Rein Taaramäe

Rein Taaramäe

Taaramäe at the 2012 Critérium du Dauphiné
Personal information
Full name	Rein Taaramäe
Nickname	Vader (from "reinuvader" – a Fox), Taarakas
Born	(1987-04-24) April 24, 1987 Tartu, Estonia
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Weight	67 kg (148 lb; 10.6 st)[1]
Team information
Current team	Direct Énergie
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Amateur team(s)
2006–2007	Roue d'or Saint-Amandoise
2007	Cofidis (stagiaire)
Professional team(s)
2008–2014	Cofidis
2015	Astana
2016–2017	Team Katusha
2018–	Direct Énergie
Major wins
Grand Tours Giro d'Italia 1 individual stage (2016) Vuelta a España 1 individual stage (2011) Stage races Vuelta a Burgos (2015) Arctic Race of Norway (2015) Tour of Slovenia (2016) Single-day races and Classics National Road Race Championships (2009, 2013) National Time Trial Championships (2009, 2011, 2012)

Rein Taaramäe (born April 24, 1987) is an Estonian road bicycle racer, currently riding for UCI Professional Continental team Direct Énergie.^[2]

Career

Taaramäe at the 2009 Tour de l'Ain

Taaramäe turned professional in 2008 for Cofidis after riding for the team as a stagiaire in late 2007 and winning a stage at the Circuit des Ardennes early in the season. In 2008 he won two stages of Grand Prix du Portugal and a stage of Tour de l'Avenir. At the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, Taaramäe competed in the road race and the road time trial.

In 2009 he finished third at the Tour de Romandie and eighth at the Tour de Suisse. Taaramäe won both the national road race and time trial championships.^[3] He also won Tour de l'Ain after winning the last stage to Col du Grand Colombier.^[4] In 2010 he finished seventh at the Paris-Nice and third at the Volta a Catalunya.

In 2011, Rein finished 11th overall in the 2011 Tour de France. On Stage 14 of the 2011 Vuelta a España Taaramae and breakaway companion David de la Fuente were the last two riders of a 17-man breakaway, but with 2 km to go de la Fuente dropped back to pace teammate Juan José Cobo up the climb allowing Taaramae to solo to his first ever Grand Tour stage win. He ultimately withdrew from the race prior to its conclusion in Madrid.

In August 2014 Astana general manager Alexander Vinokourov announced that Taaramäe had signed a one-year contract with the team for the 2015 season.^[5]

2015 began well for Taaramäe with the victory at Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia. Hopes were high with Grand Tours in mind, especially Le Tour. At 2015 Tour de France Taaramäe was meant to help Vincenzo Nibali in the mountains. Unfortunately Taaramäe was forced to abandon the race during stage 11 due to illness. After the disappointing Tour Taaramäe went on to win in style back-to-back 2015 Vuelta a Burgos and 2015 Arctic Race of Norway in August. Simultaneously rumors of Taaramäe leaving Astana started to emerge and at the end of August Taaramäe signed a one-year deal with Team Katusha.

He was named in the start list for the 2016 Giro d'Italia.^[6] He won the 20th stage of the race, becoming the first Estonian to win a stage in the Giro.^[7] After a short vacation at home in Estonia, Taaramäe went to win the overall at Tour de Slovenie, together with stage win at Stage 2.

Career achievements

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

Grand Tour	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018
Giro d'Italia	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	29	—	—
Tour de France	—	DNF	11	36	102	88	DNF	—	—	DNF
Vuelta a España	74	—	DNF	—	—	—	—	DNF	147	—

Legend

—	Did not compete
DNF	Did not finish

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rein Taaramäe.

• Rein Taaramäe's blog (in Estonian)
• Rein Taaramäe at Cycling Archives
• Palmarès by cyclingbase.com
• Taaramae believes in top 10 placing at Tour de France Cyclingnews.com story in March 2011
• Taaramae comes of age, still makes mistakes Cyclingnews.com story in March 2010