 The Festina–Lotus at the 1993Paris–Nice | ||
| Team information | ||
|---|---|---|
| UCI code | FES | |
| Registered | Spain (1989–1992) Andorra (1993–1994, 1996) France (1995, 1997–2001) | |
| Founded | 1989 (1989) | |
| Disbanded | 2001 | |
| Discipline | Road | |
| Key personnel | ||
| General manager | Miguel Moreno Cachinero (1989–1993) Bruno Roussel (1994–1998) Juan Fernández Martín (1999–2001) | |
| Team name history | ||
1989 1990–1992 1993–1999 2000–2001 | Lotus–Zahor Lotus–Festina Festina–Lotus Festina | |
| ||
Festina was a former professionalcycling team that was active in the professionalpeloton from 1989 to 2001. The team was sponsored by theSwiss watch manufacturer of the same name.
The team first appeared asLotus-Zahor but the following year, 1990, the team becameLotus–Festina. In 1993, the team becameFestina–Lotus which it was known by until 2000. The team was a Spanish team from 1989 to 1992. Then the team was based inAndorra in 1993 and 1994. In 1995, the team became French-based from which it would stay until the team retired from the peloton, with the sole exception of 1996.
In 1991, the team signed thePortuguese cyclistAcácio da Silva who would not win the sprints classification in that year'sVuelta a España.[1]
The team signedSean Kelly in 1992 who wonMilan–San Remo, the first Classic victory for the team.[2] The team entered its firstTour de France in1992. The team manager anddirecteur sportifs at this time included Miguel Moreno Cachinero and Carlos Machin Rodriguez but Bruno Roussel joined the team in 1993 and would lead the team during its most successful years.Richard Virenque joined the team in 1993.[3] The following year the team challengedMiguel Induráin in the1994 Tour de France whereby teammatesLuc Leblanc andRichard Virenque finished the race 4th and 5th overall and Festina won the team classification. Over the following years, Festina would be present in the Tour de France with Virenque finishing the race 3rd overall in 1996 and second overall in 1997.
Virenque was a favourite in the1998 Tour de France but after teamsoigneurWilly Voet was caught by France-Belgium border officials with large quantities of doping products in his Festina team car, all members of the 1998 Tour team including the World ChampionLaurent Brochard andChristophe Moreau were arrested and seven admitted to taking EPO[4] and were ejected from the race.[5]Team doctorEric Rijkaert was also arrested. Rijkaert was team doctor from 1993 to 1998.Laurent Brochard,Christophe Moreau andDidier Rous confessed and were served a six-month suspension before returning to racing[6] whereasRichard Virenque did not confess, releasing a book calledMa Vérité where he denied using doping products. However, on 24 October 2000, Virenque finally confessed and was handed a suspension.[7] The team doctor that was at the heart of the scandal,Eric Rijkaert, released a book in 2000 about the affair and discussing doping in the sport calledDe Zaak Festina.[8]
Due to these doping scandals, the team reorganised itself and sponsorFestina set up theFondation d'Entreprise Festina which aimed to promote any actions that prevent doping taking place that are undertaken by institutions or individuals.[9]After the Festina Affair Juan Fernández Martín, Yvon Sanquer, Michel Gros, Roberto Torres Toledano, Jacky Lachevere and Gerald Rue directed the team in its final years. The team achieved 3rd and 4th overall in the2000 Tour de France withJoseba Beloki andChristophe Moreau and won the2001 Vuelta a España withÁngel Casero before retiring from the sport at the end of the 2001 season. The sponsorFestina continued in professional cycling for many years more by being the official timekeeper at theTour de France, theGiro d'Italia, theVuelta a España and several other stage-races.
Spain National Cyclo-cross Championships
Switzerland National Road Race Championships,Thomas Wegmüller
Mountains classificationTour de France,Richard Virenque
France National Cyclo-cross Championships
OverallVuelta a Burgos,Laurent Dufaux
OverallRoute du Sud,Laurent Dufaux Mountains classificationTour de France,Richard Virenque France National Cyclo-cross Championships,Emmanuel Magnien
Finland National Road Race Championships,Joona Laukka
OverallTour du Limousin,Laurent Brochard OverallTour du Haut Var,Bruno Boscardin Mountains classificationTour de France,Richard Virenque Switzerland National Hill climb Championships,Laurent DufauxÉtoile de Bessèges,Patrice Halgand Mountains classificationTour de France,Richard Virenque OverallTour de Romandie,Laurent Dufaux OverallTour du Poitou Charentes et de la Vienne,Christophe Moreau
Australia National Time Trial Championships,Jonathan Hall
OverallVuelta Ciclista Asturias,Joseba Beloki OverallDeutschland Tour,David Plaza Romero
OverallCritérium du Dauphiné,Christophe Moreau France National Time Trial Championship,Florent Brard
OverallVuelta a España,Ángel Casero | This list of "famous" or "notable" peoplehas no clearinclusion orexclusion criteria. Please helpimprove this article by defining clear inclusion criteria to contain only subjects that fit those criteria.(March 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Media related toFestina (cycling team) at Wikimedia Commons
