Sandy Casar

Sandy Casar (born 2 February 1979) is a French former professional racing cyclist, who competed as a professional between 2000 and 2013, all for the team. His greatest results have been winning three stages of the Tour de France, as well the overall classification of the Route du Sud in 2005. He also won the one-day race Paris–Camembert in 2011.

Career Born in Mantes-la-Jolie, Yvelines, Casar turned professional in 2000 after riding for Jean Floch-Mantes as an amateur. Casar's talent was revealed in Paris–Nice 2002, which he finished second at 23 years old. He finished 13th in the 2003 Giro d'Italia, in front of climber Marco Pantani. He had his biggest win in a stage of the 2003 Tour de Suisse. He then finished 16th in the 2004 Tour de France, and sixth in the 2006 Giro d'Italia, 25 minutes behind winner Ivan Basso. Casar also won the Route du Sud in 2005.

On 27 July 2007, he won his first Tour de France stage, beating Laurent Lefèvre, Axel Merckx and Michael Boogerd in a sprint after a collision with a dog earlier in the day. He then finished 14th overall in the 2008 Tour de France.

In 2009, Casar finished second in the 16th stage of the 2009 Tour de France. Stage 16 was originally won by Mikel Astarloza. However, Astarloza was found after the Tour to have tested positive for EPO before the race had started. The organisers stripped him of the stage win and Casar became the official stage winner. Casar later finished 11th overall that year.

In 2010, Casar won the stage 9 of the 2010 Tour de France, after being part of a long breakaway that went over numerous categorized climb, including the Col de la Madeleine. The breakaway was down to only four units in the descent of the col, and got caught in the final kilometer by Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador, who had escaped from the main group on the Madeleine. Casar won the uphill sprint to take the prestigious victory in one of the toughest stages of that year's Tour. In 2011, he won the Paris–Camembert classic, again after being part of a long breakaway. He tried to escape on a slope near the end, but was caught by four riders. He nonetheless prevailed in the sprint against these four, taking the win on the roads he trained on in his youth.

On 6 September 2013, Casar announced his retirement from cycling.

Career achievements Major results

2000 5th Overall Tour Down Under 2001 7th Trophée des Grimpeurs 8th Tour du Haut Var 2002 1st Stage 4 Circuit Franco-Belge 2nd Overall Paris–Nice 1st Young Rider Classification 3rd Paris–Camembert Lepetit 10th Trophée des Grimpeurs 2003 1st Stage 4 Tour de Suisse 2nd GP Le Télégramme 4th Paris–Camembert Lepetit 7th Route Adélie de Vitré 2004 1st Stage 2 Tour du Poitou Charentes et de la Vienne 2nd Overall Route du Sud 3rd Duo Normand (with Carlos Da Cruz) 4th Paris–Camembert Lepetit 8th Overall Tour du Languedoc-Roussillon 8th Overall Circuit de la Sarthe 2005 1st Overall Route du Sud 3rd Paris–Camembert Lepetit 5th Grand Prix d'Ouverture La Marseillaise 6th Overall GP Internacional Paredes Rota dos Móveis 2006 5th Overall Route du Sud 6th Overall Giro d'Italia 2007 1st Stage 18 Tour de France 2008 3rd Polynormande 6th Overall Tour de Romandie 8th Overall Vuelta al País Vasco 2009 1st Stage 16 Tour de France 2010 1st Stage 9 Tour de France 6th Overall Vuelta al País Vasco 2011 1st Paris–Camembert 3rd Tour du Finistère 5th Overall Route du Sud 2012 4th Overall Tour of Oman

Grand Tour general classification results timeline