Tadej Valjavec
Encyclopedia
Tadej Valjavec is a Slovenia
n professional road bicycle racer for UCI Continental team Zheroquadro Radenska. He is well known as a good climber
due to his rides on mountain stages in the Giro d'Italia
. Although he has achieved relatively few professional wins in his career, he has consistently performed well in the Grand Tours
, with three top ten and four further top twenty finishes.
On May 4, 2010 Valjavec's name was released as being one of several riders under investigation by the UCI
for "irregular blood values". He was provisionally suspended by Ag2r-La Mondiale and pulled from their squad for the impending Giro d'Italia
. Team manager Vincent Lavenu
stated that should the Slovenian cycling federation sanction him, he would be fired. Valjavec has proclaimed his innocence and claimed an unreported illness is responsible for the values. On July 30, the Slovenian federation officially cleared Valjavec, criticizing the usage of the biological passport in this case stating that it failed to take into account the possible natural reasons for Valjavec's irregular levels. The UCI will likely appeal the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport
.
On April 22, 2011 The Court of Arbitration for Sport set aside the decision to exonerate the athlete from any doping offense and imposed a two-year ban on him starting on 20 January 2011, as well as the disqualification of all his results obtained between 19 April and 30 September 2009.
2002
2003
2004
2007
2009
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n professional road bicycle racer for UCI Continental team Zheroquadro Radenska. He is well known as a good climber
Climber
Climber may refer to:*Climber, a participant in the activity of climbing*Climber, general name for a vine*Climber , a robot that goes upward or downward on a track*Climber , by Nintendo...
due to his rides on mountain stages in the Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
. Although he has achieved relatively few professional wins in his career, he has consistently performed well in the Grand Tours
Grand Tour (cycling)
In road bicycle racing, a Grand Tour refers to one of the three major European professional cycling stage races:* Tour de France – Tour of France , held in July* Giro d'Italia – Tour of Italy , held in May...
, with three top ten and four further top twenty finishes.
On May 4, 2010 Valjavec's name was released as being one of several riders under investigation by the UCI
Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland....
for "irregular blood values". He was provisionally suspended by Ag2r-La Mondiale and pulled from their squad for the impending Giro d'Italia
2010 Giro d'Italia
The 2010 Giro d'Italia was the 93rd edition of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The Giro started off in Amsterdam on 8 May and stayed in the Netherlands for three stages, before leaving the country...
. Team manager Vincent Lavenu
Vincent Lavenu
Vincent Lavenu is a French former professional road bicycle racer and is currently the team manager of the UCI ProTour cycling team.-Professional career:...
stated that should the Slovenian cycling federation sanction him, he would be fired. Valjavec has proclaimed his innocence and claimed an unreported illness is responsible for the values. On July 30, the Slovenian federation officially cleared Valjavec, criticizing the usage of the biological passport in this case stating that it failed to take into account the possible natural reasons for Valjavec's irregular levels. The UCI will likely appeal the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport
Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport is an international arbitration body set up to settle disputes related to sport. Its headquarters are in Lausanne and its courts are located in New York, Sydney and Lausanne, Switzerland...
.
On April 22, 2011 The Court of Arbitration for Sport set aside the decision to exonerate the athlete from any doping offense and imposed a two-year ban on him starting on 20 January 2011, as well as the disqualification of all his results obtained between 19 April and 30 September 2009.
Major achievements
2000- Member, Summer Olympics Road RaceSlovenia at the 2000 Summer OlympicsSlovenia competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. Slovenia won their first summer Olympic gold medal at these games.-Medalists:-Archery:...
2002
- 1st, Settimana Ciclistica Lombarda
2003
- National Cycling Championships Road Race
- 4th, Overall, Tour de RomandieTour de RomandieThe Tour de Romandie is a stage race which is part of the UCI World Tour. It runs in the Romandie region, in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. It began in 1947, to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Swiss Cycling....
2004
- Member, Summer Olympics Road RaceSlovenia at the 2004 Summer OlympicsSlovenia, represented by the , competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. The delegation of 79 athletes was the nation's largest ever.-Medalists:-Athletics:...
2007
- National Cycling Championships Road Race
- 4th, Paris–Nice
- 3rd, Ruta del Sol
- 2nd, Vuelta a la Comunidad Valenciana
2009
- 7th, Overall Tour de Suisse2009 Tour de SuisseThe 2009 Tour de Suisse was the 73rd edition of the Tour de Suisse stage race. It took place from 13 June to 21 June and is part of both the 2009 UCI ProTour and the inaugural World Calendar. It began with a short individual time trial in Liechtenstein and ended with another time trial, in Bern...
- 8th Overall Giro d'Italia2009 Giro d'ItaliaThe 2009 Giro d'Italia was the 92nd running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It was held from 9 to 31 May 2009, and marked the 100th year since the first edition of the race...
Tour de France record
- 20062006 Tour de FranceThe 2006 Tour de France was the 93rd Tour de France, taking place from July 1 to July 23, 2006. It was won by Óscar Pereiro following the disqualification of apparent winner Floyd Landis....
: 17th overall - 20072007 Tour de FranceThe 2007 Tour de France, the 94th running of the race, took place from 7 July to 29 July 2007. The Tour began with a prologue in London, and ended with the traditional finish in Paris. Along the way, the route also passed through Belgium and Spain...
: 19th overall - 20082008 Tour de FranceThe 2008 Tour de France was the 95th Tour de France. The event took place from 5–27 July 2008. Starting in the French city of Brest, the tour entered Italy on the 15th stage and returned to France during the 16th, heading for Paris, its regular final destination, which was reached in the 21st stage...
: 10th overall
Giro d'Italia record
- 20042004 Giro d'ItaliaThe 2004 Giro d'Italia of cycling, the 87th running of the race, was held from 8 May to 30 May 2004, consisting of 21 stages for a total of 3,420 km, ridden at an average speed of 38.565 km/h. It was won by Damiano Cunego...
: 9th overall - 20052005 Giro d'ItaliaThe 2005 Giro d'Italia, the 88th running of the race, was held from 7 May to 29 May 2005, consisting of 21 stages for a total of 3,417 km, ridden at an average speed of 37,375 km/h...
: 15th overall, 2nd Stage 14 (Queen stage) and 5th Stage 13 - 20062006 Giro d'ItaliaThe 2006 Giro d'Italia was the 89th running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It was held from 6 May to 28 May 2006, and covered , beginning in the Belgian mining town of Seraing and ending in Milan...
: 34th overall - 20082008 Giro d'ItaliaThe 2008 Giro d'Italia was the 91st running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It began in Palermo on 10 May and ended in Milan on 1 June. Twenty-two teams entered the race, which was won by Spaniard Alberto Contador of the cycling team...
: 13th Overall, 10th Stage 15 and 9th Stage 20 - 20092009 Giro d'ItaliaThe 2009 Giro d'Italia was the 92nd running of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It was held from 9 to 31 May 2009, and marked the 100th year since the first edition of the race...
: 9th overall