Rein Taaramäe

Rein Taaramäe

Taaramäe at the 2012 Critérium du Dauphiné
Personal information
Full name Rein Taaramäe
Nickname Vader (from "reinuvader" – a Fox), Taarakas
Born (1987-04-24) April 24, 1987
Tartu, Estonia
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Weight 67 kg (148 lb; 10.6 st)[1]
Team information
Current team Team Katusha
Discipline Road
Role Rider
Rider type GC rider
Amateur team(s)
2007 Cofidis (stagiaire)
Professional team(s)
2008–2014 Cofidis
2015 Astana
2016– Team Katusha
Major wins

Grand Tours

Giro d'Italia
1 individual stage (2016)
Vuelta a España
1 individual stage (2011)

Stage races

Vuelta a Burgos (2015)
Arctic Race of Norway (2015)
Tour of Slovenia (2016

Single-day races and Classics

Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia (2015)
National Road Race Championships (2009, 2013)
National Time Trial Championships
(2009, 2011, 2012)
Infobox last updated on
20 July 2017

Rein Taaramäe (born April 24, 1987 in Tartu) is an Estonian road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam cycling team Team Katusha.

Career

Taaramäe at the 2009 Tour de l'Ain

Taaramäe turned professional in 2008 for Cofidis 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 Grand Prix du Portugal and a stage of Tour de l'Avenir. At the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, Taaramäe competed in the road race and the road time trial.

In 2009 he finished third at the Tour de Romandie and eighth at the Tour de Suisse. Taaramäe won both the national road race and time trial championships.[2] He also won Tour de l'Ain after winning the last stage to Col du Grand Colombier.[3] In 2010 he finished seventh at the Paris-Nice and third at the Volta a Catalunya.

In 2011, Rein finished 11th overall in the 2011 Tour de France. On Stage 14 of the 2011 Vuelta a España Taaramae and breakaway companion David de la Fuente were the last two riders of a 17-man breakaway, but with 2 km to go de la Fuente dropped back to pace teammate Juan José Cobo up the climb allowing Taaramae to solo to his first ever Grand Tour stage win. He ultimately withdrew from the race prior to its conclusion in Madrid.

In August 2014 Astana Pro Team general manager Alexander Vinokourov announced that Taaramäe had signed a one-year contract with the team for the 2015 season.[4]

2015 began well for Rein with the victory at Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia. Hopes were high with Grand Tours in mind, especially Le Tour. At 2015 Tour de France Taaramäe was meant to help Nibali 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 2015 Vuelta a Burgos and 2015 Arctic Race of Norway in August. Simultaneously rumors of Taaramäe leaving Astana started to emerge and at the end of August Taaramäe signed a one-year deal with Team Katusha.

He was named in the start list for the 2016 Giro d'Italia.[5] He won the 20th stage of the race, becoming the first Estonian to win a stage in the Giro.[6] After a short vacation at home in Estonia, Taaramäe went to win the overall at Tour de Slovenie, together with stage win at Stage 2. Taaramäe's next main starts will be at 2016 Tour de Pologne, 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio and 2016 Vuelta a España.

Career achievements

Major results

2005
3rd overall, juniors Course de Paix
2006
1st National Under-23 Time Trial Championships
1st, GP Ouest-France – U23 version
2007
1st, Stage 4, Circuit des Ardennes
2nd , European Under-23 Time Trial Championships
2nd, National Time Trial Championship
2008
1st, Stages 2 & 3, Grand Prix du Portugal
1st, Stage 6, Tour de l'Avenir
2009
1st National Time Trial Championships
1st National Road Race Championships
1st Overall, Tour de l'Ain
1st, Stage 5
1st Mountains Classification, Vuelta al País Vasco
3rd Overall, Tour de Romandie
8th Overall, Tour de Suisse
2010
3rd Overall, Volta a Catalunya
7th Overall, Paris–Nice
9th Overall, Route du Sud
2011
1st National Time Trial Championships
1st, Stage 14, Vuelta a España
3rd Overall, Critérium International
1st Youth classification
4th Overall, Paris–Nice
1st Youth classification
8th Overall, Volta ao Algarve
10th Overall, Circuit Cycliste Sarthe
2012
1st National Time Trial Championships
2nd Overall, Vuelta a Andalucía
3rd Overall, Étoile de Bessèges
8th Overall, Tour du Poitou Charentes
2013
1st National Road Race Championships
2nd, National Time Trial Championships
3rd, Cholet-Pays de Loire
2014
1st Tour du Doubs
2nd Overall, Tour of Turkey
1st, Stage 3
6th Overall, Tour du Limousin
8th Overall, Étoile de Bessèges
2015
1st Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia
1st A jersey with a violet design Overall, Vuelta a Burgos
1st Overall, Arctic Race of Norway
6th Overall, Volta ao Algarve[7]
2016
1st, Stage 20, Giro d'Italia
1st Overall, Tour de Slovenie
1st, Stage 2

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

Grand Tour 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Pink jersey Giro 29
Yellow jersey Tour WD 11 36 102 88 WD
red jersey Vuelta 74 WD WD

WD = Withdrew; In Progress = IP

References

  1. 1 2 "Rein Taaramäe profile".
  2. Greg Johnson (28 July 2009). "Taaramae takes road title too". Cycling News. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  3. "Cofidis sweeps Horner aside". Cycling News. 12 August 2009. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  4. "Taaramae signs one-year deal with Astana". cyclingnews.com. 20 August 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  5. "99th Giro d'Italia Startlist". Pro Cycling Stats. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  6. "Sensational Nibali all but wins the Giro d'Italia as Taaramae takes stage 20". Eurosport. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  7. "Volta ao Algarve: Greipel wins final stage". cyclingnews.com. 22 February 2015. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
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