Steven Rooks (born 7 August 1960) is a former Dutch professional road racing cyclist known for his climbing ability. His professional career ran from 1982–1995.

Career

In the 1988 Tour de France, Rooks finished second and won a finish on L’Alpe d’Huez. He won the polka dot jersey for the mountains classification and the Présence Classification (or combination classification). In the 1989 Tour, Rooks won Stage 15, a 39 km mountain top time trial to Orcières-Merlette; he finished seventh that year and again won the Présence Classification, the final year of that award.

Other victories include the 1983 Liège–Bastogne–Liège, the 1986 Tour de Luxembourg and Amstel Gold Race, a stage at the 1987 Tour de Suisse, the 1988 Züri-Metzgete, and 1994 national championship. He finished second at the 1991 World Cycling Championships behind Italy's Gianni Bugno and ahead of Spain's Miguel Indurain.

Doping confession

On the Dutch TV-show Reporter, Rooks admitted with Maarten Ducrot and Peter Winnen to doping. Rooks said he used testosterone and amphetamines during his 13-year career. In 2009, he admitted using EPO after 1989.

Major results

Source:

1982

8th Overall Deutschland Tour

10th Overall Volta a Catalunya

1983

1st Liège–Bastogne–Liège

3rd Overall Paris–Nice

3rd Overall Tour Méditerranéen 1st Stage 2b

8th Rund um den Henninger Turm

8th Grand Prix de Monaco

10th Amstel Gold Race

1984

1st Stage 7 (TTT) Ronde van Nederland

2nd Paris–Tours

4th Liège–Bastogne–Liège

5th Rund um den Henninger Turm

5th Grand Prix Impanis

6th Overall Tour de Romandie

9th Overall Paris–Nice 1st Stage 2b (TTT)

10th Overall Tour Méditerranéen

1985

1st Stage 4b Volta a Catalunya

1st Stage 4 Tour of Norway

1st Stage 5b (TTT) Ronde van Nederland

2nd Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré 1st Stage 7

3rd Overall Étoile de Bessèges

6th Binche-Tournai-Binche

8th Paris–Brussels

10th Liège–Bastogne–Liège

1986

1st Overall Vuelta a Andalucía 1st Prologue

1st Overall Tour de Luxembourg

1st Amstel Gold Race

1st Grand Prix de Wallonie

5th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico

5th Liège–Bastogne–Liège

7th La Flèche Wallonne

7th Paris–Brussels

9th Overall Tour de France

9th Overall Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme

1987

1st Stage 2 Tour de Suisse

2nd Overall Tour of Britain

2nd Amstel Gold Race

2nd Omloop Het Volk

6th Road race, UCI Road World Championships

6th Tour of Flanders

9th Overall Tour de Luxembourg

9th Overall Vuelta a Andalucía

1988

1st Züri-Metzgete

2nd Overall Tour de France 1st Mountains classification 1st Combination classification 1st Stage 12

2nd Amstel Gold Race

3rd Milan–San Remo

3rd La Flèche Wallonne

3rd Clásica de San Sebastián

4th Liège–Bastogne–Liège

5th Tour of Flanders

1989

1st Overall Tour du Vaucluse

2nd La Flèche Wallonne

4th Road race, UCI Road World Championships

5th Tre Valli Varesine

6th Liège–Bastogne–Liège

6th Baden-Baden (with Gert-Jan Theunisse)

7th Overall Tour de France 1st Combination classification 1st Stage 15

7th Rund um den Henninger Turm

1990

1st Stage 2 (TTT) Tour de France

2nd Road race, National Road Championships

2nd Overall Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali

3rd Liège–Bastogne–Liège

4th Overall Ronde van Nederland

5th La Flèche Wallonne

1991

1st Road race, National Road Championships

2nd Road race, UCI Road World Championships

2nd Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana

6th Wincanton Classic

9th Overall Vuelta a España

1992

2nd Liège–Bastogne–Liège

5th Road race, UCI Road World Championships

5th Overall Tour of Galicia 1st Stage 4

7th Wincanton Classic

8th La Flèche Wallonne

10th Overall Vuelta a España

10th Overall Tour of the Basque Country

1993

2nd Road race, National Road Championships

4th Brabantse Pijl

9th Veenendaal–Veenendaal

10th Liège–Bastogne–Liège

1994

1st Road race, National Road Championships

6th Amstel Gold Race

1995

8th Amstel Gold Race

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

Grand Tour	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995
Vuelta a España	—	—	DNF	—	—	—	—	—	9	10	—	—	—
Giro d'Italia	—	—	—	—	—	DNF	—	75	—	—	DNF	—	DNF
Tour de France	DNF	—	25	9	DNF	2	7	33	26	17	DNF	DNF	—

Legend
—	Did not compete
DNF	Did not finish

Honors

In 1988, Rooks was Dutch Sportsman of the year.
Since 2004, Maastricht, the Steven Rooks Classic, an amateur race, is organised in his honor.

External links

Awards
Preceded byRuud Gullit	Dutch Sportsman of the Year 1988	Succeeded byLeo Visser
Sporting positions
Preceded byPeter Winnen Erik Breukink	Dutch National Road Race Champion 1991 1994	Succeeded byTristan Hoffman Servais Knaven

Steven Rooks