Thomas Frischknecht

Thomas Frischknecht

Frischknecht in 1996
Personal information
Full name Thomas Frischknecht
Nickname Frischi
Born (1970-02-17) February 17, 1970
Feldbach, Switzerland
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 69 kg (152 lb)
Team information
Current team Swisspower
Discipline MTB
Role Rider
Professional team(s)
1990-2000 Ritchey
2001- Swisspower
Major wins
World MTB Marathon Champion (2003, 2005)
World MTB Cross Country Champion (1996)
Infobox last updated on
January 17, 2007

Thomas Frischknecht (born February 17, 1970 in Feldbach, Switzerland) is a former Swiss mountain bike and cyclo-cross racer, often called Europe's Elder Statesman of mountain biking,[1] because of his extraordinarily long career at the top level of the sport. A professional since 1990, he was on top of the Mountain Bike World Championship podium for the first time in 1996 and most recently in 2004.[2]

Biography

Frischi (as he is called) advocates staying 'fit for life' and dope free racing. He is considered an excellent example of a clean sportsman.[1][3]

In 1996 he was second at the World Cross-country Mountain Bike Championships, but after France's Jerome Chiotti confessed having used EPO when he won the title that year, he got the rainbow jersey from Chiotti, handed over as a friendly act in an unofficial ceremony.[4]

He won the Olympic silver medal in 1996. The next day he competed in the men's road race on a Ritchey cyclocross bike after fellow Swiss team member Tony Rominger fell ill. He finished the race in the middle of the pack.[5]

Frischknecht also competes in cyclo-cross, where he won an Amateur World Champion title, was Vice World Champion in 1997 and is a multiple-time Swiss Champion.[6]

Thomas is married and has three children. Thomas's father was a cyclo-cross racer as well, winning three silver medals at World Championships. He won a Swiss stage race called Grandprixtell in the early 1990s, and took part in the Olympic Road Race in 1996.

Thomas first traveled to America in 1990 to compete in the then new genre of mountain biking. He became closely linked to Tom Ritchey, a major bike-components producer, who provided support and became a mentor and a good friend. Ritchey has sponsored him ever since. Other major sponsors include Swisspower, an electric utility consortium, and Scott bicycles.

Frischknecht was multiple Swiss cyclist of the year and author of a book on mountain biking, Richtig Mountainbiken. He is currently involved with the Frischi Bike School in the Engadin/St. Moritz area of Switzerland.

Victories

1988
World Championship, Cyclo-cross, Juniors, Hagendorf
1989
Roma, Cyclo-cross (ITA)
1990
Schulteiss-Cup, Cyclo-cross (GER)
1991
National Championship, Cyclo-cross, Elite, Switzerland (SUI)
Overijse, Cyclo-cross (BEL)
Schulteiss-Cup, Cyclo-cross (GER)
Wetzikon, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
World Championship, Cyclo-cross, Amateurs, Gieten
1992
Dagmersellen, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
Mont Sainte-Anne, Mountainbike (CAN)
Roma, Cyclo-cross (ITA)
Schulteiss-Cup, Cyclo-cross (GER)
Landgraaf, Mountainbike (NED)
Strathpeffer, Mountainbike (GBR)
Mount Snow, Mountainbike (USA)
1993
European Championship, Mountainbike, Elite
Schulteiss-Cup, Cyclo-cross (GER)
Wetzikon, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
1994
Dagmersellen, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
Mont Sainte-Anne, Mountainbike (CAN)
1995
Vail, Mountainbike (USA)
Mammoth Lakes, Mountainbike (USA)
1996
World Championship, Mountainbike XC Elite, Cairns
Sankt-Wendel, Mountainbike (GER)
Gansingen, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
1997
National Championship, Cyclo-cross, Elite, Switzerland, Liestal (SUI)
Sankt-Wendel, Mountainbike (GER)
1998
Budapest, Mountainbike (HUN)
Hombrechtikon, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
1999
Meilen, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
Zeddam, Cyclo-cross (NED)
Magstadt, Cyclo-cross (GER)
National Championship, Cyclo-cross, Elite, Switzerland, Eschenbach (SUI)
Canmore, Mountainbike (AUS)
Liestal, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
Obergögsen, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
2001
Safenwil, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
Magstadt, Cyclo-cross (GER)
Kaprun, Mountainbike (AUT)
Castelnuovo, Cyclo-cross (ITA)
Dagmersellen, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
2002
Dagmersellen, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
National Championship, Cyclo-cross, Elite, Switzerland (SUI)
Hittnau, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
San Mateo, Cyclo-cross (USA)
Hombrechtikon, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
2003
World Championship, Mountainbike Marathon
Russikon, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
2004
San Mateo, Cyclo-cross (b) (USA)
San Mateo, Cyclo-cross (USA)
2005
World Championship, Mountainbike Marathon, Lillehammer (NOR)
Magstadt, Cyclo-cross (GER)

References

  1. 1 2 "Thomas Frischknecht". Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. 1999. Retrieved July 25, 2006. Archived June 30, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
  2. ↑ "Men, Mountain Bike World Cup". UCI. Retrieved July 25, 2006.
  3. ↑ "Doping statement". Frischknecht's home page. Retrieved July 25, 2006. Archived March 18, 2005, at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ "News for May 25, 2000: Chiotti hands it back". Cycling News. May 25, 2000. Retrieved July 25, 2006.
  5. ↑ "Interview: Thomas Frischknecht". Bike Radar. August 12, 2008. Retrieved July 25, 2008.
  6. ↑ "CycloX World Cup: Coupe du Monde - 1998-1999". Union Cycliste Internationale. January 3, 1999. Retrieved July 25, 2006.
Olympic Games
Preceded by
Stefan Schärer		 Flagbearer for   Switzerland
Sydney 2000 		Succeeded by
Roger Federer
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