Rein Taaramäe (born April 24, 1987) is an Estonian

road bicycle racer Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most common ...

, who currently rides for

UCI WorldTeam A UCI WorldTeam (2015–present), previously UCI ProTeam (2005–2014), is the term used by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to name a cycling team of the highest category in professional road cycling, the UCI World Tour or UCI ProTour ...

Career

Cofidis (2008–14)

Taaramäe turned professional in 2008 for after riding for the team as a stagiaire in late 2007 and winning a stage at the Circuit des Ardennes early in the season. In 2008 he won two stages of the

Grand Prix du Portugal The Grand Prix du Portugal was a cycling race held annually in Portugal. It is part of the UCI Europe Tour in category 2.ncup, as it was part of the UCI Under 23 Nations' Cup. Winners References Cycle races in Portugal UCI Europe ...

and a stage of the

Tour de l'Avenir Tour de l'Avenir ( en, Tour of the Future) is a French road bicycle racing stage race, which started in 1961 as a race similar to the Tour de France and over much of the same course but for amateurs and for semi-professionals known as independent ...

. At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Taaramäe competed in the

road race Road racing, road race of road racer may refer to: * Road racing in motorsport * Road running on foot * Road bicycle racing * ''Road Race'', initial name of 1976 arcade game ''Fonz'' (video game) * Roadracers (1994 film) * Roadracers (1959 fi ...

and the road time trial. Tour de l'Ain 2009 - étape 4 - Rein Taaramae

In 2009 he finished third at the

Tour de Romandie The Tour de Romandie is a stage race which is part of the UCI World Tour. It runs through the Romandie region, or French-speaking part of Switzerland. The competition began in 1947, to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Swiss Cycling. I ...

and eighth at the

Tour de Suisse The Tour de Suisse ( en, Tour of Switzerland) is an annual road cycling stage race. Raced over eight days, the event covers two weekends in June, and along with the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is considered a proving ground for the Tour de France ...

. Taaramäe won both the Estonian National Road Race Championships and the

Estonian National Time Trial Championships The Estonian National Time Trial Championship is a time trial race that takes place inside the Estonian National Cycling Championship, and decides the best cyclist in this type of race. The first edition took place in 1997. The first race winner of ...

. He also won the

Tour de l'Ain Tour de l'Ain, also known as the Prix de l'Amitié, is an annual professional cycling stage race held in eastern France. G.P. de l'Amitié The first edition of the race was in 1970, as the G.P. de l'Amitié (Friendship G.P.). It was held over f ...

after winning the last stage to Col du Grand Colombier. In 2010 he finished seventh at the Paris-Nice and third at the

Volta a Catalunya The Volta a Catalunya (; en, Tour of Catalonia, es, Vuelta a Cataluña, link=no) is a road bicycle race held annually in Catalonia, Spain. It is one of three World Tour stage races in Spain, together with the Vuelta a España and the Tour of t ...

. In 2011, Taaramäe finished 11th overall in the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consist ...

. On Stage 14 of the

Vuelta a España The Vuelta a España (; en, Tour of Spain) is an annual multi-stage bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia, the ...

Taaramae and breakaway companion David de la Fuente were the last two riders of a 17-man breakaway, but with to go de la Fuente dropped back to pace teammate

Juan José Cobo Juan José Cobo Acebo (born 21 February 1981 in Torrelavega, Cantabria) is a retired Spanish professional road racing cyclist. He won the 2011 Vuelta a España as a rider, his first and only major title but in July 2019 he was stripped of thi ...

up the climb allowing Taaramäe to solo to his first ever Grand Tour stage win. He ultimately withdrew from the race prior to its conclusion in Madrid.

Astana (2015)

In August 2014 general manager

Alexander Vinokourov Alexander Nikolayevich Vinokourov (Kazakh and russian: Александр Николаевич Винокуров; born 16 September 1973) is a Kazakhstani former professional road bicycle racer and the current general manager of UCI WorldTeam ...

announced that Taaramäe had signed a one-year contract with the team for the 2015 season. 2015 began well for Taaramäe with the victory at the

Vuelta a Murcia The Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia ( en, Tour of Murcia) is a road bicycle race held in and around Murcia, Spain. The first four editions were reserved to amateurs. Originally the race was held in early March and consisted of five stages. However, due ...

