 Meersman at the 2013Tour de l'Ain. | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Gianni Meersman |
| Nickname | Merrie[1] |
| Born | (1985-12-05)5 December 1985 (age 39) Meulebeke,West Flanders, Belgium |
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)[1] |
| Weight | 63 kg (139 lb)[1] |
| Team information | |
| Current team | Pauwels Sauzen–Cibel Clementines |
| Disciplines |
|
| Role |
|
| Rider type | Attacker[1] Stage hunter[1] |
| Professional teams | |
| 2007 | Discovery Channel |
| 2008–2011 | Française des Jeux |
| 2012 | Lotto–Belisol[2] |
| 2013–2016 | Omega Pharma–Quick-Step[3] |
| Managerial team | |
| 2017– | Marlux–Napoleon Games(directeur sportif) |
| Major wins | |
Grand Tours
| |
Gianni Meersman (born 5 December 1985) is aBelgian former professional track androad bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 2007 and 2016 for theDiscovery Channel,FDJ,Lotto–Belisol andEtixx–Quick-Step teams. He currently works as adirecteur sportif for thePauwels Sauzen–Cibel Clementines team.
After stage 3 of the2007 Tour de Georgia, Meersman was forced to abandon the race due to a severe case of patella tendinitis. He treated the riders of the Grand Peloton, a charity fundraiser ride, to his presence as the Peloton Captain of the "Blue Peloton". Meersman finally came toGrand Tour prominence, after 10 years as a professional racer, at the2016 Vuelta a España winning two stages in bunch sprints. During the race,Fortuneo–Vital Concept announced that Meersman had agreed a one-year contract with the team for 2017.[4]However, a diagnosis of cardiac arrhythmia and scar tissue on his heart forced Meersman to announce his retirement on 30 December 2016.[5] On 11 October 2017, Meersman was confirmed as the newsporting director forcyclo-cross teamMarlux–Napoleon Games.[6]
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OverallCircuit des Ardennes
Points classification Points classification,Critérium du Dauphiné OverallTour de Wallonie
after Stages 2 & 5–9| Grand Tour | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Giro d'Italia | — | — | — | — | DNF | — | — | DNF | — |
 Tour de France | — | — | — | 77 | — | — | — | — | — |
 Vuelta a España | DNF | — | 98 | — | 57 | 58 | — | — | 111 |
| — | Did not compete |
|---|---|
| DNF | Did not finish |
