Jurgen Van den Broeck (born 1 February 1983) is a Belgian former

road bicycle racer Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most com ...

, who competed professionally between 2004 and 2017 for the , , and squads. Van den Broeck specialised in the

time trial In many racing sports, an sportsperson, athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial (TT) against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athle ...

discipline, having been Junior World Champion against the clock in 2001. The promise he first displayed in minor stage races like the

Tour de Romandie The Tour de Romandie is a stage race which is part of the UCI World Tour. It runs through the Romandie region, or French-speaking part of Switzerland. The competition began in 1947, to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Swiss Cycling. It ...

and Eneco Tour was later validated and confirmed by top-10 finishes in all three Grand Tours: the

Giro d'Italia The Giro d'Italia (; ), also known simply as the Giro, is an annual stage race, multiple-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Italy, while also starting in, or passing through, other countries. The first race was organized in 19 ...

, the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...

and the

Vuelta a España The Vuelta a España (; ) is an annual stage race, multi-stage bicycle racing, bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Ital ...

Cycling career

Early career

Born in

Herentals Herentals () is a municipality and city in the province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the city of Herentals proper and the towns of Morkhoven and Noorderwijk. In 2022, Herentals had a total population of 28,455. The total area is . Saint ...

, Van den Broeck won the Junior World Time Trial Championship in

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

and made his professional debut in 2003 as a ''stagiaire'' for the Quick-Step–Davitamon–Latexco team.

U.S. Postal Service/Discovery Channel (2004–2006)

Rather than remaining in Belgium, however, Van den Broeck signed with the American team of

Lance Armstrong Lance Edward Armstrong (''né'' Gunderson; born September 18, 1971) is an American former professional road bicycle racing, road racing cyclist. He achieved international fame for winning the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times fro ...

for his first full season as a professional in 2004. His only result of note that year was 6th-place overall in the

Tour of Belgium The Tour of Belgium (; ) is a five-day bicycle race which is held annually in Belgium, and is part of the UCI ProSeries. It was held annually between 1908 and 1981, except during both world wars. Between 1982 and 1990 several races were not org ...

. Van den Broeck remained with

Johan Bruyneel Johan Bruyneel (born 23 August 1964) is a Belgian former professional road bicycle racer and a former directeur sportif for UCI ProTour team , and (later known as Discovery Channel), a US-based UCI ProTour cycling team. On 25 October 2018, the ...

's team in 2005 when Discovery Channel took over the title sponsorship, and he continued with the Americans in 2006 after Armstrong retired. During that period he finished on the podium in stages of the

Deutschland Tour The Deutschland Tour (English: ''Tour of Germany'' and sometimes ''Deutschland-Rundfahrt'' in German) is the most important Race stage, multi-stage road bicycle racing, road bicycle race in Germany. Initially the race was held in May/June, but fro ...

and the Tour of Belgium (where he also won the mountains classification), and he rode to a top-20 finish overall in the

. In June, however, Van den Broeck announced his intention to return to Belgium when he agreed to a two-year contract with the then-Davitamon squad, which would be re-branded in 2007 as . The following month Van den Broeck scored his first win as a professional, taking the Schriek, Derny in Belgium ahead of

Erwin Vervecken Erwin Vervecken (born 23 March 1972) is a Belgian former professional cyclist specializing in cyclo-cross. Vervecken was a professional cyclist for 16 seasons (1995–2010) and has been working since his retirement as an external sportive consu ...

and future

cyclo-cross Cyclo-cross (cyclocross, CX, cyclo-X or cross) is a form of bicycle racing. Races typically take place in the autumn and winter (the international or "World Cup" season is October–February), and consist of many laps of a short (2.5–3.5&nb ...

world champion

Niels Albert Niels Albert (born 5 February 1986 in Bonheiden, near Antwerp, Belgium) is a former professional cyclo-cross racing cyclist Cycle sport is competitive physical activity using bicycles. There are several categories of bicycle racing incl ...

Predictor–Lotto (2007–2015)

2007–2008

At the age of 24, Van den Broeck managed to finish in the top-10 on the general classification at the 2007 Eneco Tour with his new team, though he also won the bronze medal in the

Belgian National Time Trial Championships The Belgian National Time Trial Championships are held annually as part of the Belgian National Cycling Championships, deciding the national champion in this time trial, discipline for the year to come. The national time trial championship in Bel ...

