Thomas Dekker: Rider Profile

• Friday, 27 March 2009
• Cycling Weekly
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THOMAS DEKKER
Date of birth: 06/09/1984
From: Dirkshorn, Netherlands
Team: Chipotle Development Team
Previous teams: Silence-Lotto (2009), Rabobank (2003-2008)

Thomas Dekker career profile
Thomas Dekker is one of the most precocious talents in the current professional peloton.

Bursting onto the scene with two stage wins in the Ster Elektrotoer at the age of just 19, Dekker made a name for himself with his time trialling ability.

Equally impressive is his climbing ability, as he showed to great effect, winning the Tour de l'Avenir in 2004 and beating some formidable opposition to take Tirreno-Adriatico in 2006.

Over the years, Dekker has developed into a genuine all-rounder, coping well with the demands of the Grand Tours. Perhaps his greatest prospects lie in the Spring Classics, as he showed in 2008 taking top-ten placings in Amstel Gold, Flèche Wallonne and Lièg-Bastogne-Liège.

Rumours began to circulate in 2008, however, that Dekker had show ‘irregular' blood values and their relationship quickly turned sour. It was a story quickly picked up by the Dutch press, but equally quickly rejected by Rabobank, the UCI and Dekker himself.

He raced very little for the rest of 2008 as a result of his dispute with the Rabobank team and signed for Silence-Lotto for 2009.

Prior to the 2009 Tour de France it was announced that a sample taken from Dekker in 2007 had been retroactively tested and found to contain EPO. Dekker subsequently admitted taking the drug. He received a two-year suspension, returning to competition in June 2011 for the Chipotle team, the development arm of the Garmin-Cervelo squad.

Thomas Dekker results
2011
Duo Normand (with Johan Van Summeren)

2008
Vuelta a Castilla y Leon; points classification [annulled due to doping ban]

2007
Tour of Switzerland; stage six
Tour de Romandie; overall
Tour de Romandie; stage five
Tour de Romandie; points classification
3 Lander Tour; overall
3 Lander Tour; stage two
3 Lander Tour; four
Trofeo Pollenca

2006
Tirreno-Adriatico; overall

2005
Criterium International; stage two
Tour of Poland; stage 7b
National time trial champion
GP Stad Zottegem

2004
Tour de l'Avenir; stage one
Tour de Normandie; overall
Olympia Tour; overall
Olympia Tour; stage
Olympia Tour; stage
GP Eddy Merckx
National time trial champion

2003
Ster Elektrotoer; prologue
Ster Elektrotoer; stage two

Thomas Dekker photos
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RELATED LINKS
Cycling Weekly's Rider Profiles: Index