Niko Eeckhout
Encyclopedia
Niko Eeckhout is a professional road racing cyclist from Belgium
. He was the 2005-2006 UCI Europe Tour series champion, and currently rides for the Team.
and the GP van Steenbergen.
Eeckhout struggled through the next two seasons and at the end of 2004 his contract with Lotto-Adecco ended and he needed to find a new team. He signed with the Beglian squad Chocolade Jacques and found his second youth. He started the 2005 season by winning Dwars door Vlaanderen, and went on to win major races including the GP d'Isbergues and a stage of the Three Days of De Panne
.
In 2006 he continued his winning form, taking the Three Days of West-Flanders. In June 2006 he won the biggest race in his career, the Belgian National Road Championship in Antwerp by beating Tom Boonen
and Philippe Gilbert
. Eeckhout had another great season in 2006, winning 12 races, including the 2005-2006 UCI Europe Tour.
In the peloton he earned the nickname "Rambo" for being particularly tough during hard races in severe conditions.
1993 – Collstrop
1994 – Varta
1995 – Collstrop
1996 – Collstrop
1997 – Lotto
1998 – Lotto
1999 – Palmans
2000 – Palmans
2001 – Lotto
2002 – Lotto
2003 – Lotto
2004 – Lotto
2005 – Chocolade Jacques-T Interim
2006 – Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen
2007 – Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen
2009 – An Post–M Donnelly–Grant Thornton–Sean Kelly Team
2010 – An Post–M Donnelly–Grant Thornton–Sean Kelly Team
2011 – An Post–Sean Kelly
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. He was the 2005-2006 UCI Europe Tour series champion, and currently rides for the Team.
Career
Eeckhout started his career in 1993 riding for the small Collstrop-team. He immediately started winning minor Belgian races like the Championship of Flanders and the Omloop Mandel-Leie-Schelde. In 1997 and 1998 he rode for Lotto, and then rode two years for Palmans. Eeckhout had a breakthrough season when he transferred to Lotto-Adecco in 2001, winning 11 races, including Dwars door VlaanderenDwars door Vlaanderen
Dwars door Vlaanderen is a Flanders Classics road bicycle race. Traditionally, it is the start of the Flemish cycling week, with Gent–Wevelgem , the Three Days of De Panne and the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Dwars door Vlaanderen has always been contested on a Wednesday, a week and a half before the...
and the GP van Steenbergen.
Eeckhout struggled through the next two seasons and at the end of 2004 his contract with Lotto-Adecco ended and he needed to find a new team. He signed with the Beglian squad Chocolade Jacques and found his second youth. He started the 2005 season by winning Dwars door Vlaanderen, and went on to win major races including the GP d'Isbergues and a stage of the Three Days of De Panne
Three Days of De Panne
The Three Days of De Panne is a mid-week, three-day stage race before the Ronde van Vlaanderen in De Panne in West Flanders, Belgium. It is rated 2.HC by the UCI and is part of the UCI Europe Tour.- Winners :...
.
In 2006 he continued his winning form, taking the Three Days of West-Flanders. In June 2006 he won the biggest race in his career, the Belgian National Road Championship in Antwerp by beating Tom Boonen
Tom Boonen
Tom Boonen is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer who won the 2005 World Road Race Championship. He is a member of the team, and is considered a single-day road race specialist with a strong finishing sprint...
and Philippe Gilbert
Philippe Gilbert
Philippe Gilbert is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . Gilbert is a classics specialist...
. Eeckhout had another great season in 2006, winning 12 races, including the 2005-2006 UCI Europe Tour.
In the peloton he earned the nickname "Rambo" for being particularly tough during hard races in severe conditions.
Major achievements
1992 – Collstrop1993 – Collstrop
- Omloop der Vlaamse Ardennen Ichtegem
- Omloop van de Vlaamse ScheldeboordenOmloop van de Vlaamse ScheldeboordenOmloop van de Vlaamse Scheldeboorden is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in September in the municipality of Kruibeke, Belgium. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.-Winners:...
1994 – Varta
1995 – Collstrop
1996 – Collstrop
- Championship of Flanders
1997 – Lotto
1998 – Lotto
- Championship of Flanders
1999 – Palmans
2000 – Palmans
- GP Rudy Dhaenens
2001 – Lotto
- Ronde van Midden-Zeeland
- Étoile de BessègesÉtoile de BessègesThe Étoile de Bessèges is an early-season five-day road bicycle racing stage race held annually in Southern France, around Bessèges. Since 2005, it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour and features as one of the first stage races of the European season.-Palmarès:...
- Stage win, Danmark RundtDanmark RundtDanmark Rundt is a Danish stage race for professional road bicycle racers organized as a part of the UCI Continental Circuits. It is currently sponsored by the Danish national postal agency, Post Danmark, and the race is therefore also known as Post Danmark Rundt. Currently 15 teams, with 8 riders...
- Memorial Rik Van SteenbergenMemorial Rik Van SteenbergenMemorial Rik Van Steenbergen is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in September in Aartselaar, Belgium. The race, paying respect the famous Belgian rider of the 40's and 50's, quickly gained importance and since 2005, it is a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.-Winners:...
