Juan Antonio Flecha

Infobox Cyclist
ridername = Juan Antonio Flecha

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image_caption =
fullname = Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni
nickname = The Spanish Flandrian
Van der Flecha
dateofbirth = birth date and age|mf=yes|1977|9|17
country = ESP
height = height|m=1.81
weight = convert|72|kg|lb st|abbr=on|lk=on
currentteam = Rabobank
discipline = Road
role = Rider
ridertype = Classics specialist
amateurteams =
amateuryears =
proyears = 2000–2001
2002–2003
2004–2005
2006–
proteams = Relax-Fuenlabrada
iBanesto.com
Fassa Bortolo
Rabobank
majorwins = Tour de France, 1 stage
Züri-Metzgete (2004)
Circuit Franco-Belge (2008)
updated = July 26, 2007

Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (born September 17, 1977 in Junín, Buenos Aires) is an Argentine-born Spanish professional road bicycle racer for the UCI ProTour team Rabobank.

Career

He gained fame in 2003 when he became the first rider born in Argentina to win a Tour de France stage while riding for the Spanish iBanesto.com team. As he rode across the finish line he performed a unique victory salute: he pantomimed releasing an arrow from a bow in homage to his family name.

The 2004 season saw him as a co-leader in the Italian Fassa Bortolo for the Classics and one-day races, with notable finishes in various races from the Ronde van Vlaanderen, Paris-Roubaix and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and victories in Züri-Metzgete and the Giro del Lazio. He often shared team leadership with Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara, with whom he says he works very well.

The following season with Fassa Bortolo in 2005 saw podium finishes in Gent-Wevelgem and Paris-Roubaix, establishing him as one of the best one-day racers in the UCI ProTour today. Euskaltel-Euskadi rider Egoi Martínez said in an interview that in a race "one should have a head and an attitude like the one Juan Antonio Flecha has," in tribute to his perseverance and positive attitude in racing.

When the Fassa Bortolo team closed down after the 2005 season, Flecha moved on to Dutch team Rabobank.

In 2007, Flecha took 2nd in the prestigious Paris-Roubaix race.

In the 2008 Vuelta a España, Flecha displayed his sense of humor as he stole the "Moose Man's" American flag and rode with playfully it for 200 meters.

Palmares

;2003: Tour de France stage 11;2004: Züri-Metzgete: Giro del Lazio: 7th Gent-Wevelgem;2005: Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana stage 4: 3rd, , Paris-Nice: 2nd, Gent-Wevelgem: 3rd, Paris-Roubaix: 3rd, , Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré: 9th, HEW Cyclassics;2006: 4th, Paris-Roubaix: 7th Overall, Eneco Tour: 2nd, GP Ouest-France;2007: 2nd, Paris-Roubaix;2008: 3rd, Ronde van Vlaanderen: 1st Overall, Circuit Franco-Belge:: 2nd, Stage 4

External links

* [http://www.rabobank.nl/particulieren/sponsoring/wielrennen/proteam/riders_in_english/flecha Profile on Rabobank official website]
*trapfriis|spain.Flecha.htm
* [http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/video/16092008/58/flecha-steals-moose-man-flag.html Flecha steals moose man's flag]

Persondata
NAME=Flecha, Juan Antonio
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Flecha Giannoni, Juan Antonio
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Road bicycle racer
DATE OF BIRTH= 1977-09-17
PLACE OF BIRTH=Junín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=