Óscar Freire

Óscar Freire Gómez (born 15 February 1976) is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the top sprinters in road bicycle racing, having won the World Championship three times, equalling Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen, Eddy Merckx and Peter Sagan. In the later years of his career, he became more of a classics rider. He won the cycling monument Milan–San Remo three times, the green jersey and four stages in the Tour de France and seven stages of the Vuelta a España, throughout a successful career.

Despite his diminutive stature, Freire was a world class sprinter. He had a training philosophy where he rode shorter distances than most professional cyclists, sometimes covering only about half the distance his colleagues would. When growing up he contracted tuberculosis and narrowly avoided having a leg amputated.

Career

Vitalicio Seguros (1998–1999) Born in Torrelavega, Cantabria, (where the town has named a velodrome in his honour)

In March 2010, Freire won the 2010 Milan–San Remo in front of Tom Boonen and Alessandro Petacchi. On 10 October 2010 Freire became the first Spaniard to win Paris–Tours and in doing so became the new holder of the Ruban Jaune for setting the fastest average speed in a classic race, he covered the 233 km at an average of 47.73 km per hour.

Shortly before the 2011 UCI Road World Championships it was announced that Óscar Freire would retire at the end of the season if he did not win the World Championship road race. Freire ended negotiations to continue his contract with his team before the race, and noted health issues include worsening respiratory problems, having had sinus and nasal surgery in the last two years. He was unable to race the 2011 Tour de France and was forced to abandon the 2011 Vuelta a España.

Team Katusha (2012) Initially, Freire planned to finish his career by 2012, but at the end of season 2011 he suddenly changed his mind. While his home Rabobank team, confused by the situation and Oscar's indecision, failed to provide him an extension for another year, Freire had to start talks with other teams. Omega Pharma–Quick-Step, Lotto–Belisol and Geox–TMC expressed their interest to secure his service for season 2012, but Freire chose Team Katusha. He was reported to have been swayed by Team Katusha because the Russian team had a good number of other Spanish riders on its roster along with its well-organised structure and guaranteed entry into WorldTour races. and the other at the Brabantse Pijl, where he dominated the sprint of the chasers after lone escapee Thomas Voeckler of had crossed the line. He then went on to finish 4th in the Amstel Gold Race. He escaped from the lead group with to cover and held an advantage of 18 seconds at the bottom of the final climb, the Cauberg. He was passed in the final meters, but managed to hold on for fourth.

In an interview to the French magazine Velochrono, Freire claimed to take part in the Olympics in London along with the Tour de France and UCI Road World Championships. Freire later admitted that he was contemplating retirement if he didn't win the rainbow jersey, and that he would keep riding for another year or two if he wins the 2012 UCI Championships. He retired from professional cycling at the end of 2012, reportedly refusing a deal from , who would have liked him to race for the 2013 season and then take a post in management. The Basque team was suspected of trying to hoard in Freire's crucial UCI World Tour points, which would help them get a World Tour license for 2013, but the team management denied it. In retirement he went to live, with his family, in Switzerland.

Personal life His son Marcos Freire is also a professional cyclist.

Career achievements Major results

1997

1998 (1 pro win) 1st Stage 1 Vuelta a Castilla y León 3rd Road race, National Road Championships 3rd Clásica de Almería 3rd Circuito de Getxo 4th GP Villafranca de Ordizia 5th Giro della Romagna 1999 (1) 1st Road race, UCI Road World Championships 2000 (10) Vuelta a Mallorca 1st Trofeo Palma 4th Trofeo Sóller Vuelta a España 1st Stages 2 & 4 Held after Stages 4–7 Tirreno–Adriatico 1st Stages 1 & 6 1st Stage 3 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana 1st Stage 3 Giro della Provincia di Lucca 2nd Trofeo Luis Puig

3rd Overall Escalada a Montjuïc 1st Stage 1a 3rd Milan–San Remo 5th Clásica de San Sebastián 6th Züri-Metzgete 8th Overall Vuelta a Aragón 1st Points classification 1st Stages 3 & 4 8th Lancaster Classic 9th Amstel Gold Race 2001 (3) 1st Road race, UCI Road World Championships Vuelta a Burgos 1st Points classification 1st Stage 5 1st Stage 4 Deutschland Tour 2nd Paris–Tours 2002 (3) Vuelta a Mallorca 1st Trofeo Manacor 1st Trofeo Sóller 1st Stage 2 Tour de France 3rd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico 4th Rund um den Henninger Turm 5th Milan–San Remo 5th Amstel Gold Race 2003 (7) 1st Overall Giro della Provincia di Lucca 1st Stage 1 & 2 Vuelta a Andalucía 1st Points classification 1st Stage 1 & 2 1st Stage 7 Tirreno–Adriatico 1st Stage 5 Volta a Catalunya 2nd Brabantse Pijl 4th Rund um den Henninger Turm Vuelta a Mallorca 4th Trofeo Manacor 6th Trofeo Sóller 5th Gran Premio Bruno Beghelli 6th Paris–Brussels 7th Milan–San Remo 8th Overall Ronde van Nederland 9th Road race, UCI Road World Championships 2004 (6) 1st Road race, UCI Road World Championships 1st Milan–San Remo 1st Trofeo Luis Puig Vuelta a Mallorca 1st Trofeo Alcúdia 2nd Trofeo Palma 3rd Trofeo Calvià 1st Stage 6 Vuelta a España 1st Points classification, Tour de Luxembourg 2nd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico 1st Stage 3 4th HEW Cyclassics 9th Overall Sachsen Tour 9th Züri-Metzgete 2005 (6) 1st Overall Tirreno–Adriatico 1st Points classification 1st Stages 2, 3 & 4 1st Brabantse Pijl Vuelta a Mallorca 1st Trofeo Alcúdia 1st Trofeo Palma 3rd Trofeo Luis Puig 5th Milan–San Remo 5th La Flèche Wallonne 2006 (7) 1st Brabantse Pijl 1st Vattenfall Cyclassics 1st RaboRonde Heerlen Tour de France 1st Stages 5 & 9 1st Stage 7 Tour de Suisse 1st Stage 4 Tour of the Basque Country 1st Stage 3 Tirreno–Adriatico 6th Milan–San Remo 2007 (9) 1st Overall Vuelta a Andalucía 1st Points classification 1st Stages 2 & 5 1st Milan–San Remo 1st Brabantse Pijl Vuelta a Mallorca 1st Trofeo Palma 10th Trofeo Calvià Vuelta a España 1st Stages 2, 5 & 6 Held after Stages 2–3