- GP Jef Scherens
2002 – Lotto
2003 – Lotto
- Memorial Rik Van SteenbergenMemorial Rik Van SteenbergenMemorial Rik Van Steenbergen is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in September in Aartselaar, Belgium. The race, paying respect the famous Belgian rider of the 40's and 50's, quickly gained importance and since 2005, it is a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.-Winners:...
- Dwars door VlaanderenDwars door VlaanderenDwars door Vlaanderen is a Flanders Classics road bicycle race. Traditionally, it is the start of the Flemish cycling week, with Gent–Wevelgem , the Three Days of De Panne and the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Dwars door Vlaanderen has always been contested on a Wednesday, a week and a half before the...
2004 – Lotto
- Stage win, Ster ElektrotoerSter ElektrotoerThe Ster ZLM Toer is a stage race cycling race, held in the Netherlands as 2.1 race on the UCI Europe Tour. The race started in 1987 as an amateur race, and became a race for professional cyclists in 1996.-Name of the race:...
- Ronde van Midden-Zeeland
2005 – Chocolade Jacques-T Interim
- Stage win, Three Days of De PanneThree Days of De PanneThe Three Days of De Panne is a mid-week, three-day stage race before the Ronde van Vlaanderen in De Panne in West Flanders, Belgium. It is rated 2.HC by the UCI and is part of the UCI Europe Tour.- Winners :...
- Dwars door VlaanderenDwars door VlaanderenDwars door Vlaanderen is a Flanders Classics road bicycle race. Traditionally, it is the start of the Flemish cycling week, with Gent–Wevelgem , the Three Days of De Panne and the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Dwars door Vlaanderen has always been contested on a Wednesday, a week and a half before the...
- Grand Prix d'IsberguesGrand Prix d'IsberguesGrand Prix d'Isbergues is a professional cycle road race held in Isbergues, Pas-de-Calais. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.-External links:*...
- Omloop van de Vlaamse ScheldeboordenOmloop van de Vlaamse ScheldeboordenOmloop van de Vlaamse Scheldeboorden is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in September in the municipality of Kruibeke, Belgium. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.-Winners:...
2006 – Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen
- UCI Europe Tour
- Omloop van het Waasland - Kemzeke
- 1st Overall and stage win, Driedaagse van West-VlaanderenDriedaagse van West-VlaanderenThe Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen is a stage race cycling race held annually in the West Flanders, Belgium. Since 2006 the race has been organized as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.Between 1945 and 1998 it was known a Omloop der Vlaamse Ardennen...
- National Cycling Championship Road Race2006 National Cycling ChampionshipsMost of the 2006 national road cycling championships took place in June, although there were a few exceptions such as the Australian and American championships which take place in January and September respectively.-Jerseys:...
- Memorial Rik Van SteenbergenMemorial Rik Van SteenbergenMemorial Rik Van Steenbergen is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in September in Aartselaar, Belgium. The race, paying respect the famous Belgian rider of the 40's and 50's, quickly gained importance and since 2005, it is a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.-Winners:...
- Championship Of Flanders
2007 – Chocolade Jacques-Topsport Vlaanderen
- Omloop van het Waasland-Kemzeke
2009 – An Post–M Donnelly–Grant Thornton–Sean Kelly Team
- 1st, Stage 4, Vuelta Ciclista Internacional a Extremadura (2.2)
- 1st, Stage 5, Vuelta Ciclista Internacional a Extremadura (2.2)
- 1st Stage 1, FBD Insurance Ras (2.2)
- 1st, GP Stad Zottegem, (1.1)
- 1st, Memorial Briek Schotte-Desselgem
- 1st, Memorial Rik Van SteenbergenMemorial Rik Van SteenbergenMemorial Rik Van Steenbergen is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in September in Aartselaar, Belgium. The race, paying respect the famous Belgian rider of the 40's and 50's, quickly gained importance and since 2005, it is a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.-Winners:...
- Points class winner, FBD Insurance Ras (2.2)
- 2nd, Dwars door VlaanderenDwars door VlaanderenDwars door Vlaanderen is a Flanders Classics road bicycle race. Traditionally, it is the start of the Flemish cycling week, with Gent–Wevelgem , the Three Days of De Panne and the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Dwars door Vlaanderen has always been contested on a Wednesday, a week and a half before the...
(1.1)
2010 – An Post–M Donnelly–Grant Thornton–Sean Kelly Team
- 1st, Stage 5, Étoile de BessègesÉtoile de BessègesThe Étoile de Bessèges is an early-season five-day road bicycle racing stage race held annually in Southern France, around Bessèges. Since 2005, it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour and features as one of the first stage races of the European season.-Palmarès:...
(2.1) - 1st, Stage 3, Ronde de l'Oise (2.2)
2011 – An Post–Sean Kelly
- 1st, Stage 2, Driedaagse van West-VlaanderenDriedaagse van West-VlaanderenThe Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen is a stage race cycling race held annually in the West Flanders, Belgium. Since 2006 the race has been organized as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.Between 1945 and 1998 it was known a Omloop der Vlaamse Ardennen...