 Kirchen at the2006 Deutschland Tour | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Kim Kirchen |
| Nickname | Grim Kim[1] |
| Born | (1978-07-03)3 July 1978 (age 46) Luxembourg City,Luxembourg |
| Team information | |
| Current team | None |
| Discipline | Road |
| Role | Rider |
| Rider type | All-rounder |
| Amateur team | |
| 1999–2000 | De Nardi-Pasta Montegrappa |
| Professional teams | |
| 2001–2005 | Fassa Bortolo |
| 2006–2009 | T-Mobile Team |
| 2010 | Team Katusha |
| Major wins | |
Grand Tours
| |
Kim Kirchen (born 3 July 1978) is aLuxembourgish formerroad racing cyclist. He is the son of cyclistErny Kirchen and the great-nephew of cyclistJeng Kirchen.[2]
Kirchen signed as a professional cyclist in 2000 with De Nardi-Pasta Montegrappa, and went on to joinFassa Bortolo in 2001. For the 2006 cycling season, he joined theT-Mobile Team following the demise of the Fassa Bortolo team.
His first recorded race was inDommeldange in 1999, and he had to wait until 2000 for his first professional victory when he won the Piva Col trophy. Kirchen was named theLuxembourgian Sportsman of the Year in 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008, surpassing the achievement of fellow cyclistCharly Gaul and putting him fourth in the all-time stakes.
In July 2008 he showed good form during theTour de France, placing 7th in thegeneral classification[3] and wearing theyellow jersey for a total of four stages.
In 2010, Kirchen joinedTeam Katusha, after he was unable to agree with Team Columbia–HTC on a contract extension.[4] He suffered a suspected heart attack during the2010 Tour de Suisse, in June 2010.[5] He did not race in 2011 because of the heart condition and later retired from the sport.[6][7]
Since 2011, Kirchen co-commentates all cycling races broadcast onRTL Télé Lëtzebuerg, along with formerCofidis cyclistTom Flammang.
Kim Kirchen was born on July 3, 1978, in Luxembourg. His father, Erny Kirchen, was a cyclist, notably winning the Flèche du Sud and being the national vice-champion in 1974.[8]
Kim Kirchen started cycling at the age of 13 in 1992, with the Amis du Cyclisme de la Commune de Contern (ACC Contern), a renowned Luxembourgish club presided over by Marcel Gilles, where he notably rode alongsideFränk Schleck.[9]
Kim Kirchen married Caroline in 2007.[10] On July 8, 2010, just a few days after emerging from a coma, his wife gave birth to twins, Liam and Mike.[11]
Road race, National Road Championahips
OverallFlèche du Sud
Young rider classification
Points classification OverallRonde van Nederland Young rider classificationRoad race, National Road Championahips OverallTour de Pologne Points classificationRoad race, National Road Championahips Points classificationTime trial after Stages 6–9 after Stages 2–4, 6, 7 & 9Time trial| Grand Tour | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Giro d'Italia | — | — | 28 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
 Tour de France | — | — | — | 63 | DNF | — | 7 | 7 | 54 | — |
 Vuelta a España | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | DNF | — |
| — | Did not compete |
|---|---|
| DNF | Did not finish |
