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Matti Breschel

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Matti Breschel
Breschel at the 2009 E3 Prijs Vlaanderen.
Personal information
Full nameMatti Breschel
Born (1984-08-31) 31 August 1984 (age 40)
Ballerup, Denmark
Height1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight68 kg (150 lb; 10.7 st)
Team information
Current teamRetired
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Rider type
  • Classics specialist
  • Sprinter
Professional teams
2005–2010Team CSC
2011–2012Rabobank
2013–2015Saxo–Tinkoff[1]
2016Cannondale
2017Astana
2018–2019EF Education First–Drapac p/b Cannondale[2][3]
Major wins
Grand Tours
Vuelta a España
1 individual stage (2008)

Stage races

Tour de Luxembourg (2014)

One-day races and Classics

National Road Race Championships (2009)
Dwars door Vlaanderen (2010)
Medal record
Representing  Denmark
Men's road bicycle racing
World Championships
Silver medal – second place 2010 Melbourne Road race
Bronze medal – third place 2008 Varese Road race

Matti Breschel (born 31 August 1984) is a Danish retired professional road racing cyclist, who competed between 2005 and 2019 for the Rabobank, Tinkoff–Saxo, Astana and EF Education First teams.

Career

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Junior career

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Born in Ballerup, Breschel got his breakthrough with small Danish Team PH, finishing 6th at the U/23 Cycling World Championship in Verona in 2004 where he helped fellow Dane Mads Christensen finish 3rd. He also won the bronze medal at the Danish National Road Racing Championship during the summer of 2004.

Team CSC (2005–2010)

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2005

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He turned professional for the 2005 season in Denmark based Team CSC, where he signed a two-year contract. At the press conference, regarding his choice to join Team CSC in October 2004, he stated that he simply wished to adjust to the rigors of professional cycling, saying "I hope to get in the team, but in the beginning I just want to learn the game and to learn the races. Somewhere I know that I'm in for a beating."[4] Under tutelage of seasoned veteran Lars Michaelsen,[5] Breschel would start the season in the Tour of Qatar, where the two riders finished side by side, Breschel conceding the final victory to Michaelsen. They would ride a number of classics and smaller races together, and Breschel finished in a number of secondary placings, just missing the victory podiums.

2006

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For the start of the 2006 season, he once again showed himself in Tour of Qatar, finishing as the best young rider of the race for the second year in a row. He showed his good form in March with a third-place finish in Le Samyn, being beaten only by Philippe Gilbert in the bunch sprint of the peloton, and a few days later he sprinted his way to second place at stage 2 of the Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen where he was second only to world class sprinter Robbie McEwen. For the third, and last, stage of the race, Breschel would once more sprint against McEwen, with the winner taking the overall victory of the race, this time with the effect that both riders crashed. Breschel broke his vertebrae in two places and McEwen was de-classed in the race.[6]

2007

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He came back with thunder and lightning in 2007 and came in an impressive 14th at the Paris–Roubaix, which his team-mate Stuart O'Grady won. After recovering he won his first victory as a professional in stage 2 of Danmark Rundt in August 2007. This was the first Danish stage win in five years of this national tour.

2008

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In 2008 his best season came and he got his first big international breakthrough when he on 8 June 2008, won the Philadelphia International Championship also known as the Commerce Bank International Championship in Philadelphia, PA where he outsprinted all contenders in a little bunch sprint after a long and hard race. A couple of weeks later he went on to take another impressive victory when he won the 2nd stage of Ster Elektrotoer, a stage finishing on the feared Cauberg and also won the overall points jersey. He maintained his good form through the season and also came in 2nd in the Danish Road Racing Championship, only beaten by his teammate Nicki Sørensen. In August he won two stages at Tour of Denmark and also led the overall classification until the final time trial securing him a total fifth place.

After all a very impressive season for the young gun the biggest scalp came on 21 September where he won the last stage of the Vuelta a España in Madrid in a very convincing way only a few days after he came in second in the 17th stage of the Vuelta a España. Only a week later Breschel rode very impressively at the world cycling championships finishing 3rd and getting a bronze medal.

2009

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Breschel had his best cobbled classics campaign ever in 2009. He managed to finish 6th at the Tour of Flanders and 9th at the Paris-Roubaix. In June he became the Danish National Road Race Champion, and he also won stages in the Tour de Suisse, Volta a Catalunya, Tour de Luxembourg and Post Danmark Rundt. He managed to finish 2nd at the Vattenfall Cyclassics.

2010

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During the 2010 season Breschel rode well in the Cobbled Classics but suffered from bad luck. Breschel won Dwars door Vlaanderen and put in strong performances in Gent–Wevelgem and Ronde Vlaanderen, but suffered mechanical defects in both races.

Rabobank (2011–2012)

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He signed for Rabobank for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. In the 2012 Paris–Roubaix he was troubled by a knee injury. However a week before that, he had finished 9th at the Tour of Flanders. He was also on the podium at the Gent-Wevelgem.

Breschel left Rabobank at the end of the 2012 season, and joined the Danish team Saxo–Tinkoff on a two-year contract from the 2013 season onwards.[1]

Saxo-Tinkoff (2013–2015)

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In his return to the former Team CSC squad, Breschel managed to pick up four stage wins at the Danmark Rundt – two each in 2013 and 2015. He also won 2 stages and the overall at the Tour de Luxembourg.

Cannondale (2016)

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Breschel signed for Cannondale for the 2016 season.[7] He rode the Tour de France but abandoned the race on stage 14 after crashing. His best results in the season were, 5th at the GP du canton d'Argovie and 6th at Heistse Pijl.

Astana (2017)

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Breschel did not have the best year at Astana, and his best result was 12th at Dwaars door Vlaanderen, a race he had previously won in 2010.

