Tony Rominger

Rominger grew up in Menzingen in the canton of Zug, but began cycling late, spurred by competition with his younger brother, Lars, and gained his first professional victory at the age of 23 years-old.^[1][2]

Rominger's strengths were time-trialling, climbing and recuperation.^[3] Rominger displayed his aptitude for stage races by winning back-to-back at the 1989 and 1990 Tirreno–Adriatico, and by winning the 1991 Paris-Nice.^[4] In one-day races, Rominger rode solo for over 100 kilometres to win the 1989 Giro di Lombardia, and placed second overall to Sean Kelly in the 1989 UCI Road World Cup standings.^[5]

Rominger secured three consecutive wins in the Vuelta a España between 1992 and 1994, a record at the time, which included the record for the most individual time trial victories. In 2005, Roberto Heras broke the overall wins record with a fourth title, although not consecutive. However, two months later he tested positive for the blood-boosting drug EPO and was disqualified. Heras' win was later reinstated on appeal, after he claimed inaccuracies in the testing and improper handling of his samples.^[3]

Rominger was a rival to Miguel Indurain in the Tour de France and was placed second in 1993 having won the final time trial, as well as winning the mountains classification.^[6] Expected to challenge again the following year, Rominger publicly conceded defeat to Indurain after falling over four minutes behind with ten stages remaining, despite luring second overall.^[7][8] He then abandoned the Tour after losing more time in the Pyrenees.^[9]

In the latter part of 1994, Rominger won the Grand Prix des Nations,^[7] and broke the world hour record twice in a few days. He used Bordeaux velodrome to ride 53.832 km and then 55.291 km, although a track novice.^[10] His first mark Otober 1994 was 792m more than the previous record set by Miguel Indurain on the same track the month prior, with Romiger riding close to a second faster than Indurain for every kilometre. The first mark was carried out behind closed doors and had been only regarded as a warm-up.^[11] Of his rivalry with Indurain, Rominger said in 1995 "To defeat him is not an obsession with me. He is a kind guy and I cannot see him as an enemy".^[12]

Rominger won the 1995 Tour de Romandie in spring,^[7] and utterly dominated the 1995 Giro d'Italia, taking the overall lead after winning the second stage time trial, and not relinquishing it over the remaining three weeks, winning four stages in total. He was joined on the podium by defending champion Evgeni Berzin and his Latvian teammate Piotr Ugrumov. Rominger's average speed of 23.9mph made it the fastest edition of the race since that won by Francesco Moser in 1984.^[13][12]

Aged 36 years-old, he announced he would retire prior to racing a final year in 1997. At the Tour de France that year he placed fifth overall in the prologue, but finished the race on a stretcher after breaking his collarbone early in the race in Plumelec. The incident also scuppered his plans to make one final attempt to regain the one hour distance record from Chris Boardman.^[14]

He retired with 120 professional victories. After his cycling career, Rominger became the agent of young athletes, including the Austrian racing cyclist Matthias Brändle.^[15][2]

For his attempt on the Hour Record in 1994, he was coached by Dr Michele Ferrari, who was at the trackside during the ride, and with whom he had worked closely for the previous eight years.^[11]

Rominger is multi-lingual, speaking French, German, Italian, Danish, Spanish and English. By 1995, he was married with two children and lived in Monaco.^[7] He was later married Swiss singer Francine Jordi.^[2][16][17]