Tom Danielson

Thomas Danielson (born March 13, 1978) is an American retired professional road racing cyclist who competed professionally between 2002 and 2015 for the Mercury Cycling Team (2002), the Saturn Cycling Team (2003), (2004), (2005–2007) and (2008–2015).

He had been suspended twice for doping in his career.

Danielson holds the record for the fastest ascent of Mount Washington, New Hampshire, in the Mount Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb.

The previous record holder was professional cyclist Tyler Hamilton.

He also holds the record for the Mount Evans Hill Climb in Colorado, which traverses the highest paved road in North America.

The previous record holder was Jonathan Vaughters, who was Danielson's manager on his last professional team.

In 2004, Danielson had an uneventful stint on the Italian UCI ProTeam, missing the early spring campaign because of visa problems.

Subsequently, he raced for the American UCI ProTour team, with which he won the 2005 Tour de Georgia and the 2006 Tour of Austria.

After Discovery Channel disbanded at the end of 2007, Danielson became part of the team.

Danielson started the season by finishing twelfth at both the Tour Méditerranéen and the Tour du Haut Var.

Following his two twelfth-place finishes, Danielson, however, struggled through Paris–Nice, finishing only fifty-second overall.

Following, Paris–Nice, Danielson regained his form at the Tour of the Gila, placing second to Levi Leipheimer.

A couple of weeks later, Danielson rode the Tour of California, but was unable to complete the race.

After California, Danielson returned to form at the Tour de Suisse, finishing twenty-fifth overall.

Following Suisse, Danielson finished in eighth place at both the Tour de Pologne and the Trofeo Melinda.

A month later, Danielson rode his fifth Vuelta a España.

He completed the race as the highest placed American, in eighth place.

Danielson concluded the season with a thirty-ninth place at the Giro dell'Emilia.

Danielson started the season with the Vuelta a Mallorca, and finished thirty-sixth in the third classic, the Trofeo Deia.

Danielson, however, was unable to complete the fourth and fifth classics, the Trofeo Magaluf-Palmanova and the Trofeo Inca.

Following the Spanish races, Danielson finished thirty-first overall at the Volta ao Algarve, and a preseason best of twentieth overall at the Vuelta a Murcia.

However, after Murcia, Danielson's form deteriorated, finishing fifty-fifth overall at the Volta a Catalunya, forty-seventh at the GP Miguel Induráin, and eightieth overall at the Tour of the Basque Country.

Danielson withdrew from racing after these races, and focused on rebuilding his form.

A few weeks later, Danielson returned to racing, and finished twentieth overall at the Tour de Romandie.

Danielson finished third overall at the Tour of California, and ninth overall at the Tour de Suisse, which ultimately led him to a Tour de France debut.

At the Tour, Danielson rode well, and finished as the highest placed American, in eighth place.

After the Tour, Danielson finished fifth overall at the Tour of Utah, and fourth overall at the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

Following the two American stage races, Danielson concluded the season with an eighty-sixth place at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal.

After being unable to complete the Tour de Langkawi, Danielson returned to form during the Volta a Catalunya, where he finished twelfth overall, and second in the mountains classification.

Following Catalunya, Danielson finished twentieth at the Tour of the Basque Country, and offered a good showing at the Tour of California, where he took fifth place in the "queen stage" of the race, a finish at altitude at the winter ski station of Mount Baldy.

He also came in ninth place in stage five's individual time trial, therefore keeping a high placing in the overall classification.

These performances helped him climb to third overall.

After California, Danielson finished eleventh at the United States National Road Race Championships, seventh at the Tour de Suisse, and was selected to start his second Tour de France.

However, due to injuries sustained from crashes, Danielson abandoned the Tour during stage six.

The following month, Danielson returned to competition at the Tour of Utah, where he finished eleventh overall, and assisted with stage two's team time trial win.

After Utah, Danielson competed in the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, where he finished seventh overall, and by soloing up and over Independence Pass, won stage three.

Bicycling subsequently named the stage, "the most exciting day of road racing on American soil".

Following his six-month ban, Danielson returned to racing at the Volta a Catalunya, where he finished tenth overall.

After Catalunya, Danielson, however, was unable to complete the GP Miguel Induráin, but returned to form during the Tour of the Basque Country, where he finished eleventh overall.

Danielson continued to ride strong, and finished fourth overall at the Tour de Romandie.