Gerald Ciolek

Infobox Cyclist
ridername = Gerald Ciolek

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image_caption =
fullname = Gerald Ciolek
nickname = Gerry
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1986|9|19
placeofbirth = Köln, Germany
country = GER
height = height|m=1.79
weight = convert|75|kg|lb|abbr=on|lk=on
currentteam = Team Columbia
discipline = Road
role = Rider
ridertype = Sprinter
protourrank =
amateurteams = Pulheimer SC
amateuryears = 2003-2004
proyears = 2005
2006
2007-
proteams = Team AKUD Arnolds Sicherheit
Team Wiesenhof-AKUD
Team Columbia
majorwins = U23 World Champion (2006)
flagicon|GER National Champion (2005)
Deutschland Tour, 3 stages
updated = December 24, 2007

Gerald Michael Ciolek (born September 19, 1986 in Cologne) is a German professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour Team Columbia. [ [http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2006/sep06/sep09news www.cyclingnews.com - the world centre of cycling ] ] In 2005, Ciolek won the German National Championship road race at age 18, the youngest ever rider to do so.

Ciolek started racing at senior events in May 2005, [ [http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2005/jun05/jun27news2 www.cyclingnews.com - the world centre of cycling ] ] with Team AKUD Arnolds Sicherheit, where he had a very successful season. In the German National Championships at Oberen Werntal, Ciolek was able to overcome seasoned sprinters Erik Zabel and Robert Förster without help from any team mates to win the road race championship, ending the twelve year domination of T-Mobile. [ [http://www.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2005/jun05/germany05/germany052 www.cyclingnews.com - the world centre of cycling ] ] Besides winning the national championship, he secured three stage victories and the points competition at the Tour de Hongrie, [ [http://www.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2005/aug05/hungary05/hungary058 www.cyclingnews.com - the world centre of cycling ] ] and a stage victory at the Mainfranken Tour. [ [http://www.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2005/jun05/mainfranken05/mainfranken053 www.cyclingnews.com - the world centre of cycling ] ]

In 2006, Ciolek completed his education at the Ford Motor Company and was able to turn professional and devote his career to cycling. [ [http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2006/feb06/feb22news www.cyclingnews.com - the world centre of cycling ] ] Through the season, he rode strongly and secured a number of high placings in important races to prove he could challenge, and beat, the strongest sprinters in UCI ProTour teams. Ciolek had an excellent second placing at the Rund um den Henninger Turm, where he once again beat Erik Zabel. [ [http://www.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2006/may06/henninger06 www.cyclingnews.com - the world centre of cycling ] ] Since Ciolek’s AKUD Arnolds Sicherheit team merged with Team Wiesenhof at the beginning of the season [http://www.wiesenhof-akud.de/index.jsp?rubrik=team&sub=geschichte3] to be the strongest German team outside of the UCI ProTour, they were able to secure wild card entries to a number of ProTour events where Ciolek shone even more. At the Vattenfall Cyclassics, Ciolek secured fifth place. [ [http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2006/jul06/vattenfall06/?id=results www.cyclingnews.com presents the Vattenfall Cyclassics ] ] A few weeks later, Ciolek won his first UCI ProTour event at the Tour of Germany, where he won stage three. [ [http://www.eurosport.com/cycling/sport_sto938086.shtml Eurosport Splash ] ] On September 23, he won U23 Road Race World Championship in Salzburg. [ [http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2006/worlds06/?id=results/worlds065 www.cyclingnews.com presents the 2006 UCI Road World Championships, Salzburg, Austria ] ]

For the 2007 season, Ciolek left Wiesenhof for the UCI ProTour with T-Mobile Team. After a relatively quiet early season, he came from behind to win the Rheinland-Pfalz Rundfahrt in May. He then caught fire in August, when he took three stages of the Deutschland Tour and was a fast-charging third in the Vattenfall Cyclassics.

In the 2008 season, Ciolek raced for Team Columbia. During 2008, he was a stage winner in Sparkassencup Schwenningen, and won two stages in Bayern Rundfahrt. In the 2008 Tour De France Ciolek was an instrumental figure in all four of Mark Cavendish's stage wins. On the final stage on the Champs-Élysées Ciolek managed to finish second to Gert Steegmans. He participated in the Olympic Games Road Race but had to abandon due to the effect the extreme conditions had on him. However, in September, he was able to bounce back and claim the fifth stage of the 2008 Deutschland Tour in an uphill sprint finish.

Palmarès

;2005:1st, GER National Cycling Championship - Road Race:1st, Points classification and 3 stages, Tour de Hongrie:1st, 1 stage, Mainfranken Tour;2006:U23 Road Race World Championship.:1st, 1 stage, Tour of Germany:1st, 1 stage, Istrian Spring Trophy:1st, Rund um den Nürnberger Altstadt:1st, Young rider classification, Niedersachsen-Rundfahrt:2nd, Rund um den Henninger Turm:5th, Vattenfall Cyclassics;2007: 1st, Overall, Rheinland-Pfalz Rundfahrt:: 1st, Sprint classification:: 1st, Young rider classification: 1st, 3 stages, Deutschland Tour: 1st, 2 stages, Österreich Rundfahrt: 1st, 1 stage, 3 Länder Tour: 3rd, Vattenfall Cyclassics

References

External links

* [http://www.geraldciolek.de/ Official Site de icon]

Persondata
NAME=Ciolek, Gerald
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Road bicycle racer
DATE OF BIRTH=1986-09-19
PLACE OF BIRTH=Cologne, Germany
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=