. Hopes were high with Grand Tours in mind, especially the

. At the race, Taaramäe was meant to help

Vincenzo Nibali ), The Nibbler , birth_date = , birth_place = Messina, Sicily, Italy , height = , weight = , currentteam = , discipline = Road , role = Rider , ridertype = Climber , proyears1 = 2005 , proteam1 = , proyears2 = 2006–2012 , protea ...

in the mountains. Unfortunately Taaramäe was forced to abandon the race during stage 11 due to illness. After the disappointing Tour, Taaramäe went on to win in style back-to-back in the

Vuelta a Burgos Vuelta Ciclista a Burgos is an elite professional road bicycle racing event held annually in the Burgos province of Spain. The men's Vuelta a Burgos has been a multi-day stage race as part of the UCI Europe Tour since 2005. In 2019, a multi-day w ...

and the Arctic Race of Norway in August.

Team Katusha (2016–17)

At the end of August 2015, Taaramäe signed an initial one-year deal with . He was named in the start list for the 2016 Giro d'Italia. He won the 20th stage of the race, becoming the first Estonian to win a stage in the Giro. After a short vacation at home in Estonia, Taaramäe went to win the overall at the

Tour of Slovenia Tour of Slovenia is a stage race cycling race held in Slovenia. Between 2005 and 2018, it was organised as a 2.1 race on the UCI Europe Tour. The 2019 edition was classified as a 2.HC race. It became part of the UCI ProSeries in 2020. Winners ...

, together with a stage win on Stage 2.

Direct Ènergie (2018–2020)

During the

2018 Tour de France The 2018 Tour de France was the 105th edition of the Tour de France, one of cycling's three Grand Tours. The -long race consisted of 21 stages, starting on 7 July in Noirmoutier-en-l'Île, in western France, and concluding on 29 July with the ...

he had the opportunity to win stage 10, which would have given him a victory in all three grand tours. This was a very competitive stage, the first in the high mountains of that year's edition and there were several dozen riders fighting to get into the breakaway right from kilometer zero. Taaramäe led the race near the end but was eventually caught and dropped by

Julian Alaphilippe Julian Alaphilippe (born 11 June 1992) is a French professional road cyclist, former cyclo-cross racer and two-fold UCI World Road Champion, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . He is the brother of racing cyclist Bryan Alaphilippe. Career Ea ...

, who used his world class descending skills to steal the victory. Taaramäe suffered dearly for his efforts and finished outside the time cut the following stage. He returned home to Estonia and took a break from cycling. The following year his best place was 2nd overall in the

Tour of Rwanda The Tour du Rwanda is a cycling event created in 1988 and based in Rwanda. The event is a cycling stage race that is organized by the Rwanda Cycling Federation The Rwanda Cycling Federation or FERWACY (in French: ''Fédération Rwandaise de Cycl ...

. His team, Direct Ènergie was one of the Pro-Continental level teams that rode this 2.1 Africa Tour event, which they rode again in 2020 where he won the King of the Mountains competition.

Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert Matériaux (2021–Present)

Taaramäe had an opportunity to wear a leader's jersey in a grand tour for the first time in his career during the 2021 Giro d'Italia. On stage 4 he was involved in the breakaway and near the end of the stage was one of three riders also fighting for the stage win. Two riders, including eventual stage winner Joe Dombrowski, eventually caught the trio and dropped them. Taaramäe finished in the top 10 on the stage, his best result in a grand tour in several years. During the 2021 Vuelta a España he got involved in the breakaway on stage 3. With 15km to go in the stage, before the start of the final climb he was among the final dozen or so riders fighting for the stage win. Dombrowski launched an attack with about 5km to go which only Kenny Elissonde, who was seeking his first stage victory in eight years, and Taaramäe answered. With 2.8km to go Taaramäe attacked and rode solo to the finish line claiming the victory. With this he also took the Red Jersey as well as the King of the Mountains jersey. He became the first rider from Estonia to ever lead the Vuelta and only the second Estonian rider to lead a grand tour following sprinter

Jaan Kirsipuu Jaan Kirsipuu (born 17 July 1969 in Tartu) is an Estonian former road bicycle racer, who currently works as a directeur sportif for UCI Continental team . He spent the majority of his career riding under the management of Vincent Lavenu, initial ...

, who led the Tour de France in

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school s ...

