Louis Meintjes

Louis Meintjes (born February 21, 1992) is a South African cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert Matériaux.[3] He won the South African National Road Race Championships in 2014, and has finished 8th overall in the Tour de France, on 2 occasions in 2016 and 2017. He has also finished 10th overall at the 2015 Vuelta a España.

Louis Meintjes
Meintjes during the 2018 Vuelta a España.
Personal information
Born (1992-02-21) February 21, 1992
Pretoria, South Africa
Height173 cm (5 ft 8 in)
Weight59 kg (130 lb)
Team information
Current teamIntermarché–Wanty–Gobert Matériaux
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Rider typeClimber
Amateur teams
2011UC Seraing Crabbé Performance
2012Lotto–Belisol U23
Professional teams
2013–2015MTN–Qhubeka
2016–2017Lampre–Merida
2018–2020Team Dimension Data[1][2]
2021–Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert Matériaux
Major wins
Stage races
Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali (2015)

One-day races and Classics

National Road Race Championships (2014)

Career

MTN–Qhubeka (2013–2015)

Meintjes announced himself to the cycling world in September 2013, when he earned the silver medal in the under-23 road race at the UCI Road World Championships. Meintjes had an impressive 2014 season where he rode his first grand tour, the Vuelta a España. His best result at the Vuelta a España was 5th place on stage 14.[4]

In March 2015, Meintjes won the final stage of the Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali, securing him the overall victory as well.[5] He was named in the start list for the Tour de France.[6] He finished fifth on the mountain stage to Plateau de Beille before exiting the Tour due to illness. He was 10th in the Vuelta a España.

2016

In September 2015, Meintjes announced that he would be joining Lampre–Merida on a two-year contract from 2016.[7] He started the 2016 season riding the Tour Down Under and finished 16th overall, and 5th in the young rider classification. Meintjes however, first showed his form in the Critérium du Dauphiné by finishing 9th overall and placing 5th on the stage to Méribel. Then he rode the Tour de France where he took 8th place overall and 2nd place in the young rider classification. He was sitting in 9th place overall after the 10th stage, but lost time in the following stage in the crosswinds. He recovered during the mountain time trial on stage 18, regaining his 9th place. On the following stage to Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc, Meintjes finished fourth sprinting with Joaquim Rodríguez and Alejandro Valverde. He finished with the favourites on the next stage, achieving 8th place in Paris. Meintjes' next race was the road race at the Rio Olympics. He was dropped before the last climb but he bridged the gap before sprinting to 7th place at Copacabana Beach.

2017

Meintjes finished 6th overall at the Tour of the Basque Country, and two months later he finished 8th overall at the Critérium du Dauphiné. At the Tour de France, Meintjes was once again team leader for UAE Team Emirates, and slowly made his way into top 10 in the second week, as he finished 5th on stage 12 to Peyragudes.[8] He moved up further two positions in the final week, and finished 8th overall for the second time in his career at the Tour. His last race of the season was the Vuelta a España where he finished 12th overall.

Team Dimension Data (2018–2020)

Meintjes returned to his former team, Team Dimension Data, for the 2018 season.[9] In May 2018, he was named in the startlist for the Giro d'Italia.[10] However he struggled with his form throughout the spring, and was not consistent at all, and abandoned the race in the third week. His best result of the season came at his final preparation race for the Vuelta a España, the Vuelta a Burgos, where he finished 9th overall. Meintjes struggled once again at the Vuelta a España, and he would go on to finish 58th overall.

Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert Matériaux

In November 2020, Meintjes signed a one-year contract with the Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert Matériaux team.[11]

Major results
2010
National Junior Road Championships
1st Time trial
1st Road race
2011
1st Stage 3 Triptyque Ardennais
African Road Championships
2nd Team time trial
2nd Time trial
2nd Road race, National Under-23 Road Championships
3rd Sint-Lambrechts-Herk
4th Overall Anatomic Jock Race
5th Walhain Road Race
2012
National Under-23 Road Championships
1st Time trial
2nd Road race
1st Fast One
3rd Aubel (Liege)
5th Overall Sea Otter Classic
6th Overall Tour des Pays de Savoie
2013
National Road Championships
1st Under-23 road race
1st Under-23 time trial
2nd Road race
4th Time trial
2nd Road race, UCI Under-23 Road World Championships
2nd Overall Tour of Rwanda
1st Stage 3
4th Overall Tour de Taiwan
9th Overall Tour de Korea
1st Stage 5 (TTT)
10th Overall La Tropicale Amissa Bongo
2014
National Road Championships
1st Road race
1st Under-23 road race
1st Under-23 time trial
2nd Overall Mzansi Tour
1st Mountains classification
1st Young rider classification
1st Stage 2
5th Overall Giro del Trentino
1st Young rider classification
8th Time trial, UCI Under-23 Road World Championships
2015
African Road Championships
1st Road race
2nd Team time trial
4th Time trial
1st Overall Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
1st Stage 4
1st Mountains classification Circuit de la Sarthe
3rd Time trial, National Road Championships
6th Overall Tour of Oman
1st Young rider classification
8th Overall Giro del Trentino
1st Young rider classification
10th Overall Vuelta a España
2016
7th Road race, Olympic Games
8th Overall Tour de France
9th Overall Critérium du Dauphiné
2017
6th Overall Tour of the Basque Country
8th Overall Critérium du Dauphiné
8th Overall Tour de France
2018
9th Overall Vuelta a Burgos
2019
3rd Time trial, National Road Championships

General classification results timeline
Grand Tour general classification results
Grand Tour 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Giro d'Italia — — — — DNF — 36
Tour de France — DNF 8 8 — — —
Vuelta a España 55 10 40 12 58 51 —
Major stage race general classification results
Race 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Paris–Nice — — 22 — — DNF —
Tirreno–Adriatico — 39 — — 17 — 12
Volta a Catalunya — — DNF 35 52 — NH
Tour of the Basque Country — — DNF 6 — —
Tour de Romandie — — DNF 20 — 34
Critérium du Dauphiné — 52 9 8 — — 49
Tour de Suisse 26 — — — — — NH
Legend
— Did not compete
DNF Did not finish
NH Not held

References
  1. "Dimension Data finalise 2019 roster". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. 22 November 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  2. "NTT Pro Cycling Team". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 3 January 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  3. "Intermarché - Wanty - Gobert Matériaux". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 3 January 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  4. "Excellent team performance allows Meintjes to climb to 5th". 6 September 2014. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
  5. "Meintjes wins finale stage 4 and overall title at Coppi e Bartali". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. 29 March 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
  6. "2015 Tour de France start list". Velo News. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  7. Benson, Daniel (3 September 2015). "Louis Meintjes signs for Lampre-Merida". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  8. "Chris Froome loses yellow jersey to Fabio Aru as Romain Bardet wins Tour de France summit finish - Cycling Weekly". Cycling Weekly. 2017-07-13. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  9. "Louis Meintjes signs for Dimension Data". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. 14 August 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  10. "2018: 101st Giro d'Italia: Start List". ProCyclingStats. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  11. "Louis Meintjes leaves NTT for Circus-Wanty Gobert". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. 19 November 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
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