Festina (cycling team) explained

Festina
Code:	FES
Registered:	Spain (1989–1992) Andorra (1993–1994, 1996) France (1995, 1997–2001)
Disbanded:	2001
Generalmanager:	Bruno Roussel (1994–1998) Juan Fernández Martín (1999–2001)
Discipline:	Road
Season:	1989 1990–1992 1993–1999 2000–2001
Oldname:	Lotus–Zahor Lotus–Festina Festina–Lotus Festina
Kitimage:	Shirt festina cyclingteam.jpg

Festina was a former professional cycling team that was active in the professional peloton from 1989 to 2001. The team was sponsored by the Swiss watch manufacturer of the same name.

History

Beginnings

The team first appeared as Lotus-Zahor but the following year, 1990, the team became Lotus–Festina. In 1993, the team became Festina–Lotus which it was known by until 2000. The team was a Spanish team from 1989 to 1992. Then the team was based in Andorra 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 the Portuguese cyclist Acácio da Silva who would not win the sprints classification in that year's Vuelta a España.^[1]

The team signed Sean Kelly in 1992 who won Milan–San Remo, the first Classic victory for the team.^[2] The team entered its first Tour de France in 1992. The team manager and directeur 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 challenged Miguel Induráin in the 1994 Tour de France whereby teammates Luc Leblanc and Richard 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.

Festina affair

See main article: Festina affair. Virenque was a favourite in the 1998 Tour de France but after team soigneur Willy 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 Champion Laurent Brochard and Christophe Moreau were arrested and seven admitted to taking EPO^[4] and were ejected from the race.^[5] Team doctor Eric Rijkaert was also arrested. Rijkaert was team doctor from 1993 to 1998.Laurent Brochard, Christophe Moreau and Didier Rous confessed and were served a six-month suspension before returning to racing^[6] whereas Richard Virenque did not confess, releasing a book called Ma 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 called De Zaak Festina.^[8]

Post Festina affair

Due to these doping scandals, the team reorganised itself and sponsor Festina set up the Fondation 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 the 2000 Tour de France with Joseba Beloki and Christophe Moreau and won the 2001 Vuelta a España with Ángel Casero before retiring from the sport at the end of the 2001 season. The sponsor Festina continued in professional cycling for many years more by being the official timekeeper at the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia, the Vuelta a España and several other stage-races.

Major wins

1989

Stage 6 Vuelta a España, Luc Suykerbuyk

Criterium Bavel, Luc Suykerbuyk

1990

Route Adélie de Vitré, Roberto Torres

1991

National Cyclo-cross Championships

Giro del Veneto, Roberto Pagnin

Stage 2 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, Mathieu Hermans

1992

Milan–San Remo, Sean Kelly

Trofeo Luis Puig, Sean Kelly

Stage 3 Vuelta a Aragón, Andrei Zubov

Stage 13 Vuelta a España, Roberto Torres

Stage 10 Giro d'Italia, Roberto Pagnin

Stage 7 Tour de Suisse, Sean Kelly

Stage 9 Tour de Suisse, Roberto Pagnin

National Road Race Championships, Thomas Wegmüller

Giro del Lago Maggiore, Thomas Wegmüller

Circuito de Getxo, Mathieu Hermans

1993

Stages 4 & 8 Vuelta a España, Jean-Paul van Poppel

Stage 14, Tour de France, Pascal Lino

Stage 3 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, Jean-Paul van Poppel

