A Year in Review: the five best sprinters of 2014
Who's top of the class after another high-octane season?
André Greipel is a professional road cyclist; his career has been defined by his incredible ability as a sprinter, frequently dominating his European Tour rivals in the bunch sprint. Born in Rostock, Germany, in June 1982, Greipel has earned the nickname the ‘Gorilla’ on the tour due to his muscular physique.
Greipel turned pro in 2005, briefly riding for the Wiesenhof team before switching to T-Mobile in 2006. His first three seasons were marked by few standout achievements. His ability as a sprinter, however, had been noticed by the wider cycling community and, in 2008, Greipel managed to turn his obvious talent into a credible result. It was in that year’s Tour Down Under that Greipel won his first major victory, grabbing the top spot after taking four out of the six stages; he then went on to take his first stage at a Grand Tour during the Giro d’Italia.
Carrying this form into the next season Greipel took four stages on his way to winning the Green Jersey at the Vuelta a España. 2010 saw another Tour Down Under win, as well as the points classification jersey at the Tour of Turkey and another stage win at the Giro d’Italia. His move to the Omega Pharma-Lotto team in 2011 coincided with a bronze at the World Championships Road Race and his first stage win at the Tour de France. He built on this massively in the next year, with three stage wins to his name at the French Tour.
