Richard Groenendaal

Richard Marinus Anthonius Groenendaal (born 13 July 1971) is a Dutch former professional cyclo-cross cyclist. Groenendaal won the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in 2000 and the overall titles in the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup 1997–1998, 2000–2001 and 2003–2004 and in the Cyclo-cross Superprestige in 1997–1998 and 2000–2001.

Early career
Groenendaal's father Reinier was an Elite cyclo-cross cyclist and was Dutch Elite champion in 1985. Groenendaal began to ride as a junior in 1987. He was Dutch Junior champion in 1987–1988 and 1988–89 where he also won the Junior World Cyclo-Cross championships. The following season he joined the Amateur category which he stayed until the 1993–94 season when he turned professional. Early in his career he showed promise as a road rider by finishing in the top ten in the 1992 Tour de l'Avenir, the year he also took part in the Summer Olympics road race. At the start of Groenendaal's career he was often compared to his father Rein and one commentator in Belgium sometimes referred to him as Reintje. However, after two seasons, Groenendaal had stood on more international podiums than his father and the comparisons stopped.

In 1996 Groenendaal joined the newly formed Dutch cycling team Rabobank which he would stay with until the end of the 2006–07 season when he choose to ride for an individual sponsor. Groenendaal's greatest achievements include winning the Cyclo-Cross World Cup in 1998, 2001 and 2004 and becoming Cyclo-Cross World Champion in 2000. Groenendaal attacked during the first lap and was chased by defending cyclo-cross world champion Mario De Clercq who was followed by Groenendaal's Rabobank teammate Sven Nys. Nys would not cooperate in the chase of his commercial teammate and as a result De Clercq never caught Groenendaal enabling Groenendaal to become World Champion. In the following season, Groenendaal dominated cyclo-cross with wins in the Superprestige series and the World Cup as well as being number one UCI ranked rider. Groenendaal also won the Dutch National Cyclo-cross championships. Groenendaal started as a big favourite for the World Championships but suffered a crash during the race and did not recover and as a result lost his Rainbow jersey. In the 2001–02 season, Groenendaal lost the national cyclo-cross jersey to teammate Gerben de Knegt but did win the final World Cup of the season in Heerlen which made him a favourite for the World Championships which were taking place a week later. However, Mario De Clercq won ahead of Nys and Vannoppen. Groenendaal finished fourth and as best non-Belgian. Groenendaal won the first race of the Gazet van Antwerpen trophy of the 2002–03 season with the Koppenbergcross ahead of Nys and Wellens. He also won a World Cup.

For the 2003–04 season, Groenendaal suffered from a knee injury at the start of the season. At the end of the season, he recovered some form and won the Dutch national champions jersey. In an unexpected finale, Groenendaal took the 2003–04 World Cup classification after the final event of the season. Groenendaal won the final world cup race where there were double points on offer in Pijnacker, while teammate and World Cup leader Sven Nys finished further back and lost the lead in the World Cup classification. Groenendaal kept up his form to win the final Gazet van Antwerpen race.

In the 2008 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships Groenendaal helped Dutch National teammate Lars Boom to launch his attack at the start of the final lap and win the gold medal. Groenendaal finished in twelfth place.

Major results

 * 1988–1989
 * 1st UCI World Junior Championships
 * 1st National Junior Championships


 * 1990–1991
 * 2nd Soestduinen


 * 1991–1992
 * 2nd Sint-Michielsgestel


 * 1992–1993
 * 1st Soestduinen
 * Superprestige
 * 2nd Valkenswaard
 * 3rd Rambrouch


 * 1993–1994
 * 1st National Championships
 * 1st Telleriarte
 * 2nd Silver medal uci.svg UCI World Championships
 * 2nd Steinmaur
 * Superprestige
 * 3rd Overijse
 * 3rd Westouter-Zillebeke
 * 3rd Harnes
 * UCI World Cup
 * 3rd Eindhoven


 * 1994–1995
 * 2nd Overall Superprestige
 * 1st Wetzikon
 * 1st Harnes
 * 2nd Diegem
 * 3rd Overijse
 * 1st Sint-Michielsgestel
 * 1st Vossem
 * 1st Azpeitia
 * 1st Telleriarte
 * 1st Soestduinen
 * 1st Zeddam
 * 2nd Silver medal uci.svg UCI World Championships
 * 2nd National Championships
 * Gazet van Antwerpen Trofee
 * 2nd Niel
 * 2nd Oostmalle
 * UCI World Cup
 * 2nd Loenhout
 * 2nd Koksijde
 * 3rd Surhuisterveen
 * 3rd Steinmaur


