Mirjam Melchers

Mirjam Melchers

File:Mirjam Melchers Pijnacker 2007.jpg Melchers in 2007
Personal information
Full name	Maria Wilhelmina Johanna Melchers-Van Poppel
Born	(1975-09-26) September 26, 1975 Arnhem, the Netherlands
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	59 kg (130 lb)
Team information
Current team	Retired
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	Allround
Professional team(s)
1998–2002	Rabobank
2001–2001	Acca Due O-Lorena Camicie
2004–2004	Farm Frites-Hartoli
2005–2009	Buitenpoort-Flexpoint Team
2010	Cervélo TestTeam
Major wins
Primavera Rosa World Cup (2002) Grande Boucle, 3 stages Holland Ladies Tour (2000, 2004) Giro dell Alto Adige (2001) Ronde van Vlaanderen (2005,2006) Ster van Walcheren (2003) National Champion (2000) Castilla y Leon (2003)
Medal record Representing Netherlands Road bicycle racing World Championships 2003 Road race Cyclo-cross UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships 2005 Women elite race

Maria Wilhelmina Johanna "Mirjam" Melchers-Van Poppel (born September 26, 1975 in Arnhem, Gelderland) is a female former racing cyclist from the Netherlands, married to former sprinter Jean-Paul van Poppel. She was one of the leading cyclists in the world, having held the UCI number one ranking as well as winning highly rated races. She was a one-day specialist but has managed smaller stage races.

In year 2003 she won the GP Feminas Castilla y Leon round of the World Cup and finished third overall in the series behind Nicole Cooke and German sprinter Regina Schleicher. Melchers also finished first in the Damesronde van Drenthe and the Emakumeen Bira, before bringing her season to a close with a silver medal at the world championship road race in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

On September 7, 2006 Melchers crashed during the third stage of the Euregio Tour. She broke her pelvis, a hip and her jaw.

Career highlights

Note: Beginning in 1997, the Union Cycliste Internationale awarded points to riders based on performances in races. Races were classified in categories. Although the system has evolved, major stage races are generally category 1 (strongest) and category 2. In the listings below, these categories, where known, are in parentheses. GC stands for General classification.

1998

1st Ronde van Dordrecht

1st stage Holland Ladies Tour

1st Westerbeek

1999

1st stage Street Skills Women's Classic

1st stage Tour de l'Aude

1st stage Women's Challenge

1st stage Grande Boucle Feminine

1st stage Holland Ladies Tour

2000

1st Netherlands road championships

1st GC + 2 stages Holland Ladies Tour

1st, 2 stages Tour de Snowy

1st stage Grande Boucle Feminine

1st Ronde van Haarsteeg

1st Ronde van Geldrop

1st Ronde van de Witte Brug

3rd Canberra World Cup

3rd overall World Cup

2001

1st GC + stage, Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen

1st GC + 2 stages, Giro dell Alto Adige

1st stage, Tour de Snowy

2nd overall World Cup

2nd Canberra World Cup

2nd Amstel Gold Race

5th World Championships road race

2002

1st Primavera Rosa World Cup

1st stage (TTT), Grande Boucle Feminine

1st stage + 2nd GC, Tour de Snowy

1st prologue + 3rd GC, Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen

1st stage 6b + 2nd GC, Holland Ladies Tour

1st stage, Emakumeen Bira

1st Ronde van Oud-Vossemeer

2nd UCI rankings

2nd overall World Cup

2nd Amstel Gold Race

3rd Castilla y Leon

3rd Canberra World Cup

2003

UCI Points list – 2nd place

World Road Race Championships – 2nd place

World Cup (overall points) – 3rd place

Holland Ladies Tour (cat. 1) – 4th place

Rund um die Nurnberger Altstadt (Ger) World Cup – 6th place

GP de Plouay (Fra) World Cup – 3rd place

Emakumeen Bira (cat. 1) – 1st place GC, stage victory

Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin (cat. 1) – 4th place

La Fleche Wallonne (Bel) World Cup – 9th place

Amstel Gold (Ned) World Cup – 6th place

Damesronde van Drenthe (cat. 1) – 1st place, stage victory

Castilla y Leon (Spa) World Cup – 1st place

Vuelta a Castilla-Leon (cat. 1) – 2nd place

Bellarine Tour (cat. 2) – 4th place

1st GC + stage, Ster van Walcheren – 1st place GC, stage victory

Ronde van Oud-Gastel – 1st place

Ronde van Oud-Vossemeer – 1st place

2004

UCI Points list – 2nd place

World Road Race Championships – 9th place

World Time Trial Championships – 6th place

Giro della Toscana (cat. 1) – 8th place GC

Rund um die Nurnberger Altstadt (Ger) World Cup – 9th place

Holland Ladies Tour (Ned) – 1st place GC, stage victory

GP Plouay (Fra) World Cup – 2nd place

Olympic Games Road Race – 6th place

Thuringen-Rundfahrt (cat. 1) – 3rd place GC

Giro d'Italia Femminile (cat. 1) – 4th place GC

Emakumeen Bira (cat. 1) – 2nd place GC

Ronde van Vlaanderen – 4th place

Castilla y Leon (Spa) World Cup – 3rd place

Castilla y Leon Tour (cat. 1) – 1st place GC, stage victory

Primavera Rosa (Ita) World Cup – 2nd place

2005

UCI Points list – 4th place

World Championships

Road Race – 13th place

Time Trial – 7th place

Cyclocross – Bronze Medal

Giro della Toscana (cat. 1) – 3rd place GC, stage victory

Holland Ladies Tour (cat. 1) – 3rd place GC

GP de Plouay (Fra) World Cup – 8th place

GP Wales World Cup – 7th place

Sparkassen Giro – 3rd place

Giro d'Italis Femminile (cat. 1) – 8th place GC, stage victory

Emakumeen Bira (cat. 1) – 3rd place GC

Emakumeen Saria (cat. 2) – 1st place

Montreal (Can) World Cup – 3rd place

Tour de l'Aude Cycliste Féminin (cat. 1) – 6th place

Fleche Wallonne (Bel) World Cup – 4th place

Damesronde van Drenthe (cat. 1) – 4th place GC

Ronde van Vlaanderen (Bel) World Cup – 1st place

Primavera Rosa (Ita) World Cup – 5th place

Geelong (Aus) World Cup – 6th place

Geelong Tour (cat. 2) – 4th place GC

2006 (Buitenpoort-Flexpoint Team)

Ronde van Vlaanderen (Bel) World Cup – 1st place

2007

Grote Prijs Gerrie Knetemann – 1st place

Emakumeen Saria – 2nd place

2007 Chrono Champenois – Trophée Européen – 2nd place

2008 (Team Flexpoint)

2009

2009 Ladies Tour of Qatar (cat. 1) – 5th place GC

See also

• List of Dutch Olympic cyclists

References

• Mirjam Melchers-van Poppel at Cycling Archives
• Mirjam MELCHERS-VAN POPPEL profile at Cycling Quotient
• Mirjam Melchers profile at ProCyclingStats
• Team Flexpoint website