Johan Bruyneel

Johan Bruyneel, born on 23 August 1964 in Izegem, is a Belgian former professional road cyclist who became one of the best known team directors in the sport. As a rider he won the 1990 Tour de l'Avenir, the 1991 Rund um den Henninger Turm and the 1992 Grand Prix des Nations, took stage 6 of the 1993 Tour de France, and in 1995 won stage 7 of the Tour into Liège and wore the yellow jersey in his home country. That year he also finished third overall in the Vuelta a España, his only Grand Tour podium. After retiring in 1998 he directed the U.S. Postal Service team, later Discovery Channel, then Astana and RadioShack, whose riders won many Grand Tours, although seven Tour de France victories of Lance Armstrong were later nullified. In 2014 the United States Anti-Doping Agency banned him for ten years for his part in a doping conspiracy, and in October 2018 the World Anti-Doping Agency increased the ban to a lifetime ban.