Thomas Frischknecht

Thomas Frischknecht

Frischknecht in 1996
Personal information
Full name	Thomas Frischknecht
Nickname	Frischi
Born	(1970-02-17) February 17, 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 team(s)
1990-2000	Ritchey
2001-	Swisspower
Major wins
World MTB Marathon Champion (2003, 2005) World MTB Cross Country Champion (1996)
Medal record Representing   Switzerland Mountain bike racing Olympic Games 1996 Atlanta Cross Country World Championships 1996 Cairns Cross Country 2003 Lugano Marathon 2005 Lillehammer Marathon 1990 Durango Cross Country 1991 Ciocco Cross Country 1992 Bromont Cross Country 2001 Vail Cross Country 2002 Kaprun Cross Country 2004 Les Gets Cross Country Cyclo-cross World Championships 1997 Munich Elite Men's Race
Infobox last updated on January 17, 2007

Thomas Frischknecht (born February 17, 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 is married and has three children. Thomas's father was a cyclo-cross racer as well, winning three silver medals at World Championships. He won a Swiss stage race called Grandprixtell in the early 1990s, and took part in the Olympic Road Race in 1996.

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 multiple Swiss cyclist of the year and 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

References

External links

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

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