Vuelta a España | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | DNF | — |
| — | Did not compete |
|---|---|
| DNF | Did not finish |
References
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- ↑ Kirchen suffers suspected heart-attack cyclingnews.com
- ↑ Kirchen unlikely to race again Cyclingnews
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External links
- Template:Webarchive
- Template:Webarchive
- Template:Trim Template:PAGENAMEBASE at trap-friis.dk
- Template:Webarchive
- Template:UCI
- Template:Olympedia
- Template:Olympics.com
- Template:COSL profile
Template:Tour of Pologne winners Template:Luxembourgish Sportspeople of the Year
- Pages with script errors
- Pages with broken file links
- 1978 births
- Living people
- Luxembourgian male cyclists
- Luxembourgian Tour de France stage winners
- Cyclists at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Cyclists at the 2008 Summer Olympics
- Olympic cyclists for Luxembourg
- Cyclists from Luxembourg City
- Tour de Suisse stage winners