EF Education First–Drapac (2018–2019)

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Breschel returned to the EF Education First–Drapac p/b Cannondale team after a year in Astana colors. He finished 9th on a wet stage 5 in the Paris-Nice. At the Milan-San Remo, Breschel sprinted home in 12th position.

He announced his retirement on 18 August 2019, effective from the end of the season, due to psoriatic arthritis.[8][9]

Major results

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2001
National Junior Road Championships
1st Road race
3rd Time trial
2003
6th Fyen Rundt
2004
1st Giro del Canavese
1st Stage 3 Circuit des Ardennes
1st Stage 2 Ringerike GP
3rd Road race, National Road Championships
6th Road race, UCI Under-23 Road World Championships
6th Paris–Roubaix Espoirs
10th Overall Le Triptyque des Monts et Châteaux
2005
2nd Overall Tour of Qatar
1st Young rider classification
3rd Road race, National Road Championships
4th GP Herning
4th Paris–Bourges
4th Grand Prix d'Isbergues
5th Overall Circuit Franco-Belge
2006
3rd Overall Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen
1st Young rider classification
3rd Le Samyn
6th Overall Tour of Qatar
1st Young rider classification
7th Reading Classic
2007
Tour of Ireland
1st Points classification
1st Stage 2
3rd Overall Danmark Rundt
1st Stage 2
3rd GP Herning
4th Overall Ster Elektrotoer
7th Paris–Bourges
9th Overall Sachsen Tour
2008
1st Philadelphia International Championship
1st Stage 21 Vuelta a España
2nd Road race, National Road Championships
3rd Road race, UCI Road World Championships
5th Overall Danmark Rundt
1st Points classification
1st Stages 2 & 3
5th Overall Ster Elektrotoer
1st Stage 2
6th Trofeo Laigueglia
7th E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
8th Paris–Bourges
2009
1st Road race, National Road Championships
1st Stage 4 Tour de Suisse
1st Stage 2 Volta a Catalunya
2nd Vattenfall Cyclassics
3rd Overall Tour of Ireland
1st Young rider classification
4th Overall Tour de Luxembourg
1st Points classification
1st Stage 4
5th Overall Danmark Rundt
1st Points classification
1st Stage 1
6th Tour of Flanders
7th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
10th Paris–Roubaix
2010
1st Dwars door Vlaanderen
2nd Road race, UCI Road World Championships
2nd Gran Piemonte
3rd Paris–Bourges
5th Overall Danmark Rundt
1st Points classification
1st Stage 3
8th Gent–Wevelgem
2012
1st Stage 3 Vuelta a Burgos
3rd Gent–Wevelgem
7th Trofeo Palma de Mallorca
9th Tour of Flanders
2013
3rd Overall Danmark Rundt
1st Stages 2 & 3
4th Road race, National Road Championships
8th Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec
9th Vattenfall Cyclassics
2014
1st Overall Tour de Luxembourg
1st Points classification
1st Stages 2 & 3
4th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
5th Overall Tour de l'Eurométropole
9th Paris–Bourges
2015
6th E3 Harelbeke
7th Vattenfall Cyclassics
8th Overall Danmark Rundt
1st Points classification
1st Stages 3 & 4
10th Overall Tour de Wallonie
2016
5th Grand Prix of Aargau Canton
6th Heistse Pijl
2018
3rd Japan Cup

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

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Grand Tour 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
A pink jersey Giro d'Italia 119 DNF DNF
A yellow jersey Tour de France 142 DNF
A red jersey Vuelta a España 48 68 DNF 159

Classics & Monuments results timeline

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Monument 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Milan–San Remo 119 60 39 134 11 31 73 12 23 12
Tour of Flanders DNF DNF 57 6 15 9 25 DNF 73 DNF 32 98 80
Paris–Roubaix 58 14 20 9 DNF 15 97 99 35 60
Liège–Bastogne–Liège Did not contest during career
Giro di Lombardia DNF 49 DNF
Classic 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 27 134 36 76 30 19 89 104
Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne DNF DNF 109 17 DNF 123 NH 88 40 DNF
Strade Bianche DNE 25 20 11
Dwars door Vlaanderen 43 61 18 DNF 1 12 12
E3 Harelbeke DNF 77 7 33 DNF 11 52 6 DNF
Gent–Wevelgem 17 85 20 15 8 3 13 72 DNF DNF DNF
Clásica de San Sebastián 12 DNF 86 DNF
Vattenfall Cyclassics DNF DNF 15 2 DNF 9 19 7 31 DNF
Paris–Tours 17 107 17 25 DNF 14 DNF 88

Major championships timeline

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Event 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Olympic Games Road race Not Held Not Held 42 Not Held Not Held
World Championships Road race DNF 3 7 2 DNF DNF 4 33 DNF DNF
National Championships Road race 7 3 3 6 2 1 7 10 4 7 14 44 DNF
Legend
Did not compete
DNF Did not finish
NH Not held

Footnotes

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  1. ^ a b "Breschel confirmed at Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. 17 September 2012. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
  2. ^ "Breschel returns to Slipstream Sports for 2018". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. 25 October 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. ^ "EF Education First Pro Cycling". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. Archived from the original on 2 January 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  4. ^ Matti Breschel signs for CSC by CyclingNews.com, 21 October 2004
  5. ^ "Matti i mester- lære", Ekstra Bladet, 10 December 2004
  6. ^ Injured Breschel blames McEwen by CyclingNews.com, 6 March 2006
  7. ^ "Breschel joins Cannondale-Garmin in 2016". 16 September 2015.
  8. ^ "Matti Breschel announces his retirement". 12 August 2019.
  9. ^ "Breschel announces retirement due to struggle with psoriatic arthritis". 12 August 2019.
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