 * 1995–1996
 * 1st National Championships
 * 1st Tábor
 * 1st Zeddam
 * 2nd Overall Superprestige
 * 1st Harnes
 * 3rd Asper-Gavere
 * 3rd Milan
 * 3rd Overijse
 * 3rd Sint-Michielsgestel
 * 3rd Wetzikon
 * 2nd Overall UCI World Cup
 * 2nd Wangen
 * 2nd Heerlen
 * 2nd Loenhout
 * 5th Igorre
 * 5th Variano di Basiliano
 * 2nd Surhuisterveen
 * 2nd Praha
 * 3rd Berlin
 * 3rd Soestduinen


 * 1996–1997
 * 2nd Overall UCI World Cup
 * 1st Eschenbach
 * 1st Prata di Pordenone
 * 1st Nommay
 * 3rd Koksijde
 * 4th Heerlen
 * 1st Steinmaur
 * 1st Zürich
 * 1st Soestduinen
 * 1st Vossem
 * 2nd National Championships
 * 3rd Overall Superprestige
 * 1st Asper-Gavere
 * 2nd Overijse
 * 2nd Sint-Michielsgestel
 * 2nd Harnes
 * 3rd Milan
 * Gazet van Antwerpen Trofee
 * 2nd Kalmthout
 * 2nd Woerden
 * 2nd Loenhout
 * 2nd Surhuisterveen
 * 3rd Fronsac


 * 1997–1998
 * 1st National Championships
 * 1st Overall UCI World Cup
 * 1st Eschenbach
 * 1st Koksijde
 * 1st Heerlen
 * 2nd Solbiate Olona
 * 2nd Pontchâteau
 * 3rd Praha
 * 1st Overall Superprestige
 * 1st Asper-Gavere
 * 1st Sint-Michielsgestel
 * 1st Gieten
 * 1st Overijse
 * 1st Harnes
 * 2nd Silvelle
 * 2nd Milan
 * 2nd Diegem
 * 2nd Wetzikon
 * Gazet van Antwerpen Trofee
 * 1st Essen
 * 1st Kalmthout
 * 2nd Hoogstraten
 * 1st Hägendorf
 * 1st Steinmaur
 * 1st Zürich
 * 1st Dijon
 * 1st Brouilly
 * 1st Vossem
 * 2nd Tábor
 * 2nd Zeddam
 * 3rd Fronsac


 * 1998–1999
 * UCI World Cup
 * 1st Eschenbach
 * 1st Praha
 * 1st Zürich
 * Superprestige
 * 2nd Ruddervoorde
 * 2nd Gieten
 * Gazet van Antwerpen Trofee
 * 2nd Kalmthout
 * 3rd Essen
 * 2nd Montévrain
 * 2nd Steinsel
 * 3rd Pijnacker


 * 1999–2000
 * 1st UCI World Championships
 * 1st National Championships
 * 2nd Overall Superprestige
 * 1st Asper-Gavere
 * 1st Overijse
 * 1st Diegem
 * 1st Harnes
 * 1st Heerlen
 * 2nd Ruddervoorde
 * 2nd Wetzikon
 * 3rd Gieten
 * 3rd Hoogstraten
 * 2nd Overall UCI World Cup
 * 2nd Safenwil
 * 2nd Leudelange
 * 2nd Nommay
 * 3rd Tábor
 * 3rd Zeddam
 * 1st Hoogerheide
 * 1st Loenhout
 * 1st Pijnacker
 * 1st Zürich
 * 2nd Baal
 * 2nd Steinsel
 * 3rd Harderwijk
 * 3rd Vossem


