Thomas Voeckler
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Voeckler at the 2014 Grand Prix d'Isbergues
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Thomas Voeckler |
| Nickname | Ti-Blanc Francis |
| Born |
22 June 1979 Schiltigheim, Alsace, France |
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) |
| Weight | 71 kg (157 lb; 11.2 st) |
| Team information | |
| Current team | Direct Énergie |
| Discipline | Road |
| Role | Rider |
| Rider type | All-rounder, climber, Breakaway specialist |
| Amateur team(s) | |
| 2000 | Bonjour (stagiaire) |
| Professional team(s) | |
| 2001– | Bonjour |
| Major wins | |
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Thomas Voeckler (French pronunciation: [tɔ.mɑ/tɔ.ma vœ.klɛʁ]; born 22 June 1979) is a French professional road racing cyclist who rides for the Direct Énergie cycling team.
One of the most prominent French riders of his generation, Voeckler has been described as a "national hero", due to strong showings in several editions of the Tour de France.
Born in Schiltigheim, Bas-Rhin, Voeckler has been a professional cyclist since 2001. He comes from the Alsace region of France but later moved to Martinique, where he was nicknamed "Ti-Blanc" (a contraction of petit blanc, the literal translation of which is "little white") due to his small stature and pale complexion.
In 2003, Voeckler captured two stages and the overall title in the Tour de Luxembourg. The following year, he suddenly rose to international prominence in the world of cycling. After seizing the French championship, the lightly regarded Voeckler entered the 2004 Tour de France. After escaping with five other riders during the fifth stage, Voeckler gained significant time against the peloton, and earned the yellow jersey (maillot jaune). Remarkably, he defended his jersey for ten days, even on stages not well-suited to his strengths.
With the maillot jaune on his shoulders, and intense media attention all around him, Voeckler only rode stronger. He survived the dreaded Pyrenean climbs seconds ahead of Lance Armstrong. Voeckler finally surrendered the jersey to Armstrong on stage 15 in the French Alps. Voeckler then also lost the white jersey (le maillot blanc, held by the best rider under 25) to Vladimir Karpets. But by then Voeckler was already a national hero.
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