Daily Cycling Facts 16.02.2014

Brent Bookwalter
(image credit: Fanny Schertzer CC BY-SA 3.0)

Brent Bookwalter, born on this day in 1984 in Albuquerque, USA, became National Time Trial Champion in 2006 and enjoyed widespread popularity at home. He would later come to the attention of the European cycling scene with 2nd and 3rd place stage finishes at the Vuelta Ciclista a Cartagena in 2007. He concentrated on American races for the next two years before returning to Europe for a 2nd place finish in the 2010 Giro d'Italia individual time trial, finishing both the Giro and the Tour de France that year. In 2011, he came 2nd in Stage 2 of the Tour, an indication that he was entering his best years; in 2012 he took a bronze in the National Individual Time Trial Championships, two third place stage finishes at the Tour of Utah and was 78th overall at the Vuelta a Espana.

Bookwalter won the first stage of the 2013 Tour of Qatar after escaping with Martin Elmiger (IAM) and Gregory Rast (RadioShack-Leopard) when crosswinds split the peloton. A powerful chase group was upon them as they arrived at the finish, but all three got in just ahead. Bookwalter finished second overall, trailing Mark Cavendish - who won the final four stages - by 11".


Anna Szafraniec, born in Myślenice, Poland on this day in 1981, won a silver medal at the 2002 World Championships, became National Road Race Champion in 2011 and was third in the National Cross Country MTB Championships of 2012.


Vincenzo Rossello, born in Stella San Bernando, Italy, on this day in 1923, won Stage 2 at the 1948 Tour de France and Stage 18 in 1949. He won Stage 15 at the 1948 Giro d'Italia and Stage 14 in 1949, and would later came 9th overall in the 1951 and 10th in 1953 and came 3rd in the overall Mountains classification in 1954.


Noël Foré was born in Adegem, Belgium, on the 23rd of December in 1932. He won Paris-Roubaix in 1959, a year his victory in the Tour of Belgium and two years after he won the Dwars door Vlaanderen. Four years later, he added Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne and the Ronde van Vlaanderen to  palmares that totalled 53 professional wins. He died on this day in 1994.


On this day in 2011, Lance Armstrong announced that he was retiring from competitive cycling "for good." A little over a year later, his record seven Tour de France wins were disqualified amid a huge doping scandal.


Other cyclists born on this day: Don Campbell (Cayman Islands, 1975); Sergio Bianchetto (Italy, 1939); André Aumerle (France, 1907, died 1990); Ulrich Schillinger (Germany, 1945); Torvald Högström (Finland, 1926); Herbert Bouffler (Great Britain, 1881); Peter Muckenhuber (Austria, 1955); Albert De Bunné (Belgium, 1896); Robert Bintz (Luxembourg, 1930); Rupert Kratzer (Germany, 1945); Michal Baldrián (Czechoslovakia, 1970); Werner Stauff (Germany, 1960); Carl Olsen (Norway, 1893, died 1968); Hiroshi Daimon (Japan, 1962); Kazuyuki Manabe (Japan, 1970).