Thomas Voeckler

**Thomas Voeckler** (born 22 June 1979) is a French professional road racing cyclist. He rides for the Europcar cycling team.

Voeckler has been called a "national hero," because he has done well in the Tour de France. His nickname is **le Chouchou** which means _Sweetheart_.

## Career

Voeckler has been a professional cyclist since 2001. He entered the 2004 Tour de France and earned the yellow jersey (_maillot jaune_) on Stage 5. He wore the jersey for ten days, which made him famous.

In 2006 he won the fifth stage in 2006 Vuelta al País Vasco. He also won the 2006 Paris–Bourges race.

In 2009, he won his first stage in a Tour de France. Voeckler went for victory on stage 15 with about 5 km to go.

In the 2010 Tour de France he won Stage 15.

In the ninth stage of the 2011 Tour de France, Voeckler crossed the line second, taking the overall lead and therefore wearing the _maillot jaune_ (yellow jersey). He kept the yellow jersey for 9 stages, but lost it on Stage 19. Voeckler finished the Tour in fourth place 3min 20sec behind the winner, Cadel Evans. This is his best career placement in the Tour so far. It was the best finish of any Frenchman in the Tour since Christophe Moreau came fourth in 2000.

In 2012, Thomas Voeckler earned more victories and top placements, including in the Spring Classics.

At the 2012 Tour de France, he was suffering from a knee injury and almost abandoned the race. However he won Stage 10, the first mountain stage of the race. He also won Stage 16 with four huge climbs including the _Col du Tourmalet_. On this stage he grabbed the polka dot jersey for best climber. He kept the jersey from the Pyrenees to the finish.

In the Ardennes Classic in 2013 Voeckler crashed and broke his collarbone. By June he recovered and won stage 6 of the Critérium du Dauphiné. Voeckler continued his winning form by winning the overall titles of the Route du Sud and the Tour du Poitou-Charentes.

## Other

Voeckler is known for displaying many different facial expressions while racing, especially when trying very hard. He often sticks out his tongue. In August 2011, Voeckler raced on his bike against a horse in an exhibition contest, and lost.

## Palmarès

- 2003
- 1st  Overall Tour de Luxembourg
    - 1st Stages 1 & 3
- 1st Classic Loire Atlantique
- 1st Stage 8 Tour de l'Avenir
- 2nd Tour de la Somme
- 3rd Grand Prix de Denain
- 2004
- 1st  National Road Race Championships
- 1st A travers le Morbihan
- 1st Stage 4 Route du Sud
- 2nd Clasica de Almeria
- 18th Overall Tour de France
    - Held Maillot jaune  from Stage 5–14
    - Held Maillot blanc  from Stage 5–18
- 2005
- 1st Stage 3 Four Days of Dunkirk
- Held  Mountains classification for Stage 2 Tour de France
- 2006
- 1st Paris–Bourges
- 1st Stage 5 Vuelta al País Vasco
- 1st  Overall Route du Sud
    - 1st Stage 1
- 3rd Overall Étoile de Bessèges
- 2007
- 1st  Mountains classification Paris–Nice
- 1st  Overall Tour du Poitou Charentes et de la Vienne
- 1st Grand-Prix de Plouay Ouest-France
- 2008
- 1st  Overall Circuit de la Sarthe
- 1st  Overall Grand Prix de Plumelec-Morbihan
- Held  Mountains classification from Stages 1–5 Tour de France
- 2009
- 1st Stage 5 Tour de France
- 1st  Overall Étoile de Bessèges
- 1st  Overall Tour du Haut Var
    - 1st Stage 2
- 1st Trophée des Grimpeurs
- 2nd Grand Prix d'Ouverture La Marseillaise
- 3rd Tour de Vendée
- 2010
- 1st  National Road Race Championships
- 1st Stage 15 Tour de France
- 1st Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec
- 3rd Overall Giro di Sardegna
- 2011
- 1st  Overall Tour du Haut Var
- 1st  Overall Four Days of Dunkirk
    - 1st Stage 4
- 1st Stage 1 Tour Méditerranéen
- 1st Stages 4 & 8 Paris-Nice
- 1st Cholet-Pays de Loire
- 1st Stage 2 Giro del Trentino
- 3rd GP Ouest-France
- 4th Overall Tour de France
    - Held Maillot jaune  from Stage 10–19
- 2012
- 1st Brabantse Pijl
- Tour de France
    - 1st  Mountains classification
    - 1st Stages 10 & Stage 16
- 1st Stage 3 La Tropicale Amissa Bongo
- 4th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
- 5th Overall Four Days of Dunkirk
- 5th Amstel Gold Race
- 7th World Road Race Championships
- 8th Tour of Flanders
- 2013
- 1st  Overall Route du Sud
    - 1st Stage 3
- 1st  Overall Tour du Poitou-Charentes
    - 1st Stage 4 (ITT)
- 1st Stage 6 Critérium du Dauphiné
- 2nd Tour du Doubs
- 2nd Grand Prix de Wallonie
- 5th Dwars door Vlaanderen
- 8th Milano–Torino
- Combativity award Stage 4 Tour de France

## Other websites

- Team Europcar profile
- Thomas Voeckler's profile on Cycling Base

## Infobox (cyclist)

- **name**: Thomas Voeckler
- **image**: Isbergues - Grand Prix d'Isbergues, 21 septembre 2014 (B118).JPG
- **caption**: Voeckler at the 2014 Grand Prix d'Isbergues
- **fullname**: Thomas Voeckler
- **nickname**: Ti-Blanc
Francis
- **birth place**: Schiltigheim, Alsace, France
- **currentteam**: Retired
- **discipline**: Road
- **role**: Rider
- **ridertype**: All-rounder
Climber
Breakaway specialist
- **amateuryears1**: 1999–2000
- **amateurteam1**: Vendée U
- **amateuryears2**: 2000
- **amateurteam2**: _(stagiaire)_
- **proyears1**: 2001–2017
- **majorwins**: **Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours**
:**Tour de France**
::Mountains classification in the Tour de France, Mountains classification (2012 Tour de France, 2012)
::4 individual stages (2009 Tour de France, 2009, 2010 Tour de France, 2010, 2012 Tour de France, 2012)
**Race stage, Stage races**
:Tour de Luxembourg (2003)
:Four Days of Dunkirk (2011)
:Route du Sud (2006, 2013)
:Tour La Provence (2016)
:Tour de Yorkshire (2016 Tour de Yorkshire, 2016)
**Classic cycle races, One-day races and Classics**
:
:Bretagne Classic, GP Ouest–France (2007 GP Ouest-France, 2007)
:Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec, GP de Québec (2010 Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec, 2010)
:Brabantse Pijl (2012 Brabantse Pijl, 2012)