# Steven Rooks

Steven Rooks (born 7 August 1960) is a former Dutch professional road racing cyclist known for his climbing ability. His professional career ran from 1982–1995.

## Career

In the 1988 Tour de France, Rooks finished second and won a finish on L’Alpe d’Huez. He won the polka dot jersey for the mountains classification and the Présence Classification (or combination classification). In the 1989 Tour, Rooks won Stage 15, a 39 km mountain top time trial to Orcières-Merlette; he finished seventh that year and again won the Présence Classification, the final year of that award.
Other victories include the 1983 Liège–Bastogne–Liège, the 1986 Tour de Luxembourg and Amstel Gold Race, a stage at the 1987 Tour de Suisse, the 1988 Züri-Metzgete, and 1994 national championship. He finished second at the 1991 World Cycling Championships behind Italy's Gianni Bugno and ahead of Spain's Miguel Indurain.

## Doping confession

On the Dutch TV-show Reporter, Rooks admitted with Maarten Ducrot and Peter Winnen to doping. Rooks said he used testosterone and amphetamines during his 13-year career. In 2009, he admitted using EPO after 1989.

## Major results

Source:

### 1982

    8th Overall Deutschland Tour
    10th Overall Volta a Catalunya

### 1983

    1st Liège–Bastogne–Liège
    3rd Overall Paris–Nice
    3rd Overall Tour Méditerranéen
       1st Stage 2b
    8th Rund um den Henninger Turm
    8th Grand Prix de Monaco
    10th Amstel Gold Race

### 1984

    1st Stage 7 (TTT) Ronde van Nederland
    2nd Paris–Tours
    4th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
    5th Rund um den Henninger Turm
    5th Grand Prix Impanis
    6th Road race, National Road Championships
    6th Overall Tour de Romandie
    9th Overall Paris–Nice
       1st Stage 2b (TTT)
    10th Overall Tour Méditerranéen

### 1985

    1st Stage 4b Volta a Catalunya
    1st Stage 4 Tour of Norway
    1st Stage 5b (TTT) Ronde van Nederland
    2nd Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
       1st Stage 7
    3rd Overall Étoile de Bessèges
    6th Binche-Tournai-Binche
    8th Paris–Brussels
    10th Liège–Bastogne–Liège

### 1986

    1st Overall Tour de Luxembourg
    1st Overall Vuelta a Andalucía
       1st Prologue
    1st Amstel Gold Race
    1st Grand Prix de Wallonie
    5th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
    5th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
    7th La Flèche Wallonne
    7th Paris–Brussels
    9th Overall Tour de France
    9th Overall Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme

### 1987

    1st Stage 2 Tour de Suisse
    2nd Overall Tour of Britain
    2nd Amstel Gold Race
    2nd Omloop Het Volk
    6th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
    6th Tour of Flanders
    9th Overall Tour de Luxembourg
    9th Overall Vuelta a Andalucía

### 1988

    1st Züri-Metzgete
    2nd Overall Tour de France
       1st Mountains classification
       1st Combination classification
       1st Stage 12
    2nd Amstel Gold Race
    3rd Milan–San Remo
    3rd La Flèche Wallonne
    3rd Clásica de San Sebastián
    4th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
    5th Tour of Flanders

### 1989

    1st Overall Tour du Vaucluse
    2nd La Flèche Wallonne
    4th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
    5th Tre Valli Varesine
    6th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
    6th Baden-Baden (with Gert-Jan Theunisse)
    7th Overall Tour de France
       1st Combination classification
       1st Stage 15
    7th Rund um den Henninger Turm

### 1990

    1st Stage 2 (TTT) Tour de France
    2nd Road race, National Road Championships
    2nd Overall Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
    3rd Liège–Bastogne–Liège
    4th Overall Ronde van Nederland
    5th La Flèche Wallonne

### 1991

    1st Road race, National Road Championships
    2nd Road race, UCI Road World Championships
    2nd Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
    6th Wincanton Classic
    9th Overall Vuelta a España

### 1992

    2nd Liège–Bastogne–Liège
    5th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
    5th Overall Tour of Galicia
       1st Stage 4
    7th Wincanton Classic
    8th La Flèche Wallonne
    10th Overall Vuelta a España
    10th Overall Tour of the Basque Country

### 1993

    2nd Road race, National Road Championships
    4th Brabantse Pijl
    9th Veenendaal–Veenendaal
    10th Liège–Bastogne–Liège

### 1994

    1st Road race, National Road Championships
    6th Amstel Gold Race

### 1995

    8th Amstel Gold Race

### Grand Tour general classification results timeline

| Grand Tour | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 |
| Vuelta a España | — | — | DNF | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 10 | — | — | — |
| Giro d'Italia | — | — | — | — | — | DNF | — | 75 | — | — | DNF | — | DNF |
| Tour de France | DNF | — | 25 | 9 | DNF | 2 | 7 | 33 | 26 | 17 | DNF | DNF | — |
Legend :
| — | Did not compete |
| DNF | Did not finish |

## Honors

* In 1988, Rooks was Dutch Sportsman of the year.
* Since 2004, Maastricht, the Steven Rooks Classic, an amateur race, is organised in his honor.