{{Short description|American cyclist (born 1960)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox cyclist | name = Ron Kiefel | image = Frankie Andreu Ron Kiefel 1991 Thrift Drug Classic.jpg | image_size = | caption = Kiefel and Frankie Andreu (r-l) racing 1991 Thrift Drug Classic for Motorola | full_name = Ronald Alexander Kiefel | nickname = Wookie<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eurosport.fr/cyclisme/tour-de-france/2015/cannibale-grand-fusil-cheri-pipi-andy-torticolis.-le-top-20-des-surnoms-mythiques-du-cyclisme_sto4828071/story.shtml |title=Cannibale, Chéri-pipi, Wookie, Andy torticolis… le Top 20 des surnoms mythiques du cyclisme |last=Vergne |first=Laurent|date=22 July 2015|website=Eurosport|language=French |trans-title=Cannibal, Chéri-pipi, Wookie, Andy Torticollis... the Top 20 mythical nicknames of cycling|access-date=11 April 2016}}</ref> | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|4|11}} | birth_place = Denver, Colorado, U.S. | currentteam = Retired | discipline = Road | role = Rider | ridertype = All-rounder | amateuryears1 = | amateurteam1 = | proyears1 = 1985–1990 | proteam1 = 7-Eleven | proyears2 = 1991–1992 | proteam2 = Motorola | proyears3 = 1993–1994 | proteam3 = Coors Light | proyears4 = 1995 | proteam4 = Saturn | manageyears1 = | manageteam1 = | majorwins = '''Grand Tours''' :'''Giro d'Italia''' ::1 individual stage (1985) '''Stage races''' :Tour de Luxembourg ::1 individual stage (1992) :Tour DuPont ::1 individual stage (1992) '''One-day races and Classics''' :Trofeo Laigueglia (1985) :Giro di Toscana (1988) | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's road bicycle racing }} {{MedalCountry | the {{USA}} }} {{MedalCompetition | Olympic Games }} {{MedalBronze | 1984 Los Angeles | Team Time Trial }} }}
'''Ronald Alexander Kiefel''' (born April 11, 1960) is a former professional road bicycle racer from the United States. Kiefel is a seven-time Tour de France racer, Olympic bronze medalist and member of the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame.
Kiefel rode for American professional teams such as 7-Eleven, Motorola, Coors Light and Saturn. His wins included the 1985 Trofeo Laigueglia and the 1987 Tour of Tuscany.
He became the first American stage winner in a Grand Tour when he won stage 15 (from L'Aquila to Perugia) in the 1985 Giro d'Italia.<ref>[http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2009/giro09/?id=/features/2009/american_giro_stage_winners_may09 An American in Italy] cyclingnews.com, May 5, 2009</ref>
He competed in seven Tours de France, and represented the USA at the 1984 Olympic Games, where he won bronze in the team time trial with Roy Knickman, Davis Phinney, and Andy Weaver.<ref name="SportsRef">{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ki/ron-kiefel-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418045316/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ki/ron-kiefel-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 18, 2020 |title=Ron Kiefel Olympic Results |accessdate=May 24, 2015 |work=Sports Reference}}</ref>
In 1983 Kiefel won the USPRO road championship, the time trial and the team time trial. He was also road champion in 1988. He retired from racing in 1996 and has since commentated on TV and radio for European classics and tours. He is a coach in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, former vice president of Wheat Ridge Cyclery, and promotes races and rides.
In 2004, Kiefel was inducted in the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame. He and his wife, Meegan, at one time hosted a weekly AM radio show.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Keifel Cycling Hour |url=http://cyclinghour.com/ |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040923124256/http://cyclinghour.com/ |archive-date=September 23, 2004}}</ref>
==Major results== {{stack|thumb|Ron Kiefel in 100 km team trial race in 1984 Olympics (far right)}} * 3rd 15x15px Team time trial, UCI Junior Road World Championships (1978)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Crew |first=P. E. Z. |date=2007-09-17 |title=PEZ-Talk: American Pioneer Ron Kiefel |url=https://pezcyclingnews.com/interviews/pez-talk-american-pioneer-ron-kiefel/ |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=PezCycling News |language=en-US}}</ref> * 20px National Road Race Champion (1983, 1988) * {{USA}} National Time Trial Champion (1983) * {{USA}} National Team Time Trial Champion (1983) * 3rd 15x15px Summer Olympics – Men's Team Time Trial (1984)
===Year by year=== ;1978 * 3rd 15px Team time trial, UCI Junior Road World Championships ;1980 * 5th, U.S. National Cyclocross Championships<ref>[https://www.angelfire.com/realm/cvccbikers/ten_years/us_cross.html US National Cyclocross Champions 1975–2004<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ;1981 * 5th, U.S. National Cyclocross Championships ;1983 * 1st, U.S. National Cycling Championships – Road Race * 1st, U.S. National Cycling Championships – Individual Time Trial * 1st, U.S. National Cycling Championships – Team Time Trial ;1984 * 3rd, 15px Los Angeles Summer Olympics – Men's Team Time Trial * 9th, Los Angeles Summer Olympics – Men's Individual Road Race ;1985 * 1st, Trofeo Laigueglia (ITA) * 1st, Stage 15, Giro d'Italia (ITA) * 1st, Prologue, Coors Classic (USA) ;1986 * 1st, Prologue, Coors Classic (USA) * 1st, Stage 13, Coors Classic (USA)<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Ron Kiefel |url=https://www.procyclingstats.com/rider/ron-kiefel/ |access-date=2025-03-16 |website=www.procyclingstats.com}}</ref> ;1987 * 1st, Los Gatos Cat's Hill Classic<ref>[http://www.catshill.org/ Cat's Hill Classic Bicycle Race<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> (USA) ;1988 * 1st, Overall, Tour of Tuscany (ITA) * 1st, U.S. National Cycling Championships – Road Race * 1st, Stage 12, Coors Classic (USA) ;1989 * 1st, Stage 10, Tour de Trump (USA) * 6th, Overall, Tour de Trump (USA) ;1990 * 1st, Stage 1, Critérium International (FR)<ref name=":0" /> * 2nd, Stage 10, Tour de Trump (USA) * 3rd, Stage 8, Tour de France ;1992 * 1st, Stage 1, Tour de Luxembourg (LU)<ref name=":0" /> ;1993 * 1st, Stage 7, Tour DuPont (USA)<ref name=":0" /> * 1st, Los Gatos Cat's Hill Classic (USA) ;1994 * 1st, Overall, CoreStates New Jersey National Bank Classic (USA)<ref name=":0" />
===Grand Tour general classification results timeline=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |- ! scope="col" | Grand Tour ! scope="col" | 1985 ! scope="col" | 1986 ! scope="col" | 1987 ! scope="col" | 1988 ! scope="col" | 1989 ! scope="col" | 1990 ! scope="col" | 1991 ! scope="col" | 1992 |- style="text-align:center;" ! scope="row" | 20px|link=|alt=A yellow jersey Tour de France |— |96<ref name=":0" /> |82 |69 |73 |83 |138 |DNF |- style="text-align:center;" ! scope="row" | 20px|link=General classification in the Giro d'Italia|alt=Pink jersey Giro d'Italia |60 |— |— |62 |102 |— |138 |— |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{Cycling Archives|9073}} * {{Tour de France results|4797|archive=20090622062123}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kiefel, Ron}} Category:1960 births Category:Living people Category:American male cyclists Category:American cycling road race champions Category:Cyclists at the 1984 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in cycling Category:American Giro d'Italia stage winners Category:Cyclists from Denver Category:Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics Category:20th-century American sportsmen