. After completing his first Grand Tour in an anonymous 74th place at the 2007 Giro d'Italia, Van den Broeck finally showed that he had talent as a stage racer when he returned to Italy the following year and came seventh overall in the 2008 Giro d'Italia. Merely months later, both

Riccardo Riccò Riccardo Riccò (born 1 September 1983) is an Italian professional road bicycle racer, who was suspended from all competition until 2024. He was previously ejected from the 2008 Tour de France for doping violations and suspended. Riccò returned ...

and Emanuele Sella – respectively finishing 2nd and 6th in the 2008 Giro d'Italia – were sanctioned for doping.

2009

Showing excellent form in the

2009 Tour de France The 2009 Tour de France was the 96th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on 4 July in the principality of Monaco with a individual time trial which included a section of the Circuit de Monaco. The race visite ...

, Van den Broeck climbed with the leaders through the Alps, although he had crashed heavily on the fourth stage

team time trial A team time trial (TTT) is a road bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock (see individual time trial for a more detailed description of ITT events). The winning team in a TTT is determined by the comparing the times of ...

, and lost more than seven minutes. His consistency resulted in 15th place in the final general classification ranking, which was later improved to 14th after the disqualification of 11th placed Mikel Astarloza for testing positive for EPO; he also placed 9th place in the competition for the polka dot jersey. As the performances came at the end of

Cadel Evans Cadel Lee Evans (; born 14 February 1977) is an Australian former professional racing cyclist who competed professionally in both mountain biking and road bicycle racing. A four-time Olympian, Evans is one of three non-Europeans – along with ...

' tenure at , the Belgian outfit decided that Van den Broeck was capable and reliable enough to become their general classification leader.

2010–2011

The following season he rode to an important and somewhat surprising 3rd place (5th place prior to

Alberto Contador Alberto Contador Velasco (; born 6 December 1982) is a Spanish former professional cyclist. He is one of the most successful riders of his era, winning the Tour de France twice (2007, 2009), the Giro d'Italia twice (2008, 2015), and the Vuelta ...

and

Denis Menchov Denis Nikolayevich Menshov (often mistakenly romanized as Menchov, ; born 25 January 1978) is a former professional Russian road bicycle racer, who rode as a professional between 2000 and 2013. He was best known as a general classification rider ...

being disqualified and removed from the results) in the

2010 Tour de France The 2010 Tour de France was the 97th edition of the Tour de France cycle race, one of cycling's Grand Tours. It started on with an 8.9 km prologue time trial in Rotterdam, the first start in the Netherlands since 1996. The race visited th ...

, becoming the first Belgian to finish in the top 5 since

Claude Criquielion Claude Criquielion (11 January 1957 – 18 February 2015) was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer who raced between 1979 and 1990. In 1984, Criquielion became the world road race champion in Barcelona, Spain on a gruelling course. ...

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. ** Spain and Portugal en ...

. After the Tour Van den Broeck won two criteriums: one in Peer and the other in his hometown of

. In the

2011 Tour de France The 2011 Tour de France was the 98th edition of Tour de France, the race. It started on 2 July at the Passage du Gois and ended on the Champs-Élysées stage in the Tour de France, Champs-Élysées in Paris on 24 July. The cyclists competed in 2 ...

, after an encouraging first week and while aiming for a general classification podium spot, Van den Broeck had to abandon the race along with another overall contender,

Alexander Vinokourov Alexander Nikolayevich Vinokourov ( Kazakh and Russian: ; born 16 September 1973) is a Kazakhstani former professional road bicycle racer and the current general manager of UCI WorldTeam . He is of Russian origin. As a competitor, his achieveme ...

, after a massive and spectacularly grim downhill crash which left him with a

pneumothorax A pneumothorax is collection of air in the pleural space between the lung and the chest wall. Symptoms typically include sudden onset of sharp, one-sided chest pain and dyspnea, shortness of breath. In a minority of cases, a one-way valve is ...

, broken ribs and a fractured shoulder. Not to be deterred, however, Van den Broeck recovered from his injuries in time to compete in the 2011 Vuelta a España, where he finished 8th overall.

2012–2015

In 2012, Van den Broeck finished 3rd in the

Volta a Catalunya The Volta a Catalunya (; Tour of Catalonia, ) is a road bicycle race held annually in Catalonia, Spain. It is one of three World Tour stage races in Spain, together with the Vuelta a España and the Tour of the Basque Country. The race has had ...

and then finished 5th in the Criterium du Dauphiné, showing good form for the forthcoming Tour de France. On Stage 7 of the

, a mountain top finish at La Planche des Belles Filles, Van den Broeck lost 1 minute 54 seconds to stage winner Chris Froome after getting a flat tyre just before the final climb. However Van den Broeck then showed his good form in the mountains to move him up to finishing 4th overall. In 2013, Van den Broeck abandoned in the

after he crashed in stage 5. In 2015, he finished twelfth at the

. In June, he won the National Time Trial Championships for the first time in his career.

