Thomas Danielson (born March 13, 1978) is an American retired professional road racing cyclist who competed professionally between 2002 and 2015 for the Mercury Cycling Team (2002), the

Saturn Cycling Team The Saturn Cycling Team was an American cycling team that existed from 1992 to 2003. It was managed by Tom Schuler and sponsored by the Saturn Corporation. Victories ;1995 : United States National Road Race Championships, Norman Alvis : United ...

(2003), (2004), (2005–2007) and (2008–2015). He had been suspended twice for doping in his career.

Career

Early years

Danielson holds the record for the fastest ascent of Mount Washington,

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the nor ...

, in the Mount Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb. The previous record holder was professional cyclist

Tyler Hamilton Tyler Hamilton (born March 1, 1971) is an American former professional road bicycle racer. He is the only American rider to win one of the five Monuments of cycling, taking Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 2003. Hamilton became a professional cycli ...

. He also holds the record for the Mount Evans Hill Climb in

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

, which traverses the highest paved road in North America. The previous record holder was

Jonathan Vaughters Jonathan James Vaughters (born June 10, 1973) is an American former professional racing cyclist and current manager of UCI WorldTeam . Racing career Vaughters started competitive cycling in the 1980s, racing in the Red Zinger Mini Classics you ...

, who was Danielson's manager on his last professional team. In 2004, Danielson had an uneventful stint on the Italian UCI ProTeam , missing the early spring campaign because of visa problems. Subsequently, he raced for the American UCI ProTour team , with which he won the 2005 Tour de Georgia and the 2006 Tour of Austria. After Discovery Channel disbanded at the end of 2007, Danielson became part of the team.

2010

Danielson started the season by finishing twelfth at both the Tour Méditerranéen and the Tour du Haut Var. Following his two twelfth-place finishes, Danielson, however, struggled through Paris–Nice, finishing only fifty-second overall. Following, Paris-Nice, Danielson regained his form at the

Tour of the Gila The Tour of the Gila is a cycling stage race for both men and women located in New Mexico, United States. It is sponsored by the component maker SRAM. The "Gila" began in 1987. Beginning in 2012, the men's Gila has been added to the UCI Americ ...

, placing second to

Levi Leipheimer Levi Leipheimer (born October 24, 1973) is an American former professional road racing cyclist. He was twice US national champion, winning the time trial title in 1999 and the road race in 2007, and is an Olympic medalist. Leipheimer was born a ...

(). A couple of weeks later, Danielson rode the

Tour of California The Tour of California (officially sponsored as the Amgen Tour of California) was an annual professional road cycling stage race on the UCI World Tour and USA Cycling Professional Tour that ran from 2006 to 2019. It was the only event on the ...

, but was unable to complete the race. After California, Danielson returned to form 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 ...

, finishing twenty-fifth overall. Following Suisse, Danielson finished in eighth place at both the Tour de Pologne and the Trofeo Melinda. A month later, Danielson rode his fifth Vuelta a España. He completed the race as the highest placed American, in eighth place. Danielson concluded the season with a thirty-ninth place at the

Giro dell'Emilia The Giro dell'Emilia is a late season road bicycle race held annually in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.HC event on the UCI Europe Tour, and since 2020 it's part of the UCI ProSeries calendar. The ...

2011

Danielson started the season with the

Vuelta a Mallorca The Challenge Vuelta Ciclista a Mallorca ( en, Tour of Majorca, ca, Challenge Volta Ciclista a Mallorca) is a series of four (five until 2012) professional one day road bicycle races held on the Spanish island of Mallorca in late January or earl ...

, and finished thirty-sixth in the third classic, the Trofeo Deia. Danielson, however, was unable to complete the fourth and fifth classics, the Trofeo Magaluf-Palmanova and the Trofeo Inca. Following the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

races, Danielson finished thirty-first overall at the Volta ao Algarve, and a preseason best of twentieth overall 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, d ...

. However, after Murcia, Danielson's form deteriorated, finishing fifty-fifth overall at the Volta a Catalunya, forty-seventh at the GP Miguel Induráin, and eightieth overall at the

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 ...

. Danielson withdrew from racing after these races, and focused on rebuilding his form. A few weeks later, Danielson returned to racing, and finished twentieth overall 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. It ...

. Danielson finished third overall at the

, and ninth overall at the

, which ultimately led him to a

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 consists ...

debut. At the Tour, Danielson rode well, and finished as the highest placed American, in eighth place. After the Tour, Danielson finished fifth overall at the

Tour of Utah Tour or Tours may refer to: Travel * Tourism, travel for pleasure * Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service * Campus tour, a journey through a college or university's campus * Guided tour, a journey through a location, directed ...

, and fourth overall at the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge. Following the two American stage races, Danielson concluded the season with an eighty-sixth place at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal.

2012

After being unable to complete the

Tour de Langkawi The Tour de Langkawi is a multiple stage bicycle race held in Malaysia. It is named after the archipelago Langkawi, where the first edition started and finished. The race has been held annually since 1996, primarily in February. It usually con ...

