# Festina (cycling team)

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.
The team signed Sean Kelly in 1992 who won Milan–San Remo, the first Classic victory for the team. 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. 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

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 and were ejected from the race. 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 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. 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.

### 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. 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

    Spain 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
    Switzerland 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

    France 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

    France National Cyclo-cross Championships, Emmanuel Magnien
    Overall Vuelta Ciclista de Chile, Christophe Moreau
    Finland 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
    Switzerland 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
    Australia 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
    France 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

* Acácio da Silva
* Sean Kelly
* Abraham Olano
* Steven Rooks
* Richard Virenque
* Jean-Paul van Poppel
* Thierry Marie
* Pascal Lino
* Luc Leblanc
* Lars Michaelsen
* Laurent Brochard
* Emmanuel Magnien
* Christophe Bassons
* Patrice Halgand
* Christophe Moreau
* Didier Rous
* Anthony Neil Stephens
* Marcel Wüst
* Joseba Beloki
* Ángel Casero
* Alex Zülle