Jim Ochowicz

Jim Ochowicz (born December 23, 1951) is a former bicyclist and manager of UCI WorldTeam Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert Matériaux.[3] He served as president of the USA Cycling Board of Directors from 2002–2006.[4]

Jim Ochowicz
Jim Ochowicz at the Tour de France, 2010
Personal information
Full nameJim Lionel Ochowicz
NicknameOch
Born (1951-12-23) December 23, 1951
U.S.
Team information
Current teamIntermarché–Wanty–Gobert Matériaux
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider (retired)
Team manager
Rider typeSprinter
Amateur team
1972, 1976USA Olympic road cycling team
Managerial teams
1981–19957-Eleven
2000, 2004, 2008USA men's Olympic road[1]
2007–BMC Racing Team[2]

Ochowicz is a controversial figure, because it has been alleged by journalist David Walsh (who reported for many years on the Lance Armstrong doping case) and by Floyd Landis (original winner of the 2006 Tour de France before having this title stripped for anti-doping violations, and teammate of Lance Armstrong at the US Postal Service Cycling Team) that Ochowicz, during his time leading USA Cycling, knew about the doping undertaken by Armstrong and the rest of the US Postal team.[5][6] It has also been alleged by Lance Armstrong that Ochowicz, during his time in charge of the Motorola Cycling Team (which Armstrong then rode for), orchestrated a $100,000 bribe to the rival Coors Light team in return for the Coors team deliberately losing three individual races in 1993, so that Armstrong could win.[7]

Ochowicz participated in the 1972 Summer Olympics in the 4 km team pursuit cycling event.[8] He was inducted into the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame in 1997 as a contributor to the sport of cycling.

Team manager

In 1981, Ochowicz founded the successful 7-Eleven squad, which he managed through 1995. In 2007 he began the BMC Racing Team, which first competed on the international professional cycling circuit in 2010.[2] In 2011 he won the Tour de France as team manager, with Cadel Evans standing atop the podium in Paris.

Personal life

Jim Ochowicz is the husband of former track cyclist and Olympic speed skater Sheila Grace Young-Ochowicz and the father of Olympic speed skater Elli Ochowicz.

References
  1. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/jim-ochowicz-us-team-ready-to-repeat Jim Ochowicz: US team ready to repeat
  2. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/cycling/7124490.html Ochowicz comes full circle: BMC Racing co-owner put cycling on map in U.S. with 1986 7-Eleven team
  3. Ferri, Marco (December 24, 2018). "CCC Team, Riccardo Zoidl prende il posto di Denifl e completa il roster" [CCC Team, Riccardo Zoidl takes the place of Denifl and completes the roster]. SpazioCiclismo – Cyclingpro.net (in Italian). Gravatar. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
  4. http://www.usacycling.org/news/user/story.php?id=3512 Mark Abramson elected president of USA Cycling Board of Directors
  5. "Lance Armstrong, The Seven Deadly Sins Complete Interview With David Walsh". YouTube. January 21, 2013. Retrieved August 7, 2019. I think Jim Ochowicz knew precisely what was going along. I think he was a plausible guy, I think people believed him, and I think he's another guy who on the barometer of cynicism would be up there - an eight or a nine out of ten.
  6. Ballinger, Alex (October 23, 2018). "Floyd Landis says cycling is not clean in post-Armstrong era". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved August 7, 2019. Landis added: "Nobody from management in cycling ever paid... We gave all kinds of information on USA Cycling being involved, Jim Ochowicz, Steve Johnson the CEO, everyone knew it and was in on it and WADA just refused to do anything about it."... During the federal lawsuit claims emerged that Ochowicz, who was president of USA Cycling’s board of directors from 2002 to 2008, had talked with Landis about how Landis should respond to an adverse analytical finding for testosterone during the 2006 Tour de France.
  7. Fretz, Caley (October 23, 2015). "Armstrong names Ochowicz in '93 race fixing". VeloNews. Retrieved August 7, 2019. In sworn testimony from the Floyd Landis-U.S. federal government whistleblower lawsuit against him, Lance Armstrong has not only admitted that his Triple Crown win in 1993 and resulting $1 million bonus came about after the rival Coors Light team was paid to let him win, but that longtime U.S. cycling insider and current BMC Racing Team manager Jim Ochowicz orchestrated it.
  8. "Jim Ochowicz Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2014.


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