Richard Virenque
FameRank: 3

"Grand Tour (cycling)/Grand Tours"

:"Tour de France"

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::7 Stages (1999 Tour de France/1999–2004 Tour de France/2004)

"Classic cycle race/One-Day Races and Classics"

:Paris–Tours (2001)

/ updated = 28 March 2008

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"Richard Virenque" (born 19 November 1969) is a retired France/French professional road racing cyclist. He was one of the most popular French riders with fans for his boyish personality and his long, lone attacks. He was a climber, winning the King of the Mountains competition of the Tour de France a record seven times. He is best remembered as the central figure in a widespread doping scandal in 1998, and his being regularly displayed as a moronic rubber puppet with Hypodermic needle/hypodermics in his head on the satirical television programme, Les Guignols de l'info.

Virenque finished twice on the podium in the Tour de France (third in 1996 and second in 1997) and won several stages, among them Mont Ventoux in 2002. He is the 18th rider in the Tour to have won stages over 10 years apart.

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Last year, I had the yellow jersey on Bastille Day, now I have won this stage, it's great.

236

I don't know what I'll do next year but I've enjoyed this Tour.

208

I have been riding for 20 years and I didn't want to do it for a year too many. That's why I have decided to quit now.

163

I symbolized doping, ... My phone rarely rings. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of riders who call me.

147

He stunned the favorites a bit today. Tomorrow, I think he's going to strike a sword blow on this Tour.

131

Two close persons departed and they both kept me going towards the end.

120

It was important to score points today and I went for them with my guts.

109