Thomas Frischknecht
Encyclopedia
Thomas Frischknecht in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
) is a Swiss mountain bike and cyclo-cross racer, often called Europe's Elder Statesman of mountain biking, because of his extraordinarily long career at the top level of the sport. A professional since 1990, he was on top of the Mountain Bike World Championship
Mountain Bike World Championships
The UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships are the world championship events for mountain bike racing events in cross country, downhill, four-cross and trials riding events. It is organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale , and winners are presented with a gold medal and are entitled...
podium for the first time in 1996 and most recently in 2004.
Biography
Frischi (as he is called) advocates staying 'fit for life' and dopeDoping (sport)
The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport is commonly referred to by the term "doping", particularly by those organizations that regulate competitions. The use of performance enhancing drugs is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance...
free racing. He is considered an excellent example of a clean sportsman.
In 1996 he was second at the World Cross-country Mountain Bike Championships, but after France's Jerome Chiotti
Jerome Chiotti
Jerome Chiotti was a professional racing cyclist in both road and mountain bike disciplines. He is most renowned for his victory in the 1996 World Mountain Bike Championships, a title which he later renounced by admitting doping.-Doping Admission:Chiotti admitted to doping in order to win the...
confessed having used EPO
Erythropoietin
Erythropoietin, or its alternatives erythropoetin or erthropoyetin or EPO, is a glycoprotein hormone that controls erythropoiesis, or red blood cell production...
when he won the title that year, he got the rainbow jersey from Chiotti, handed over as a friendly act in an unofficial ceremony.
He won the Olympic silver medal in 1996. The next day he competed in the men's road race on a Ritchey cyclocross bike after fellow Swiss team member Tony Rominger fell ill. He finished the race in the middle of the pack.
Frischknecht also competes in cyclo-cross
Cyclo-cross
Cyclo-cross is a form of bicycle racing. Races typically take place in the autumn and winter , and consists of many laps of a short course featuring pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and...
, where he won an Amateur World Champion title, was Vice World Champion in 1997 and is a multiple-time Swiss Champion.
Thomas is married and has two children. Thomas's father was a cyclo-cross racer as well, winning three silver medals at World Championships. He won a Swiss stage race called Grandprixtell in the early 1990s, and took part in the Olympic Road Race in 1996.
Thomas first traveled to America in 1990 to compete in the then new genre of mountain biking. He became closely linked to Tom Ritchey
Tom Ritchey
Tom Ritchey is an American bicycle frame builder, designer, welder and founder of Ritchey Design. He is an accomplished road and mountain bicycle racer.-Early years:...
, a major bike-components producer, who provided support and became a mentor and a good friend. Ritchey has sponsored him ever since. Other major sponsors include Swisspower, an electric utility consortium, and Scott bicycles.
Frischknecht was multiple Swiss cyclist of the year and author of a book on mountain biking, Richtig Mountainbiken. He is currently involved with the Frischi Bike School in the Engadin/St. Moritz area of Switzerland.
Victories
1988- World Championship, Cyclo-cross, Juniors, Hagendorf
1989
- Roma, Cyclo-cross (ITA)
1990
- Schulteiss-Cup, Cyclo-cross (GER)
1991
- National Championship, Cyclo-cross, Elite, Switzerland (SUI)
- Overijse, Cyclo-cross (BEL)
- Schulteiss-Cup, Cyclo-cross (GER)
- Wetzikon, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
- World Championship, Cyclo-cross, Amateurs, Gieten
1992
- Dagmersellen, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
- Mont Sainte-Anne, Mountainbike (CAN)
- Roma, Cyclo-cross (ITA)
- Schulteiss-Cup, Cyclo-cross (GER)
- Landgraaf, Mountainbike (NED)
- Strathpeffer, Mountainbike (GBR)
- Mount Snow, Mountainbike (USA)
1993
- European Championship, Mountainbike, Elite
- Schulteiss-Cup, Cyclo-cross (GER)
- Wetzikon, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
1994
- Dagmersellen, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
- Mont Sainte-Anne, Mountainbike (CAN)
1995
- Vail, Mountainbike (USA)
- Mammoth Lakes, Mountainbike (USA)
1996
- World Championship, Mountainbike XC Elite, Cairns
- Sankt-Wendel, Mountainbike (GER)
- Gansingen, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
1997
- National Championship, Cyclo-cross, Elite, Switzerland, Liestal (SUI)
- Sankt-Wendel, Mountainbike (GER)
1998
- Budapest, Mountainbike (HUN)
- Hombrechtikon, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
1999
- Meilen, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
- Zeddam, Cyclo-cross (NED)
- Magstadt, Cyclo-cross (GER)
- National Championship, Cyclo-cross, Elite, Switzerland, Eschenbach (SUI)
- Canmore, Mountainbike (AUS)
- Liestal, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
- Obergögsen, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
2001
- Safenwil, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
- Magstadt, Cyclo-cross (GER)
- Kaprun, Mountainbike (AUT)
- Castelnuovo, Cyclo-cross (ITA)
- Dagmersellen, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
2002
- Dagmersellen, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
- National Championship, Cyclo-cross, Elite, Switzerland (SUI)
- Hittnau, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
- San Mateo, Cyclo-cross (USA)
- Hombrechtikon, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
2003
- World Championship, Mountainbike Marathon
- Russikon, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
2004
- San Mateo, Cyclo-cross (b) (USA)
- San Mateo, Cyclo-cross (USA)
2005
- World Championship, Mountainbike Marathon, Lillehammer (NOR)
- Magstadt, Cyclo-cross (GER)