Oscar Pereiro: Rider Profile

OSCAR PEREIRO

Date of birth: 03/08/1977

From: Pontevedra

Team: Astana

Previous Teams: Caisse D'Epargne (2006-8); Phonak (2002-2005), Porta da Ravessa (2000-2001)

Oscar Pereiro career profile

Oscar Pereiro has one claim to fame - but it's a big one. The Spaniard inherited the title of Tour de France winner of 2006 after American Floyd Landis tested positive for testosterone and was stripped of his title.

Pereiro's victory in the 2006 Tour came after he made it into yellow by getting into a dodgy break mid-way through the second week. Allowed to gain over 15 minutes, the Spaniard took the lead, but then lost it to Landis on Alpe D'Huez. However, Pereiro once more regained yellow the following day at the summit finish of La Toussuire - only to lose it again in the final time trial of the race.

But Pereiro was then declared overall winner well after the race was finished - this time definitively - when Landis's positive dope test was finally confirmed.

Pereiro has three times finished in the top ten of the Tour and once taken a stage, at Pau, where he outsprinted the other breakaways after they attacked in the Pyrenees. A bad crash in the 2008 Tour - breaking his hip - wrecked his season. He struggled to regain his confidence in 2009 and contemplated retirement had in not been for an offer to join Alberto Contador at Astana in a support role for his compatriot.

After an indifferent season in 2010, Pereiro retired from cycling in the autumn to pursue a late career in football.

Oscar Pereiro results

2009

Tour of the Mediterranean; stage two TTT

2006

Tour de France; overall

2005

Tour de France; stage

Tour de France; most combative rider

2004

Classique des Alpes

2003

Tour of Switzerland; stage

2002

Catalan Week; stage

2001

GP CCRLVT; stage.

Oscar Pereiro photos

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