Biography
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Biography |
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Vital Stats
Name: Tjarco Cuppens Birthday: May 20th 1976 Residence: Landgraaf, The Netherlands Weight: 67.0 kg Height: 1.79 m Married to: Diana Heijnen (Info page Diana) Daughters: Lisa (2003) and Demi (2005)
Pro in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007/2008 and 2010
Teams
1993-1997 Wcl. Bergklimmers (Netherlands) Juniors / U23 1998 Alcmaria Victrix (Netherlands) U23 1999 DCM - Wielerteam (Belgium) Elite-2 2000 DCM - Wielerteam (Belgium) Elite-2 2000 Flanders-Prefetex - Trainee (Belgium) Trade Team 2 (per 01/09/2000) 2001 Flanders-Prefetex (Belgium) Trade Team 2 2002 Team ComNet-Senges (Germany) Trade Team 3 2003 Team ComNet-Senges (Germany) Trade Team 3 2004 Team ComNet-Senges (Germany) Trade Team 3 2005 Team Diametal-Colnago (Belgium) Elite-2 2006 Team PZ Racing Aachen (Germany) Elite-2 2007 Team PZ Racing (Germany) Elite-2 2007 Continental Team Differdange (Luxembourg) Continental Team (per 15/10/2007) 2008 Differdange-Apiflo Vacances (Luxembourg) Continental Team (until 20/02/2008) 2008 PPL-Belisol Cycling Team (Netherlands) Elite-2 2009 PPL-Belisol Cycling Team (Netherlands) Elite-2 2010 Continental Team Differdange (Luxembourg) Continental Team
Interests
Exploring other countries I have allready been in; Austria, Bahrain, Balearic Islands, Belgium, Canary Islands, China, Czech, Denmark, France, Germany, Great-Britain, Hainan, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Norway, Okinawa, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, South-Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arabic Emirates and ofcourse my homecountry The Netherlands.
Favorite country: Taiwan Favorite food: Furnace dish (made by Diana) Favorite drink: Latte Machiato
The Story
As a child I was allready interested in cycling. My father and uncle were also competing races, next to that my father and I went regulary looking at cycle races. But the moment which has awoken my interest for cycling is when Hennie Kuiper wins Milan-San Remo in 1985.
In 1993 I started cycling as a 1st year Junior, like many riders it wasn't easy for me in the beginning. During the first races I had to suffer a lot, but halfway the season I became better and could gain some prizes. As a 2nd year Junior I was from the start of the season selected for the Regional Team of Limburg. Thereby I could take part the Junior Classics in The Netherlands, also that year I gained my first victory.
Also during the transfer to the amateurs I had to get used, but also here I could gain my prizes halfway the season. from 1995 untill 1997 I was riding for the Dutch clubteam Wcl. Bergklimmers. In 1998, I made the transfer to the topcompetion team Alcmaria-Victrix nearby Amsterdam. During that year I made a lot of progression, I won two races and got 12 podium places.
At the end of the season 1998 I signed a contract with Giant-Poortland, one of the best amateur teams in Belgium. Unfortunally in December the riders got the announcement that the team got disbanded because of the retreatment of one of the sponsors. Several riders could sign a new contract with DCM-Wielerteam, included I. In 1999 and 2000 I raced for this team and again I made progession. I won 6 road races under which GP Fina in Fayt-le-Franc and the 1st stage of the FBD Milk Rás in Ireland, I gained also 25 top three places. At the end of the season I got an offer to become stagiair with the Belgium professional team Flanders-Prefetex. In September 2000 my wish came true when I signed a contract as a professional cyclist with Flanders-Prefetex for 2001.
In 2001 I got immediately selected for the big Belgian classics like, Omloop Het Volk, E3-Prijs, Gent-Wevelgem, Grote Scheldeprijs and Paris-Brussels. Of course it was for me a complete new experience to take part in these big races as a neo-professional. Afterwards I have wondered myself if it was the right choise to participate all those big races as a first year professional. My best result that year was a 2nd place in the Dernycriterium of the Ridderronde of Maastricht. Formerly I had done Diana the promise that if I got a pro-contract we would marry. Delighted I kept my promise and on 5 Oktober that year Diana and I got married. At the end of the season I was still uncertain if I could stay with the team or not and I decided to accept an offer from the German pro team ComNet-Senges. Indeed it was a team of the third division, but with a very good racing schedule. For this team I won between 2002 and 2004 seven races, under which the General Sprint Classification in the Tour of Japan in 2002 and the Nürnberger Frühjahrspreis in 2004 where I won after a solo of 25 Km. One of the greatest moments in my life is the birth of our first daughter Lisa on 11 March 2003. Unfortunally after that there was an inferior period, when I had a bad crash during a race because of a broken stem and broke my kneecap. Because my season got aborted in June I decided after my recovery to particpate with a mixteam at the Tour de China, where I finished 2nd in the 4th stage and with that result I could still finish my season positive. At the end of the season 2004 I needed something new and I decided to leave Team ComNet-Senges and to continue as an Elite-Amateur. This because of the fact that I have to take my responsibility for my wife Diana and my daughter Lisa, next to that Diana was also pregnant of our second child.
In 2005 I changed to the Belgium team Diametal-Colnago, which was the satellite team of the professional team Landbouwkrediet-Colnago. The year 2005 had a beautiful start with the birth of our second daughter Demi on 15 March. During this season ,where I combined work and cycling for the first time, I won four races under which the District Championships of Limburg Road Race and Time Trail. For 2006 I signed a contract with Team PZ Racing Aachen together with the Dutch triad, Danny Sijen, Bas Robroek and Marc Habets. With six victories the year 2006 became a succesful year for me. Beside winning the District Championships of Limburg Road Race and Time Trail, I became in St.Johann (Austria), World Champion Masters Road Race ! For me personally this was until then the peak of my career. Also 2007 I raced for Team PZ Racing and I gained seven victories, under which the District Championship of Limburg for the third time in a row and the Championship of South-Netherlands Time Trail. Also I gained two second places during stages in the Tour of Taiwan.
For 2008 I signed a contract as a professional cyclist with the Luxembourg Continental Team Differdange-Apiflo Vacances. But because I was not motivated anymore to ride the big professional races, I changed in February of that year to the new Dutch team PPL-Belisol. With eight victories in Road Races 2008 was a succesful year. For the fourth time in a row I won the District Championship of Limburg as also the semi-classics GP Marc Angel in Luxembourg and GP Cammaerts in Belgium, also I could gain the victory in my hometown during the Night of Waubach. Also the season 2009 I raced for the PPL-Belisol Cycling Team. I had a perfect start of the season with a victory in the openingrace Saint-Séverin, next to that I won the 3rd stage of Rás Mumhan in Ireland and the General Sprint Classification in the Fleche du Sud in Luxembourg. In total I gained seven victories in 2009.
For the season 2010 I decided to return to the Luxembourg Continental Team Differdange and I signed a contract as a professional cyclist with this team. In this team I will meet several former teammates of Team ComNet-Senges such as, Stefan Cohnen, Frank Dressler and Robert Retschke. Because I can compete in pro races again I will be very motivated to race a good season.
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