Gerald Ciolek: Rider Profile

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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