Thomas Frischknecht

Thomas Frischknecht
	Frischknecht in 1996
Personal information
Full name	Thomas Frischknecht
Nickname	Frischi
Born	17 February 1970; Feldbach, Switzerland
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	69 kg (152 lb)
Team information
Current team	Swisspower
Discipline	MTB
Role	Rider
Professional teams
1990-2000	Ritchey
2001-	Swisspower
Major wins
	World MTB Marathon Champion (2003, 2005); World MTB Cross Country Champion (1996)
Representing Switzerland
Men's mountain bike racing
Olympic Games
World Championships
Men's cyclo-cross
World Championships

Thomas Frischknecht (born 17 February 1970 in Feldbach, Switzerland) is a former Swiss mountain bike and cyclo-cross racer, often called Europe's Elder Statesman of mountain biking,[1] because of his extraordinarily long career at the top level of the sport. A professional since 1990, he was on top of the Mountain Bike World Championship podium for the first time in 1996 and most recently in 2004.[2]

Biography

Frischi (as he is called) advocates staying 'fit for life' and dope free racing. He is considered an excellent example of a clean sportsman.[1][3]

In 1996 he was second at the World Cross-country Mountain Bike Championships, but after France's Jerome Chiotti confessed having used EPO when he won the title that year, he got the rainbow jersey from Chiotti, handed over as a friendly act in an unofficial ceremony.[4]

He won the Olympic silver medal in 1996. The next day he competed in the men's road race on a Ritchey cyclocross bike after fellow Swiss team member Tony Rominger fell ill. He finished the race in the middle of the pack.[5]

Frischknecht also competes in cyclo-cross, where he won an Amateur World Champion title, was Vice World Champion in 1997 and is a multiple-time Swiss Champion.[6]

Thomas first traveled to America in 1990 to compete in the then new genre of mountain biking. He became closely linked to Tom Ritchey, a major bike-components producer, who provided support and became a mentor and a good friend. Ritchey has sponsored him ever since. Other major sponsors include Swisspower, an electric utility consortium, and Scott bicycles.

Frischknecht was author of a book on mountain biking, Richtig Mountainbiken. He is currently involved with the Frischi Bike School in the Engadin/St. Moritz area of Switzerland.

Victories

1988

World Championship, Cyclo-cross, Juniors, Hagendorf
1989

Roma, Cyclo-cross (ITA)
1990

Schulteiss-Cup, Cyclo-cross (GER)
1991

National Championship, Cyclo-cross, Elite, Switzerland (SUI); Overijse, Cyclo-cross (BEL); Schulteiss-Cup, Cyclo-cross (GER); Wetzikon, Cyclo-cross (SUI); World Championship, Cyclo-cross, Amateurs, Gieten
1992

Dagmersellen, Cyclo-cross (SUI); Mont Sainte-Anne, Mountainbike (CAN); Roma, Cyclo-cross (ITA); Schulteiss-Cup, Cyclo-cross (GER); Landgraaf, Mountainbike (NED); Strathpeffer, Mountainbike (GBR); Mount Snow, Mountainbike (USA)
1993

European Championship, Mountainbike, Elite; Schulteiss-Cup, Cyclo-cross (GER); Wetzikon, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
1994

Dagmersellen, Cyclo-cross (SUI); Mont Sainte-Anne, Mountainbike (CAN)
1995

Vail, Mountainbike (USA); Mammoth Lakes, Mountainbike (USA)
1996

World Championship, Mountainbike XC Elite, Cairns; Sankt-Wendel, Mountainbike (GER); Gansingen, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
1997

National Championship, Cyclo-cross, Elite, Switzerland, Liestal (SUI); Sankt-Wendel, Mountainbike (GER)
1998

Budapest, Mountainbike (HUN); Hombrechtikon, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
1999

Meilen, Cyclo-cross (SUI); Zeddam, Cyclo-cross (NED); Magstadt, Cyclo-cross (GER); National Championship, Cyclo-cross, Elite, Switzerland, Eschenbach (SUI); Canmore, Mountainbike (AUS); Liestal, Cyclo-cross (SUI); Obergögsen, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
2001

Safenwil, Cyclo-cross (SUI); Magstadt, Cyclo-cross (GER); Kaprun, Mountainbike (AUT); Castelnuovo, Cyclo-cross (ITA); Dagmersellen, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
2002

Dagmersellen, Cyclo-cross (SUI); National Championship, Cyclo-cross, Elite, Switzerland (SUI); Hittnau, Cyclo-cross (SUI); San Mateo, Cyclo-cross (USA); Hombrechtikon, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
2003

World Championship, Mountainbike Marathon; Russikon, Cyclo-cross (SUI)
2004

San Mateo, Cyclo-cross (b) (USA); San Mateo, Cyclo-cross (USA)
2005

World Championship, Mountainbike Marathon, Lillehammer (NOR); Magstadt, Cyclo-cross (GER)
2017

Absa Cape Epic Mixed category (RSA)

References

"Thomas Frischknecht". Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. 1999. Archived from the original on 30 June 2006. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
"Men, Mountain Bike World Cup". UCI. Retrieved July 25, 2006.
"Doping statement". Frischknecht's home page. Archived from the original on March 18, 2005. Retrieved July 25, 2006.
"News for May 25, 2000: Chiotti hands it back". Cycling News. May 25, 2000. Retrieved July 25, 2006.
"Interview: Thomas Frischknecht". Bike Radar. August 12, 2008. Retrieved July 25, 2008.
"CycloX World Cup: Coupe du Monde - 1998-1999". Union Cycliste Internationale. January 3, 1999. Retrieved July 25, 2006.

External links

Thomas Frischknecht’s home page
Swisspower Mountainbike Team
Frischi Bike School
Mountain Bike Hall of Fame
Thomas Frischknecht at Cycling Archives

Olympic Games
Preceded by Stefan Schärer	Flagbearer for Switzerland Sydney 2000	Succeeded by Roger Federer

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[Mountain_Bike_Hall_of_Fame-1] "Thomas Frischknecht". Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. 1999. Archived from the original on 30 June 2006. Retrieved 7 March 2017.

[Mountain_Bike_World_Cup-2] "Men, Mountain Bike World Cup". UCI. Retrieved July 25, 2006.

[Frischi_doping_statement-3] "Doping statement". Frischknecht's home page. Archived from the original on March 18, 2005. Retrieved July 25, 2006.

[Chiotti_hands_it_back-4] "News for May 25, 2000: Chiotti hands it back". Cycling News. May 25, 2000. Retrieved July 25, 2006.

[Interview:_Thomas_Fischknecht-5] "Interview: Thomas Frischknecht". Bike Radar. August 12, 2008. Retrieved July 25, 2008.

[CycloX_World_Cup-6] "CycloX World Cup: Coupe du Monde - 1998-1999". Union Cycliste Internationale. January 3, 1999. Retrieved July 25, 2006.