Tom Zirbel (born October 30, 1978) is an American former road bicycle racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2006 and 2016 for the , and teams.
Career Born in Clear Lake, Iowa, Zirbel rode for from 2006 to 2009. He came fourth in the UCI Road World Championships time trial in September 2009, and had signed to join UCI ProTour team the following season.
In December 2009, a urine test taken at the United States National Time Trial Championships the previous August, in which Zirbel came second, tested positive for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Zirbel denied having taken the substance knowingly, but he nevertheless voluntarily accepted a two-year suspension, and immediately announced his retirement. His suspension was reduced in March 2011 to 18 months, which had already been served, in recognition of assistance given to the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). He suggested that, despite earlier comments about retiring, he would seek to resume his racing career. He maintains that he ingested the banned product inadvertently.
In 2011, Zirbel rode for . On May 28, 2011, he placed 2nd in the United States National Time Trial Championships, behind David Zabriskie. He joined for the 2012 season. In an interview with cyclingnews.com in early 2016, Zirbel confirmed that the upcoming season would be his last as a professional cyclist before retiring. In September of that year, he set a new American national hour record in Aguascalientes, Mexico, completing to break the 1997 record of set by Norman Alvis.
Major results
2007 Tour of Southland 1st Stages 1 (ITT) & 9 10th Tour de Leelanau 2008 1st Stage 3 Tour of the Gila 1st Stage 5 Tour of Utah 2nd Time trial, National Road Championships 3rd Overall Tour of Elk Grove 1st Prologue 8th Overall Cascade Cycling Classic 2009 2nd Time trial, National Road Championships 2nd Overall Redlands Bicycle Classic 2nd Overall Nature Valley Grand Prix 1st Stage 1 (ITT) 4th Time trial, UCI Road World Championships 4th Overall Tour of Missouri 2011 2nd Time trial, National Road Championships 3rd Univest Grand Prix 2012 2nd Overall Vuelta del Uruguay 5th Chrono Champenois 6th Overall Tour of Elk Grove 1st Stage 1 (ITT) 7th Duo Normand (with Scott Zwizanski) 2013 1st Time trial, National Road Championships 1st Stage 4 Volta ao Alentejo 9th Overall Tour of the Gila 1st Stage 3 (ITT) 2014 2nd Time trial, National Road Championships 2015 1st Stage 3 (ITT) Tour of the Gila 2016 1st Stage 3 (ITT) Tour of the Gila 2nd Time trial, National Road Championships
References
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