Profronde van Oostvoorne, Gert Jakobs

Stage 2 Tour du Poitou Charentes et de la Vienne, Thierry Marie

Criterium Ulvenhout, Sean Kelly

1994

Ronde van Boxmeer, Jean-Paul van Poppel

Étoile de Bessèges, Jean-Paul van Poppel

Ronde van Pijnacker, Jean-Paul van Poppel

Stage 9 Vuelta a España, Jean-Paul van Poppel

Stage 5 Critérium du Dauphiné, Pascal Hervé

Mountains classification Tour de France, Richard Virenque

Stage 2, Jean-Paul van Poppel

Stage 11, Luc Leblanc

Stage 12, Richard Virenque

World Road Race Championships, Luc Leblanc

Boucles de l'Aulne, Richard Virenque

Trophée des Grimpeurs, Richard Virenque

1995

National Cyclo-cross Championships

La Poly Normande, Richard Virenque

Overall Vuelta a Burgos, Laurent Dufaux

Overall Route du Sud, Laurent Dufaux

Gent–Wevelgem, Lars Michaelsen

Stages 4 & 6 Critérium du Dauphiné, Richard Virenque

Stages 7 Critérium du Dauphiné, Fabian Jeker

Mountains classification Tour de France, Richard Virenque

Stage 15, Richard Virenque

1996

National Cyclo-cross Championships, Emmanuel Magnien

Overall Vuelta Ciclista de Chile, Christophe Moreau

National Road Race Championships, Joona Laukka

Escalada a Montjuïc, Fabian Jeker

La Poly Normande, Laurent Brochard

Overall Tour du Limousin, Laurent Brochard

Overall Tour du Haut Var, Bruno Boscardin

Stage 7 Paris–Nice, Bruno Boscardin

Stage 6 Giro d'Italia Pascal Hervé

Stage 4 Critérium du Dauphiné, Richard Virenque

Mountains classification Tour de France, Richard Virenque

Stages 17 & 19, Laurent Dufaux

National Hill climb Championships, Laurent Dufaux

Giro del Piemonte, Richard Virenque

1997

Overall Vuelta Ciclista de Chile, Patrice Halgand

Étoile de Bessèges, Patrice Halgand

La Poly Normande, Richard Virenque

Prueba Villafranca de Ordizia, Laurent Lefèvre

GP d'Ouverture La Marseillaise, Richard Virenque

Stage 7 Giro d'Italia, Marcel Wüst

Mountains classification Tour de France, Richard Virenque

Stage 9, Laurent Brochard

Stage 14, Richard Virenque

Stage 17, Anthony Neil Stephens

Stage 18, Didier Rous

Coppa Bernocchi, Gianluca Bortolami

Stages 2, 3 & 5 Vuelta a España, Marcel Wüst

World Road Race Championships, Laurent Brochard

Giro del Piemonte, Gianluca Bortolami

1998

Overall Vuelta Ciclista de Chile, Marcel Wüst

Grand Prix du Midi Libre, Laurent Dufaux

Escalada a Montjuïc, Fabian Jeker

GP Chiasso, Gianluca Bortolami

Stage 5b Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme, Alex Zülle

Stage 3 Critérium International, Christophe Moreau

Stage 3 Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco, Pascal Hervé

Trophée des Grimpeurs, Pascal Hervé

Overall Tour de Romandie, Laurent Dufaux

Prologue, Stages 1 & 3, Laurent Dufaux

Stage 4b, Alex Zülle

Prologue, Stages 6 & 15 Giro d'Italia, Alex Zülle

Circuito de Getxo, Marcel Wüst

Stage 6 Critérium du Dauphiné, Richard Virenque

GP Ouest France-Plouay, Pascal Hervé

Stages 14 & 17 Vuelta a España, Marcel Wüst

Stage 21 Vuelta a España, Alex Zülle

1999

A Travers le Morbihan, Patrice Halgand

Stage 1 Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme, Marcel Wüst

Grand Prix de Plumelec-Morbihan, Patrice Halgand

Stage 5 Critérium du Dauphiné, Laurent Madouas

Overall Tour du Poitou Charentes et de la Vienne, Christophe Moreau

Stage 4, Christophe Moreau

Stages 4, 5, 6 & 7 Vuelta a España, Marcel Wüst

Stage 9, Vuelta a España, Laurent Brochard

National Time Trial Championships, Jonathan Hall

2000

Profronde van Surhuisterveen, Marcel Wüst

Escalada a Montjuïc, Fabian Jeker

Overall Vuelta Ciclista Asturias, Joseba Beloki

Stage 3b Tour de Romandie, Joseba Beloki

Overall Deutschland Tour, David Plaza Romero

Stage 6, Marcel Wüst

Stage 7, David Plaza Romero

Stage 3 Tour de Suisse, Wladimir Belli

Stage 5 Tour de France, Marcel Wüst

GP Città di Camaiore, Wladimir Belli

Stage 5 Tour du Poitou Charentes et de la Vienne, Stéphane Augé 2001

Overall Vuelta Ciclista de Chile, David Plaza Romero

Stage 2 Étoile de Bessèges, Steffen Radochla

Stage 5 Étoile de Bessèges, Florent Brard

Cholet-Pays de la Loire, Florent Brard

Stage 3 Tour de Romandie, David Plaza Romero

Overall Critérium du Dauphiné, Christophe Moreau

National Time Trial Championship, Florent Brard

Prologue Tour de France, Christophe Moreau

Prueba Villafranca de Ordizia, David Clinger

Overall Vuelta a España, Ángel Casero

Paris–Bourges, Florent Brard

Notable riders

Notes and References

Web site: History Vuelta 1991 . la vuelta .com . 27 October 2007 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110611173247/http://www.lavuelta.com/07/ingles/historia/index.html?a=1991&e=p . 11 June 2011 .
Web site: Lotus-Festina 1992 . the cycling website.net . 27 October 2007 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100620101433/http://cyclingwebsite.net/ploegfiche.php?id=8581 . 20 June 2010 .
Web site: Festina-Lotus 1993. cyclebase.nl. 27 October 2007.
News: Tour riders down wheels over drug use. London independent. 28 July 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20090511010226/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19980725/ai_n14163112/. 11 May 2009. dead.
Web site: A hint of doping at Tour de France . Herald Tribune . 19 July 2007 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080220233521/http://www.iht.com/articles/1998/07/13/drugs.t.php . 20 February 2008 .
Web site: Dopage 2 . L'Humanité. 29 July 2007 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070929130731/http://www.humanite.fr/1998-12-15_Sports_CYCLISME-1 . 29 September 2007 .
Web site: Richard Virenque – sa vérité!. Dopage free cyclisme. 27 October 2007.
https://archive.today/20070813123903/http://www.wielersportboeken.be/R/rijckaert_eric/rijckaert.htm De Zaak Festina
Web site: Sponsorship cycling . 27 October 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071024005149/http://www.festina.com/intro.htm . 24 October 2007 . dead .