Urs Freuler

Last updated

Urs Freuler
Personal information
Full nameUrs Freuler
Born (1958-11-06) 6 November 1958 (age 64)
Bilten, Switzerland
Team information
Current teamRetired
DisciplineTrack and Road
RoleRider
Rider typeSprinter, Time Trial Specialist
Major wins
Grand Tours
Tour de France
1 individual stage (1981)
Giro d'Italia
Points Classification (1984)
15 individual stages (1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989)
World Champion Points race (1981 - 1987, 1989)
World Champion Keirin (1983, 1985)
Medal record
Men's track cycling
Representing Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg  Switzerland
World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1981 Brno Points race
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1982 Leicester Points race
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1983 Zürich Keirin
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1983 Zürich Points race
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1984 Barcelona Points race
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1985 Bassano del Grappa Keirin
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1985 Bassano del Grappa Points race
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1986 Colorado Springs Points race
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1987 Vienna Points race
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1989 Lyon Points race
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1984 Barcelona Keirin
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1986 Colorado Springs Keirin
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1987 Vienna Keirin
Amateur World Championships
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1978 Munich Team pursuit
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1979 Amsterdam Points race

Urs Freuler (born 6 November 1958 in Bilten, Canton of Glarus) is a Swiss cyclist, who raced professionally between 1980 and 1997, during which he won 124 victories. He was named Swiss Sports Personality of the Year in 1982 and 1983.

Contents

He was born in Bilten. As an amateur, he was the champion of his country in several categories and also achieved fame in international competitions.

He was a racer of great speed, who participated both in road races as well as track cycling. In the latter, he was the world champion in the keirin twice and the points race eight times and victor in 21 six-day races. On the road, he was victorious in numerous stages and criteriums. He competed in the team pursuit event at the 1980 Summer Olympics. [1]

In 1981, Freuler was riding for a personal sponsor, when the TI–Raleighcycling team had problems to form a team for the 1981 Tour de France. The rules allowed for the Raleigh team to hire cyclists who were not riding for a cycling team, and Freuler was added to the Tour squad. [2] Because Freuler, as a still young professional and with contracts for a full winter season of Six Days coming up, his team leader Peter Post and Freuler agreed that Freuler, although capable of taking on mountain stages, had to leave the race before the Alps would be visited. [3] Freuler, who acted as a replacement for sprinter Jan Raas, was able to win with TI–Raleighthe two team time trials and stage 7, and left the race in stage 15. After that he never started in the Tour again,. [4]

Freuler, for the chief part of his career riding for Italian teams, did win in another of the three Grand Tours, the Giro d'Italia, from 1982 to 1989. In 1982 he won three stages, in 1984 he won four stages and in 1985 he once again claimed three stage victories. In total he won 15 stages in the Giro and also claimed the points classification in 1984.

Major results

Track

Road

1981
1st Stage 7 Tour de France
1st Stage 7a Tour de Suisse
Tour de Romandie
1st Prologue & Stage 1
1982
1st Stage 2 Tour de Suisse
1st Stage 3 Giro di Sardegna
Giro d'Italia
1st Stages 4, 5 & 10
3rd Nice–Alassio
5th Grand Prix of Aargau Canton
1983
1st Stage 3 Giro del Trentino
Tour de Suisse
1st Stages 5a & 10
2nd Overall Giro di Sardegna
1st Stage 2
1984
Giro d'Italia
1st Jersey violet.svg Points classification
1st Stages 2, 7, 8 & 11
3rd Trofeo Baracchi
7th Milano–Torino
9th Grand Prix des Nations
9th Critérium des As
1985
1st Grand Prix of Aargau Canton
1st Stage 10b Tour de Suisse
1st Stage 3 Giro del Trentino
1st Stage 4b Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
Giro d'Italia
1st Stages 1, 13 & 21
4th Milano–Torino
6th Overall Giro di Puglia
1st Stage 2
8th Milan–San Remo
1986
1st Grand Prix Pino Cerami
1st Prologue Giro d'Italia
1st Stage 4 Tirreno–Adriatico
1st Stage 1 Tour de Suisse
6th Giro di Campania
1987
1st Stage 9 Giro d'Italia
1st Stage 10 Tour de Suisse
1st Stage 3 Giro di Puglia
1988
1st Stage 21a Giro d'Italia
1st Stage 10 Tour de Suisse
1st Stage 1 Danmark Rundt
1st Stage 2 Étoile de Bessèges
1989
1st Stage 10 Tour de Suisse
1st Stage 2 Tirreno–Adriatico
Giro d'Italia
1st Stages 7 & 11
Tour de Romandie
1st Stages 3a & 6
2nd Grand Prix of Aargau Canton
2nd GP Lugano
9th Paris–Roubaix
1990
1st Stage 3 Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
Tour de Romandie
1st Stages 2a & 6

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References

  1. ↑ "Urs Freuler Olympic Results". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
  2. ↑ "Post wil vaker coureurs op huurbasis aantrekken". Nieuwsblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). 3 July 1981. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
  3. ↑ "Freuler voor Alpen verplicht naar huis". Nieuwsblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). 3 July 1981. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
  4. ↑ "The Tour: Urs Freuler". Amaury Sports Organisation. Archived from the original on 16 July 2010. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
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