2nd Vattenfall Cyclassics 3rd Gent–Wevelgem 3rd Paris–Tours 8th Amstel Gold Race 2008 (6) 1st Gent–Wevelgem Tour de France 1st Points classification 1st Stage 14 Tirreno–Adriatico 1st Points classification 1st Stages 1, 4 & 6 1st Stage 11 Vuelta a España 1st Stage 1 Tour de Suisse 2nd Clásica de Almería 8th Milan–San Remo 2009 (2) Tour de Romandie 1st Stages 2 & 5 5th Paris–Tours 2010 (7) 1st Milan–San Remo 1st Paris–Tours Vuelta a Mallorca 1st Trofeo Calla Millor 3rd Trofeo Palma Tour of the Basque Country 1st Stages 1 & 2 Vuelta a Andalucía 1st Points classification 1st Stages 2 & 3 6th Road race, UCI Road World Championships 8th Overall Tour of Belgium 9th Brabantse Pijl 2011 (2) Vuelta a Andalucía 1st Points classification 1st Stages 3 & 4 1st Stage 1 (TTT) Tirreno–Adriatico Vuelta a Mallorca 2nd Trofeo Magaluf-Palmanova 6th Amstel Gold Race 7th Grand Prix de Wallonie 9th Road race, UCI Road World Championships 2012 (2) 1st Stage 4 Tour Down Under 1st Stage 3 Vuelta a Andalucía 2nd E3 Harelbeke 2nd Brabantse Pijl 3rd Paris–Brussels 4th Gent–Wevelgem 4th Amstel Gold Race 7th Milan–San Remo 10th Road race, UCI Road World Championships

General classification results timeline Grand Tour general classification results timeline Grand Tour 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Giro d'ItaliaDid not contest during his career Tour de France — — — — DNF 96 — — DNF DNF 68 99 141 — DNF / Vuelta a España — — DNF DNF DNF — DNF — — DNF DNF DNF DNF DNF —Major stage race general classification results Race 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 / Paris–NiceDid not contest during his career / Tirreno–Adriatico — — 13 —3 6421 52 29 93 — 52 53 DNF Volta a Catalunya — — — — 61 62 — — — — — — — — — Tour of the Basque Country — — — — — — — — 37 — — 59 40 DNF — / Tour de Romandie — — — — — — — — — — — 75 — 80 — Critérium du Dauphiné — — — — — — OTL — — — — — — — — Tour de Suisse — — — — — — — DNF DNF DNF DNF 79 66 DNF DNF

Classics results timeline Monument 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Milan–San Remo — —3 —5715618 —1 947 Tour of Flanders — — — — — 30 23 — — 49 40 — — — 12 Paris–Roubaix DNF — — — — — — — — — — — — — — Liège–Bastogne–Liège — — — — 22 35 14 96 14 77 11 14 — 15 24 Giro di Lombardia — — 13 21 26 49 — — — DNF — — DNF — — Classic 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 E3 Harelbeke — — — — — 23 13 DNF — 12 56 — — —2 Gent–Wevelgem — — — — — 38 — — —31 — 12 —4 Brabantse Pijl — — — — —2 —111 37 —9 112 Amstel Gold Race 45 —9 —5 14 1410 178 19 64 1464 La Flèche Wallonne — — — — 19 51 325 75 11 33 58 88 — 83 Züri-Metzgete — —6 — — —9 — —Race did not exist Clásica de San Sebastián 72 —5 — 11 83 11 — — — — — — 72 — Hamburg Cyclassics — — 13 — 25 —4 —12 — — — — — Paris–Tours 11 — 442 11 423 — —2 1851 20 —

Major championships results timeline 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 World Championships 17131 15691 — — 14 38 156910 National Championships3 — — — 62 — — — — — — — — — —

+ Legend — Did not compete DNF Did not finish