GERALD CIOLEK
Date of birth: 19/09/1986
From: Germany
Team: MTN Qhubeka
Previous teams: QuickStep (2011-2012), Milram (2009-2010), Columbia (2007-2008); Wiesenhof-AKUD (2006); AKUD Arnolds Sicherheit (2005)
Gerald Ciolek career profile
Already a prolific winner, Germany's Gerald Ciolek is one of the most exciting young riders and part of a new, clean generation of German cyclists.
Ciolek shot to prominence winning the German national road race in 2005 as a relative unknown, beating the legendary Erik Zabel in the process, who was still a formidable sprinter at the time.
As if to prove that this result was no flash in the pan, Ciolek went on to take a stage win at the Tour of Germany as well as a top-five in the Vattenfall Cyclassics.
A move to what was T-Mobile in 2007 beckoned but Ciolek's arrival at the squad coincided with the arrival of another promising young sprinter: Mark Cavendish. The wins kept coming but at a lesser rate than those of the Manxman and Ciolek decided to part ways with the team, moving to the Milram squad for the 2009 season.
Ciolek took his first Grand Tour stage win in the 2009 Vuelta a Espana but a couple of lean years followed at Milram and then QuickStep before switching to the little-known South African-based squad MTN Qhubeka in 2013. Ciolek then surprised everyone with a win in Milan-San Remo and enjoyed his best season since 2007.
Gerald Ciolek results
2013
Milan-San Remo
Tour of Austria; stage six
Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen; stage two
Bayern-Rundfahrt; stage three
Tour of Britain; stage two
2012
Tour of the Algarve; stage 4
2010
Bayern-Rundfahrt; stage three
2009
Vuelta a Espana; stage two
Tour of Mallorca; stage five
2008
Tour of Germany; stage five
Bayern Rundfahrt; stage one
Bayern Rundfahrt; stage three
Bayern Rundfahrt; sprint classification
Tour de Neuss
2007
Tour of Germany; stage six
Tour of Germany; stage seven
Tour of Germany; stage nine
Rheinland-Pfalz Rundfahrt; overall
Rheinland-Pfalz Rundfahrt; sprint classification
Rheinland-Pfalz Rundfahrt; young riders' classification
Tour of Austria; stage two
Tour of Austria; stage eight
Tour of Austria; points competition
3 Lander Tour; stage
2006
Tour of Germany; stage three
Istrian Spring Trophy; stage
Niedersachsen-Rundfahrt; young riders' classification
Rund um den Nurnberger Altstadt
U23 World race race championships
2005
Tour de Hongrie; stage
Tour de Hongrie; stage
Tour de Hongrie; stage
Tour de Hongrie; points classification
Mainfranken Tour; stage
German national road race championships
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