 * 2000–2001
 * 1st National Championships
 * 1st Overall UCI World Cup
 * 1st Bergamo
 * 1st Leudelange
 * 1st Pontchâteau
 * 2nd Tábor
 * 3rd Zeddam
 * 5th Heusden-Zolder
 * 1st Overall Superprestige
 * 1st Ruddervoorde
 * 1st Sint-Michielsgestel
 * 1st Gieten
 * 2nd Asper-Gavere
 * 2nd Hoogstraten
 * 2nd Harnes
 * 1st Hoogerheide
 * 1st Zonnebeke
 * 1st Heerlen
 * Gazet van Antwerpen Trofee
 * 2nd Niel
 * 2nd Kalmthout
 * 2nd Essen
 * 2nd Vorselaar
 * 2nd Steinmaur
 * 2nd Contern
 * 2nd Berlin
 * 2nd Vossem
 * 2nd Wetzikon
 * 3rd Koppenberg
 * 3rd Ronse


 * 2001–2002
 * UCI World Cup
 * 1st Heerlen
 * 1st Vorselaar
 * 3rd Nommay
 * 4th Monopoli
 * 4th Wetzikon
 * 5th Igorre
 * 1st Koksijde
 * 1st Pijnacker
 * 2nd Overall Superprestige
 * 1st Harnes
 * 3rd Asper-Gavere
 * 2nd National Championships
 * 2nd Koppenberg
 * 2nd Surhuisterveen
 * 2nd Huijbergen
 * Gazet van Antwerpen Trofee
 * 3rd Kalmthout
 * 3rd Vossem
 * 4th UCI World Championships


 * 2002–2003
 * 1st National Championships
 * UCI World Cup
 * 1st Kalmthout
 * 2nd Liévin
 * 4th Frankfurt
 * Gazet van Antwerpen Trofee
 * 1st Koppenberg
 * 2nd Loenhout
 * 1st Hofstade
 * 1st Pijnacker
 * 1st Zeddam
 * 1st Woerden
 * 1st Huijbergen
 * 1st Steinmaur
 * Superprestige
 * 2nd Ruddervoorde
 * 2nd Sint-Michielsgestel
 * 2nd Heerlen


 * 2003–2004
 * 1st National Championships
 * 1st Overall UCI World Cup
 * 1st Pijnacker
 * 2nd Koksijde
 * 2nd Nommay
 * 4th Turin
 * Gazet van Antwerpen Trofee
 * 1st Oostmalle
 * 2nd Zeddam
 * 3rd Surhuisterveen
 * 3rd Huijbergen


 * 2004–2005
 * 1st National Championships
 * Gazet van Antwerpen Trofee
 * 1st Niel
 * 2nd Koppenberg
 * 2nd Lille
 * 3rd Essen
 * 1st Surhuisterveen
 * 1st Heerlen
 * UCI World Cup
 * 2nd Pijnacker
 * 2nd Lanarvily
 * 4th Wetzikon
 * 5th Hofstade
 * 2nd Overall Superprestige
 * 2nd Ruddervoorde
 * 3rd Gieten
 * 3rd Vorselaar
 * 2nd Sint-Niklaas
 * 3rd Eeklo


 * 2005–2006
 * Superprestige
 * 1st Gieten
 * 1st Surhuisterveen
 * 1st Woerden
 * UCI World Cup
 * 2nd Pijnacker
 * 2nd Wetzikon
 * 3rd Hooglede-Gits
 * Gazet van Antwerpen Trofee
 * 2nd Essen
 * 2nd National Championships
 * 2nd Hasselt
 * 2nd Neerpelt
 * 2nd Heerlen
 * 2nd Wachtebeke
 * 2nd Lebbeke
 * 3rd Sint-Niklaas
 * 3rd Harderwijk


 * 2006–2007
 * 1st Surhuisterveen
 * 2nd National Championships
 * Superprestige
 * 2nd Hoogstraten
 * 3rd Sint-Michielsgestel
 * 3rd Overall Gazet van Antwerpen Trofee
 * 2nd Koppenberg
 * 2nd Niel
 * 2nd Lille
 * 2nd Wachtebeke
 * 2nd Heerlen
 * 3rd Sint-Niklaas
 * 3rd Hamburg I
 * 3rd Hamburg II
 * UCI World Cup
 * 4th Pijnacker
 * 4th Nommay


 * 2007–2008
 * 2nd Surhuisterveen
 * 2nd Antwerpen
 * 3rd National Championships
 * 3rd Woerden
 * UCI World Cup
 * 5th Igorre
 * 5th Hoogerheide


 * 2008–2009
 * 3rd National Championships
 * 3rd Sint-Michielsgestel
 * UCI World Cup
 * 4th Nommay