Erik Dekker

Hendrik ("Erik") Dekker (born August 21, 1970 in Hoogeveen, Drenthe) is a retired Dutch professional road racing cyclist active from 1992 until 2006. He was a member of the Rabobank cycling team from 1996 till 2006. In 2007 he became one of Rabobank's team managers.

Cycling career

Amateur career

Dekker rode his first race at eight, and soon became successful. In 1985 he was invited to join the national selection for juniors. As an amateur, his most important results were second places at the youth world championships in Bergamo in 1987 and at the road race in the 1992 Summer Olympics.In that Olympic road race, Dekker got away at 30 km before the finish, together with Fabio Casartelli and Dainis Ozols.

Directly after the Olympic Games, he became professional, and rode his first race a few weeks later in the Tour de l'Avenir.

Professional career

His first win as a professional was a stage of the Vuelta al País Vasco of 1994, the year he rode his first Tour de France. In 1997 Dekker won the Ronde van Nederland, but a large part of 1998 was lost because of injuries.

In 1999, Dekker was sanctioned for a few weeks because of a too high hemotacrit-level. This meant that he could not start in the World Road...
Read More