Team Katusha (2016)

In September 2015, announced that Van Den Broeck would join them for 2016, after nine seasons with Lotto.

LottoNL–Jumbo (2017)

After one season with , signed Van den Broeck on a two-year contract. In May, it was announced that Van den Broeck would retire at the end of the 2017 season.

Major results

;2000 : 3rd

Time trial In many racing sports, an sportsperson, athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial (TT) against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athle ...

, National Junior Road Championships ;2001 : 1st Jersey rainbow chrono

, UCI Junior Road World Championships ;2002 : 1st Jersey yellow

Overall Tour of Limburg : 8th Overall Le Triptyque des Monts et Châteaux ;2003 : 1st Zellik–Galmaarden : 1st Clásica Memorial Txuma : 2nd Overall Le Triptyque des Monts et Châteaux ::1st Stage 2b : 2nd

, National Under-23 Road Championships : 2nd Liège–Bastogne–Liège Espoirs : 2nd GP Istria 1 : 2nd GP Krka : 3rd Kattekoers : 4th Road race, UEC European Under-23 Road Championships ;2004 : 5th Overall Redlands Bicycle Classic : 6th Overall

;2005 : 8th Overall Eneco Tour ;2006 : 1st Mountains classification,

: 8th

Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne is an annual single-day road bicycle racing, road cycling race in Belgium. It is held one day after Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, on the last Sunday of February or the first of March, and completes the opening weekend of the Be ...

;2007 : 3rd

, National Road Championships : 6th Overall

Danmark Rundt Danmark Rundt is a Danish multi-day professional road cycling race. It is currently sponsored by the Danish national postal agency, PostNord, and the race is therefore also known as PostNord Danmark Rundt. The race is sometimes called the Tou ...

: 10th Overall Eneco Tour ;2008 : 7th Overall

;2009 : 1st Natourcriterium Herentals : 4th Overall Eneco Tour ;2010 : 2nd Overall

Vuelta a Andalucía The Vuelta a Andalucía (Tour of Andalusia) or Ruta del Sol (Route of the Sun) is a regional Spanish road bicycle race first held in 1925. Since 2005, it has been a 2.1 category race on the UCI Europe Tour. The race became a part of the new UCI ...

: 3rd Overall

: 4th Overall

Critérium du Dauphiné The Critérium du Dauphiné, before 2010 known as the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, is an annual cycle sport, cycling road bicycle racing, road race in the Dauphiné region in the southeast of France. The race is run over eight days during ...

: 10th Overall

Tour of the Basque Country The Tour of the Basque Country (Officially: ''Itzulia Basque Country'') is an annual road cycling stage race held in the Spanish Basque Country in April. It is one of the races that make up the UCI World Tour calendar. As the Basque Country is ...

;2011 : 2nd Overall

: 4th Overall

::1st Stage 1 : 7th Overall

;2012 : 3rd Overall

: 4th Overall

Volta ao Algarve Volta may refer to: Persons * Alessandro Volta (1745–1827), Italian physicist and inventor of the electric battery, count and eponym of the volt * Giovanni Volta (1928–2012), Italian Roman Catholic bishop * Giovanni Serafino Volta (1764–1 ...

: 4th Overall

: 5th Overall

: 10th

La Flèche Wallonne La Flèche Wallonne (, French for "The Walloon Arrow") is a men's professional cycle road race held in April each year in Wallonia, Belgium. It is part of the UCI World Tour. The first of two Belgian Ardennes classics, La Flèche Wallonne is ...

;2013 : 2nd Overall

: 5th Overall

Tour de San Luis Tour or Tours may refer to: Travel * Tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which ...

: 7th Overall

: 9th Overall

;2014 : 3rd Overall

;2015 : 1st

, National Road Championships ;2016 : 8th Overall Tour of California

General classification results timeline

References

External links

*
Profile at Lotto-Belisol official website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Van den Broeck, Jurgen 1983 births Living people Belgian male cyclists Cyclists at the 2008 Summer Olympics Olympic cyclists for Belgium Cyclists from Herentals 21st-century Belgian sportsmen