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Wikipedia / Kim Kirchen

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.

Career

Kirchen signed as a professional cyclist in 2000 with De Nardi-Pasta Montegrappa, and went on to join in 2001. For the 2006 cycling season, he joined the 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 and wearing the yellow jersey for a total of four stages.

In 2010, Kirchen joined , after he was unable to agree with on a contract extension. He suffered a suspected heart attack during the 2010 Tour de Suisse, in June 2010. He did not race in 2011 because of the heart condition and later retired from the sport.

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 3 July 1978, in Luxembourg. His father, Erny Kirchen, was a cyclist, notably winning the Flèche du Sud and being the national vice-champion in 1974.

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.

Kim Kirchen married Caroline in 2007. On 8 July 2010, just a few days after he emerged from a coma, his wife gave birth to twins, Liam and Mike.

Major results

  1. 1999

  2. 1st Road race, National Road Championships

  3. 1st Overall Flèche du Sud

  4. 1st Coppa Città di San Daniele

  5. 4th Road race, UCI Under-23 Road World Championships

  6. 2000

  7. 1st Trofeo Banca Popolare di Vicenza

  8. 2nd Time trial, National Road Championships

  9. 2nd Oberall Okolo Slovenska

    1. 1st Young rider classification

    2. 1st Stage 3

    4th Road race, UCI Under-23 Road World Championships

  10. 4th Overall Jadranska Magistrala

  11. 9th Paris–Tours Espoirs

  12. 2001

  13. Tour de Luxembourg

    1. 1st Points classification

    2. 1st Stage 3

    National Road Championships

    1. 2nd Time trial

    2. 3rd Road race

    4th Overall Tour de Pologne

  14. 2002

  15. 1st Overall Ronde van Nederland

    1. 1st Young rider classification

    1st Tour de Berne

  16. 9th Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne

  17. 10th Overall Regio-Tour

  18. 2003

  19. 1st Paris–Brussels

  20. 1st Stage 6 (TTT) Tour Méditerranéen

  21. 4th Overall Tour de Suisse

  22. 4th Overall Tour de la Région Wallonne

  23. 8th Brabantse Pijl

  24. 2004

  25. 1st Road race, National Road Championships

  26. 1st Stage 5 Tour de Luxembourg

  27. 6th Road race, Olympic Games

  28. 2005

  29. 1st Overall Tour de Pologne

    1. 1st Points classification

    2. 1st Stage 7a

    1st Trofeo Laigueglia

  30. 1st Gran Premio di Chiasso

  31. 2nd Road race, National Road Championships

  32. 2nd La Flèche Wallonne

  33. 2nd Coppa Placci

  34. 7th Overall Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali

    1. 1st Stages 1b (TTT) & 4

    8th Overall Tour Méditerranéen

  35. 2006

  36. 1st Road race, National Road Championships

  37. Tour de Luxembourg

    1. 1st Points classification

    2. 1st Prologue

    2nd Gran Premio di Lugano

  38. 6th Gran Premio di Chiasso

  39. 2007

  40. 2nd Overall Tour de Suisse

  41. 2nd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico

  42. 3rd Overall Tour de Pologne

  43. 3rd Brabantse Pijl

  44. 3rd Milano–Torino

  45. 7th Overall Tour de France

    1. 1st Stage 15

    2008

  46. National Road Championships

    1. 1st Time trial

    2. 4th Road race

    1st La Flèche Wallonne

  47. 4th Overall Bayern Rundfahrt

  48. 7th Overall Tour de France

    1. 1st Stage 4

    2. Held after Stages 6–9

    3. Held after Stages 2–4, 6, 7 & 9

    7th Overall Tour de Suisse

    1. 1st Stage 6

    7th Overall Tour of the Basque Country

    1. 1st Stages 2 & 4

    2009

  49. National Road Championships

    1. 1st Time trial

    2. 4th Road race

    9th Overall Tour de Suisse

    1. 1st Stage 7

    2010

  50. 6th Trofeo Deià

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

References