, Danielson returned to form during the Volta a Catalunya, where he finished twelfth overall, and second in the mountains classification. Following Catalunya, Danielson finished twentieth at the

, and offered a good showing at the

, where he took fifth place in the "queen stage" of the race, a finish at altitude at the winter ski station of Mount Baldy. He also came in ninth place in stage five's

individual time trial An individual time trial (ITT) is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock (in French: ''contre la montre'' – literally "against the watch", in Italian: ''tappa a cronometro'' " stopwatch stage"). There are also track ...

, therefore keeping a high placing in the overall classification. These performances helped him climb to third overall. After California, Danielson finished eleventh at the United States National Road Race Championships, seventh at the

, and was selected to start his second

. However, due to injuries sustained from crashes, Danielson abandoned the Tour during stage six. The following month, Danielson returned to competition at the

, where he finished eleventh overall, and assisted with stage two's team time trial win. After Utah, Danielson competed in the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, where he finished seventh overall, and by soloing up and over Independence Pass, won stage three. '' Bicycling'' subsequently named the stage, "the most exciting day of road racing on American soil".

2013

Following his six-month ban, Danielson returned to racing at the Volta a Catalunya, where he finished tenth overall. After Catalunya, Danielson, however, was unable to complete the GP Miguel Induráin, but returned to form during the

, where he finished eleventh overall. Danielson continued to ride strong, and finished fourth overall at the

. Danielson started the Giro d'Italia hoping to assist teammate

Ryder Hesjedal Eric Ryder Hesjedal (; born December 9, 1980) is a Canadian retired professional racing cyclist who competed in both mountain biking and road racing between 1998 and 2016. Hesjedal won a silver medal at the 1998 Junior, 2001 Under-23, and Elite ...

in a repeat victory, however, Hesjedal withdrew following stage twelve. After Hesjedal's departure, Danielson was able to ride for himself, but fell ill during the latter weeks, and finished only 49th overall. In June, Danielson was selected to start his third

as a

domestique In road bicycle racing, a domestique is a rider who works for the benefit of their team and leader, rather than trying to win the race. In French, ''domestique'' translates as "servant".However, in French, the term used is ''équipier''. In I ...

; he finished the Tour in 60th place. Following the Tour, Danielson competed in, and won the

. Danielson concluded the season by finishing third overall at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

2014

In August, Danielson returned to racing at the

and won the general classification for the second consecutive year. He also finished second at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge in August. The following month, Danielson confirmed his participation in the Icon LASIK Tour of the Moon.

2015

For 2015 cycling events, Danielson was sponsored by Cannondale, Full Speed Ahead (FSA), Icon Lasik, Mavic, Smith Optics, Prestige Imports, Vega Sport and Biotta. On January 20, 2015, actor Patrick Dempsey and Tom Danielson hosted a cycling event in Arizona called "Ride On, Tucson!" featuring a downtown circuit that was completely closed to traffic for three hours. In March, Danielson won the mountains classification at the Volta a Catalunya. In May, Danielson abandoned the Giro d'Italia because of a knee injury.

Doping

In a September 2012 online-forum post, team manager and owner

stated that Danielson had used

blood doping Blood doping is a form of doping in which the number of red blood cells in the bloodstream is boosted in order to enhance athletic performance. Because such blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the muscles, a higher concentration in the blo ...

products to increase oxygen delivery to his muscles. On October 10, 2012, the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced that Danielson would be suspended for six months after admitting to doping during his time with . Later that day, the organization issued a statement confirming his acceptance to a six-month ban from September 1, 2012, to March 1, 2013. The action included the stripping of all race results between March 1, 2005, and September 23, 2006. Danielson released his own statement a day later that expressed regret at his decision to "cross the line." "I accept responsibility for my choices and apologize to everyone in my life for them – in and out of the sport," he said. In August 2015, Danielson revealed he tested positive for synthetic testosterone. In October 2016, he accepted a four-year suspension for "unintentionally consuming"

dehydroepiandrosterone Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), also known as androstenolone, is an endogenous steroid hormone precursor. It is one of the most abundant circulating steroids in humans. DHEA is produced in the adrenal glands, the gonads, and the brain. It fun ...

Personal

Born in East Lyme, Connecticut, Danielson currently resides in Longmont, Colorado. After spending his childhood years in Connecticut, Danielson attended Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.

Sponsorships

In 2013, Danielson signed a sponsoring agreement with Icon Lasik, a

-based provider of

cataract A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of the eye that leads to a decrease in vision. Cataracts often develop slowly and can affect one or both eyes. Symptoms may include faded colors, blurry or double vision, halos around light, trouble ...

