Georg Totschnig

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Georg Totschnig bigraphy, stories - Austrian racing cyclist

Georg Totschnig : biography

May 25, 1971 –

Georg Totschnig (born May 25, 1971) is an Austrian former road bicycle racer who raced professionally between 1993 and 2006.

Results

1989
Austrian National Time Trial Champion - Junior 
1993

First year as a professional.

1994
1995
9th overall – Giro d’Italia
1996
Austrian National Time Trial Champion
6th overall – Vuelta a España
1997
Austrian National Road Race Champion
Austrian National Time Trial Champion
1998
2nd overall – Volta a Catalunya
1999
2nd overall – Tour of Austria (Österreich Rundfahrt)
2000
Overall and stage win – Tour of Austria (Österreich Rundfahrt)
2001
Austrian National Time Trial Champion
6th overall – Tour de Suisse
2002
Austrian National Time Trial Champion
5th overall – Tour de Suisse
7th overall – Giro d’Italia
2003
Austrian National Road Race Champion
5th overall – Giro d’Italia
12th overall – Tour de France
2004
Austrian National Time Trial Champion
Stage win – Tour de Suisse
7th overall – Tour de France
Member, Austrian National Team, Athens Summer Olympics
2005
Stage 14 win – Tour de France
3rd overall – Deutschland Tour
2006

Retired at end of the 2006 UCI ProTour season.

Career

In 1989, Totschnig became the Junior Austrian National Time Trial Champion. He turned professional with the Italian Lampre – Polti team in 1993, remaining with the team in 1994 when Polti became the main sponsor for the first time. Totschnig rode for the German Deutsche Telekom team from 1997 to 2000, before joining his final team, Gerolsteiner, in 2001.

In the 2005 Tour de France stage 14, he was in the breakaway which ultimately led to his victory. Having split open the breakaway group on the penultimate climb of the day from fellow breakaway companions Stefano Garzelli and Walter Bénéteau, he was able to hold on to his first place to second placed Lance Armstrong on the final climb to Ax 3 Domaines, winning by 56 seconds. He was the first Austrian to win a stage in the Tour de France since Max Bulla in 1931.

He was voted Austrian Sportsman of the year in 2005. Totschnig was surprised to win the accolade, as he had not expected to win more votes than the skiier Benjamin Raich.

Totschnig’s younger brother, Harald Totschnig is also a professional cyclist.