Beat Breu (born 23 October 1957, in St. Gallen) is a Swiss former road bicycle racer.[citation needed][1] In 1982 Tour de France he won the prestigious stage on Alpe d'Huez, as well as another mountain stage finishing in Saint-Lary-Soulan, and finished sixth overall.[2] He also won Tour de Suisse two times and a stage in 1981 Giro d'Italia.In later life in 2019 he fulfilled his childhood dream of having his own circus.[3][4]
 Breu in 1984 | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Beat Breu | |||||||||||
| Born | 23 October 1957 St. Gallen, Switzerland | |||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||
| Current team | Retired | |||||||||||
| Discipline | Cyclo-cross Road | |||||||||||
| Role | Rider | |||||||||||
| Rider type | Climbing specialist | |||||||||||
| Professional teams | ||||||||||||
| 1979 | Willora–Piz Buin–Bonanza | |||||||||||
| 1980 | TI–Raleigh–Creda | |||||||||||
| 1981–1984 | Cilo–Aufina | |||||||||||
| 1985–1986 | Carrera–Inoxpran | |||||||||||
| 1987–1988 | Isotonic–Cyndarella | |||||||||||
| 1989–1990 | Domex–Weinmann | |||||||||||
| 1991–1995 | Appenzeller Käse | |||||||||||
| 1992 | Bleiker | |||||||||||
| Major wins | ||||||||||||
Grand Tours
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Medal record
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In 2022 the National Museum of Switzerland made a miniature model of Breu's stage win up Alpe d'Huez in 1982.[5]
Major results
- 1981
- 1st
Overall Tour de Suisse- 1st Stages 3b & 7b
- 1st Züri-Metzgete
- 8th Overall Giro d'Italia
- 1st Stage 20
- 1982
- 4th Overall Tour de Suisse
- 1st Stage 4b
- 6th Overall Tour de France
- 1st Stages 13 &16
- 1983
- 10th Overall Tour de Suisse
- 10th GP du canton d'Argovie
- 1984
- 6th Overall Tour de Suisse
- 1st Stage 2
- 8th Overall Giro d'Italia
- 8th Overall Tour de Romandie
- 1985
- 5th Overall Tour de Suisse
- 8th Overall Tour de Romandie
- 1986
- 6th GP du canton d'Argovie
- 9th Overall Tour de Romandie
- 1987
- 6th Overall Tour de Romandie
- 1st Stage 4
- 1988
- 1st
National Cyclo-cross Championships - 3rd
UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships - 7th Overall Tour de Romandie
- 1989
- 1st Overall Tour de Suisse
- 1st Stage 5b (ITT)
- 1994
- 1st National Cyclo-cross Championships
Grand Tour general classification results timeline
| Grand Tour | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Vuelta a España | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
 Giro d'Italia | 23 | — | 8 | — | — | 8 | — | — | — | 11 | — | — |
| Tour de France | — | — | — | 6 | 22 | 43 | 23 | 74 | 26 | — | 21 | 42 |