, LASIK, as well as the organizer of Tour of the Moon. The contract was signed after he had won 2013 Tour of Utah. In August 2014, he signed a sponsorship contract with Cannondale Bicycle Corporation for 2015, together with 13 other riders, as a part of the new relationship between Cannondale Bicycle Corporation, the American bicycle manufacturer, and Slipstream Sports, the sports management group behind the

UCI ProTeam UCI most commonly refers to: * University of California, Irvine, a public university in Irvine, California, United States * Union Cycliste Internationale, the world governing body for the sport of cycling UCI may also refer to: * Uganda Cancer In ...

. He also has sponsorship agreements with Mavic, Smith Optics, Prestige Imports, Vega Sport and Biotta.

Major results

Sources: ;2001 : 1st MaillotUSA

Collegiate Mountain Bike Championships ;2002 : 1st MaillotUSA

Collegiate Mountain Bike Championships : 1st Jersey yellow

Overall

Tour of Qinghai Lake The Tour of Qinghai Lake is an annual professional road bicycle racing stage race held in the Qinghai province of China since 2002, named after Qinghai Lake. The race is sanctioned by the International Cycling Union (UCI) as a 2.HC race as part ...

::1st Stages 5 & 8 : 1st Mount Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb ;2003 : 1st Jersey yellow

Overall

: 1st

Overall

Cascade Cycling Classic The Cascade Cycling Classic was the longest running elite road bicycle racing stage race in the United States (1980–2019), with 2018 being the only year the race was not held. The race took place in the Central Oregon region and was based in ...

: 1st

Overall International Tour de Toona : 1st Mount Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb : 2nd

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 Road Championships : 2nd Sea Otter Classic : 3rd Overall Redlands Bicycle Classic : 5th Overall Tour de Georgia : 5th Overall Nature Valley Grand Prix ::1st Stage 2 ;2004 : 1st Mount Evans Hill Climb ;2005 : ~~1st Overall Tour de Georgia~~ ::~~1st Stage 5~~ : ~~4th Overall Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme~~ : 5th Overall
Tour de Langkawi The Tour de Langkawi is a multiple stage bicycle race held in Malaysia. It is named after the archipelago Langkawi, where the first edition started and finished. The race has been held annually since 1996, primarily in February. It usually con ...
: ~~7th Overall Tour of Austria~~ : ~~7th Overall Vuelta a España~~ ;2006 : ~~1st Overall Tour of Austria~~ : ~~2nd Overall Tour de Georgia~~ ::~~1st Stage 5~~ : ~~6th Overall Vuelta a España~~ ::~~1st Stage 17~~ : 8th Overall
Tour of California The Tour of California (officially sponsored as the Amgen Tour of California) was an annual professional road cycling stage race on the UCI World Tour and USA Cycling Professional Tour that ran from 2006 to 2019. It was the only event on the ...
: 9th Overall
Tour de l'Ain Tour de l'Ain, also known as the Prix de l'Amitié, is an annual professional road bicycle racing, 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.) ...
: 10th Overall
Tirreno–Adriatico Tirreno–Adriatico, nicknamed the "Race of the Two Seas", is an elite road cycling stage race in Italy, run between the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic coasts. Traditionally held in the early part of the season, it is considered to be an important prep ...
;2007 : 1st Mount Evans Hill Climb ;2008 : 1st Stage 4 ( TTT) Tour de Georgia : 5th

, National Road Championships : 5th Overall

Tour of Missouri The Tour of Missouri was a professional road bicycle racing stage race in Missouri that started on September 11, 2007 with six days of racing. The organizers, who also run the Tour de Georgia and the Amgen Tour of California, billed it as the thi ...

;2009 : 1st Mount Evans Hill Climb : 3rd Overall Vuelta a Burgos ::1st Stage 4 ( ITT) : 9th Overall

;2010 : 2nd Overall

: 8th Overall Vuelta a España : 8th Trofeo Melinda : 9th Overall Tour de Pologne ;2011 : 3rd Overall

: 4th Overall USA Pro Cycling Challenge : 5th Overall

: 8th Overall

::1st Stage 2 ( TTT) : 9th Overall

;2012 : 1st Stage 2 ( TTT)

: 3rd Overall

: 7th Overall

: 7th Overall USA Pro Cycling Challenge ::1st Stage 3 ;2013 : 1st Jersey yellow

Overall

: 3rd Overall USA Pro Cycling Challenge : 4th Overall

: 10th Overall Volta a Catalunya ;2014 : 1st Jersey yellow

Overall

::1st Stage 4 : 2nd Overall USA Pro Cycling Challenge ;2015 : 1st Jersey red

Mountains classification Volta a Catalunya

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

Notes

References

External links

VELOBIOS Rider Profile

CyclingNews.com 2005 interview

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Danielson, Tom 1978 births Living people People from East Lyme, Connecticut American male cyclists American sportspeople in doping cases American Vuelta a España stage winners Doping cases in cycling Cyclists from Connecticut

Career

Early years

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

Doping

Personal

Sponsorships

Major results

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

See also

Notes

References

External links