. His team rode at the front of the race defending the leader's jersey for two stages and while he was involved in a crash, it was inside the final 3km of the stage and didn't affect the standings. He described the first day riding in the Red jersey as "beautiful" and would hold onto the mountains jersey for four stages. Later in the race he would ride in support of his teammate Odd Christian Eiking, who took over the leader's jersey in a similar manner following a breakaway on stage 10 putting the team back at the front of the race for several stages. The 2022 Giro d'Italia made the third straight grand tour he entered where he had a realistic opportunity to wear the general classification jersey early in the race. On stage 4 he was out in the breakaway all day and survived longer than most; but ended up finishing just over +0:30 behind the winner as Richard Carapaz and the other GC contenders crossed about two minutes beyond him. He eventually fell back in the standings but rode strongly in support of

Jan Hirt Jan Hirt (born 21 January 1991) is a Czech professional racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Career Hirt joined in 2012 as a stagiaire, later becoming a member of the team in 2013 before moving to the following year. During ...

and

Domenico Pozzovivo Domenico Pozzovivo (born 30 November 1982) is an Italian professional road racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . His very small stature confer him with the qualities of a pure climbing specialist. He is most known for a victor ...

, both of whom finished in the top 10 overall as Intermarché finished 4th as a team.

Major results

;2005 : 3rd Overall Course de la Paix Juniors ;2006 : 1st MaillotEstonia

Time trial In many racing sports, an athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athlete or team sets off at ...

, National Under-23 Road Championships : 1st GP Ouest–France Espoirs : 1st Stage 1

Kreiz Breizh Elites Kreiz Breizh Elites is a French stage cycling race held annually in Bretagne. It is part of the UCI Europe Tour and rated 2.2 The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the world's governing body in the sport of bicycle racing, classifies races ...

;2007 : 2nd Silver medal europe

Time trial, UEC European Under-23 Road Championships : 2nd

, National Road Championships : 2nd Les Boucles du Sud-Ardèche : 3rd Overall

: 3rd

Paris–Troyes Paris–Troyes is an annual single-day road bicycle race in France between Paris and Troyes. First held in 1959, since 2005 it has been a 1.2 event on the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competitio ...

: 5th Overall Circuit des Ardennes ::1st Stage 4 : 5th Boucle de l'Artois ;2008 : 1st Stage 6 ( ITT)

: 3rd Overall

::1st Stages 2 & 3 : 8th Overall

Circuit de la Sarthe The Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans, also known as Circuit de la Sarthe (after the 1906 French Grand Prix triangle circuit) located in Le Mans, Sarthe, France, is a semi-permanent motorsport race course, chiefly known as the venue for the 24 ...

: 9th Tartu GP ;2009 : National Road Championships ::1st MaillotEstonia

::1st

Road race Road racing, road race of road racer may refer to: * Road racing in motorsport * Road running on foot * Road bicycle racing * ''Road Race'', initial name of 1976 arcade game ''Fonz'' (video game) * Roadracers (1994 film) * Roadracers (1959 fi ...

: 1st

Overall

::1st Stage 5 : 1st Jersey red

Mountains classification,

Tour of the Basque Country The Tour of the Basque Country (Officially: ''Itzulia Basque Country'', es, Vuelta al País Vasco, links=no, eu, Euskal Herriko Itzulia) is an annual road cycling stage race held in the Spanish Basque Country in April. It is one of the races th ...

: 3rd Overall

: 8th Overall

;2010 : 3rd Overall

: 7th Overall

Paris–Nice Paris–Nice is a professional cycling stage race in France, held annually since 1933. Raced over eight days, the race usually starts with a prologue in the Paris region and ends with a final stage either in Nice or on the Col d'Èze overlook ...

: 9th Overall

Route du Sud The Route d'Occitanie is a road bicycle race with 4 stages held annually in Southern France. It was first held in 1977 and since 2005 it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. It is usually held a week before the Tour de France ...

: 9th Trofeo Inca ;2011 : 1st MaillotEstonia

, National Road Championships : 1st Stage 14

: 3rd Overall

Critérium International The Critérium International was a two-day bicycle stage race held in France every spring from 1932 until 2016, typically the last weekend of March. It was formerly known as the Critérium National de la Route, first run in 1932. For many years ...

::1st

Young rider classification : 4th Overall

::1st

Young rider classification : 5th Tartu GP : 8th Overall

Volta ao Algarve The Volta ao Algarve ( Portuguese; en, Tour of the Algarve) is a road bicycle racing stage race held annually in the Algarve, Portugal. Since 2017, it has been organised as a 2.HC event on the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a s ...

: 10th Overall

Circuit Cycliste Sarthe The Circuit de la Sarthe-Pays de la Loire ( en, Circuit of Sarthe) is an early-season short road bicycle racing stage race held annually in Sarthe, Pays de la Loire, France. Since 2005, it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour ...

;2012 : National Road Championships ::1st MaillotEstonia

::3rd

: 2nd Overall

Vuelta a Andalucía The Vuelta a Andalucía (Tour of Andalusia) or Ruta del Sol (Route of the Sun) is a regional Spanish road bicycle race first held in 1925. Since 2005, it has been a 2.1 category race on the UCI Europe Tour. The race became a part of the new UCI P ...

: 3rd Overall Étoile de Bessèges : 6th Tallinn–Tartu GP : 8th Overall

Tour du Poitou-Charentes Tour Poitou-Charentes en Nouvelle-Aquitaine is a road bicycle race held annually in the former region of Poitou-Charentes (now Nouvelle-Aquitaine) France. It was first held in 1987 and since 2005 it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Eu ...

;2013 : National Road Championships ::1st MaillotEstonia

::2nd

: 3rd

Cholet-Pays de Loire Grand Prix Cholet-Pays de la Loire is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in March in Cholet, France. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle ra ...

;2014 : 1st

Tour du Doubs The Tour du Doubs is a single-day road bicycle race, currently held annually in September in the region of Doubs, France. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour and since 2010 it is part of the French Road Cycli ...

: 2nd Overall

Tour of Turkey The Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey ( tr, Cumhurbaşkanlığı Bisiklet Turu) is a professional road bicycle racing stage race held annually in Turkey since 1963. In 2005 the race became part of the UCI Europe Tour, UCI race classificat ...

::1st Stage 3 : 6th Overall

Tour du Limousin Tour du Limousin is a 4-day road bicycle race held annually in Limousin, France. It was first held in 1968 and since 2005 it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle raci ...

: 8th Overall Étoile de Bessèges ;2015 : 1st Jersey violet

Overall

::1st Stage 2 ( TTT) : 1st Jersey blue

Overall Arctic Race of Norway : 1st

: 2nd

, National Road Championships : 6th Overall

;2016 : 1st Jersey green

Overall

::1st Stage 2 : 1st Stage 20 Giro d'Italia ;2017 : 3rd

, National Road Championships : 9th Overall Tour of Guangxi ;2018 : 2nd

Coppa Ugo Agostoni The Coppa Ugo Agostoni is a semi classic European bicycle race held in Lissone, Italy. The race is held in memory of Italian cyclist Ugo Agostoni, winner of prestigious classic Milan–San Remo, killed during World War II. It is also called ' ...

: 2nd Tour du Gévaudan Occitanie : 3rd Overall

Vuelta a Aragón Vuelta a Aragón is a professional bicycle road race held in Spain in May of each year. The event was first run in 1939, and was not held between 2006 and 2017. The future of the race is uncertain; there had been plans to organise it again, but an ...

: 3rd Overall

: 3rd

: 4th Famenne Ardenne Classic ;2019 : 1st MaillotEstonia

, National Road Championships : 2nd Overall Tour du Rwanda : 3rd Overall

: 3rd Overall

: 3rd Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge ;2020 : 1st Jersey orange

Mountains classification, Tour du Rwanda ;2021 : 1st MaillotEstonia

, National Road Championships :

::1st Stage 3 ::Held Jersey red

after Stages 3–4 ::Held Jersey blue polkadot

after Stages 3–6 : 3rd Overall

Czech Cycling Tour The Czech Cycling Tour is a multi-day road cycling race held annually in the Olomouc region in the Czech Republic. It was created in 2010 and was initially part of the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle raci ...

;2022 : 1st MaillotEstonia

, National Road Championships : 8th Overall Tour of Oman

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

References

External links

Rein Taaramäe's blog
* *
Palmarès by cyclingbase.comTaaramae believes in top 10 placing at Tour de France
Cyclingnews.com story in March 2011
Taaramae comes of age, still makes mistakes
Cyclingnews.com story in March 2010 {{DEFAULTSORT:Taaramae, Rein 1987 births Living people Sportspeople from Tartu Estonian male cyclists Estonian Vuelta a España stage winners Cyclists at the 2008 Summer Olympics Cyclists at the 2016 Summer Olympics Olympic cyclists of Estonia Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey stage winners Estonian Giro d'Italia stage winners