{{short description|French cyclist}} {{Infobox cyclist | name = Sandy Casar | image = Sandy Casar Giro.jpg | caption = Casar at the [[2012 Giro d'Italia]] | fullname = Sandy Casar | nickname = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1979|2|2}} | birth_place = Mantes-la-Jolie, France | height = {{convert|1.77|m|ftin|abbr=on}} | weight = {{convert|70|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}} | currentteam = Retired | discipline = Road | role = Rider | ridertype = Breakaway Specialist | amateuryears1 = | amateurteam1 = | proyears1 = 2000–2013 | proteam1 = {{UCI team code|FDJ|2000}} | majorwins = Tour de France, 3 stages<br />Route du Sud (2005)<br />Paris–Camembert (2011) }} '''Sandy Casar''' (born 2 February 1979) is a French former professional [[racing cyclist]], who competed as a professional between 2000 and 2013, all for the {{UCI team code|FDJ|2000}} team.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uciworldtour.com/Modules/SUCI/TEAMS/TeamDetails.asp?id=MTI&RefDate=06.01.2013&MenuId=MTYzMDE&LangId=1&BackLink=%2Ftemplates%2FUCI%2FUCI2%2Flayout%2Easp%3FMenuId%3DMTYzMDE%26LangId%3D1|title=FDJ&nbsp;– FRA|accessdate=6 January 2013|work=[[UCI World Tour]]|publisher=[[Union Cycliste Internationale]]}}</ref> His greatest results have been winning three stages of the [[Tour de France]], as well the overall classification of the [[Route du Sud]] in 2005. He also won the one-day race [[Paris–Camembert]] in 2011.

==Career== Born in [[Mantes-la-Jolie]], [[Yvelines]], Casar turned professional in 2000 after riding for Jean Floch-Mantes as an amateur. Casar's talent was revealed in [[Paris–Nice]] 2002, which he finished second at 23 years old. He finished 13th in the [[2003 Giro d'Italia]], in front of climber [[Marco Pantani]]. He had his biggest win in a stage of the 2003 [[Tour de Suisse]]. He then finished 16th in the [[2004 Tour de France]], and sixth in the [[2006 Giro d'Italia]], 25 minutes behind winner [[Ivan Basso]]. Casar also won the [[Route du Sud]] in 2005.

On 27 July 2007, he won his first Tour de France stage, beating [[Laurent Lefèvre]], [[Axel Merckx]] and [[Michael Boogerd]] in a sprint after a collision with a dog earlier in the day. He then finished 14th overall in the 2008 Tour de France.

In 2009, Casar finished second in the 16th stage of the [[2009 Tour de France]]. Stage 16 was originally won by [[Mikel Astarloza]]. However, Astarloza was found after the Tour to have tested positive for EPO before the race had started.<ref> {{cite web|url=http://www.velonews.com/article/96245/astarloza-tests-positive-for-epo-uci-says|title=Astarloza tests positive for EPO, UCI says|publisher=Velo News|accessdate=2009-07-06|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090803190623/http://www.velonews.com/article/96245/astarloza-tests-positive-for-epo-uci-says|archivedate=2009-08-03|url-status=live}} </ref> The organisers stripped him of the stage win and Casar became the official stage winner.<ref name="gh4">{{cite web|url=http://www.letour.fr/2009/TDF/COURSE/docs/guide_touristique_2010_histoire_4.pdf|title=Guide Historique, Part 4|publisher=[[Amaury Sport Organisation]]|last=Augendre|first=Jacques|year=2010|language=French|accessdate=7 September 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100818204743/http://www.letour.fr/2009/TDF/COURSE/docs/guide_touristique_2010_histoire_4.pdf|archive-date=18 August 2010|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Casar later finished 11th overall that year.

In 2010, Casar won the stage 9 of the [[2010 Tour de France]], after being part of a long breakaway that went over numerous categorized climb, including the [[Col de la Madeleine]]. The breakaway was down to only four units in the descent of the col, and got caught in the final kilometer by [[Andy Schleck]] and [[Alberto Contador]], who had escaped from the main group on the Madeleine. Casar won the uphill sprint to take the prestigious victory in one of the toughest stages of that year's Tour.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.roadcycling.com/Sandy-Casar-Wins-Stage-9-and-Andy-Schleck-Grabs-Overall-Tour-de-France-Lead#.ULVqneT7JxM|title=Sandy Casar wins stage 9|work=RoadCC|publisher=2011 ROADCYCLING.COM|date=13 July 2010|accessdate=28 November 2012}}</ref> In 2011, he won the [[Paris–Camembert]] classic, again after being part of a long breakaway. He tried to escape on a slope near the end, but was caught by four riders. He nonetheless prevailed in the sprint against these four, taking the win on the roads he trained on in his youth.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/8107/Casar-wins-Paris-Camembert.aspx|title=Casar wins Paris–Camembert|work=VeloNation|date=13 April 2011|accessdate=28 November 2012|author=Bjorn Haake}}</ref>

On 6 September 2013, Casar announced his retirement from cycling.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://fr.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idFRPAE98501420130906|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102192849/http://fr.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idFRPAE98501420130906|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 January 2014|title=Cyclisme: Sandy Casar dit stop|agency=Reuters France|date=6 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/sandy-casar-retires|title=Sandy Casar retires|publisher=cyclingnews|date=6 September 2013}}</ref>

==Career achievements== ===Major results=== {{div col|colwidth=30em}} ;2000 :5th Overall [[Tour Down Under]] ;2001 :7th [[Trophée des Grimpeurs]] :8th [[Tour du Haut Var]] ;2002 :1st Stage 4 [[Circuit Franco-Belge]] :2nd Overall [[Paris–Nice]] ::1st Young Rider Classification :3rd [[Paris–Camembert Lepetit]] :10th [[Trophée des Grimpeurs]] ;2003 :1st Stage 4 [[Tour de Suisse]] :2nd [[Boucles de l'Aulne|GP Le Télégramme]] :4th [[Paris–Camembert Lepetit]] :7th [[Route Adélie|Route Adélie de Vitré]] ;2004 :1st Stage 2 [[Tour du Poitou Charentes et de la Vienne]] :2nd Overall [[Route du Sud]] :3rd [[Duo Normand]] (with [[Carlos Da Cruz]]) :4th [[Paris–Camembert Lepetit]] :8th Overall [[Tour du Languedoc-Roussillon]] :8th Overall [[Circuit de la Sarthe (cycling)|Circuit de la Sarthe]] ;2005 :1st Overall [[Route du Sud]] :3rd [[Paris–Camembert Lepetit]] :5th [[Grand Prix d'Ouverture La Marseillaise]] :6th Overall [[GP Internacional Paredes Rota dos Móveis]] ;2006 :5th Overall [[Route du Sud]] :6th Overall [[2006 Giro d'Italia|Giro d'Italia]] ;2007 :1st Stage 18 [[2007 Tour de France|Tour de France]] ;2008 :3rd [[Polynormande]] :6th Overall [[2008 Tour de Romandie|Tour de Romandie]] :8th Overall [[2008 Vuelta al País Vasco|Vuelta al País Vasco]] ;2009 :1st Stage 16 [[2009 Tour de France|Tour de France]] ;2010 :1st Stage 9 [[2010 Tour de France|Tour de France]] :6th Overall [[2010 Vuelta al País Vasco|Vuelta al País Vasco]] ;2011 : 1st [[Paris–Camembert]] : 3rd [[Tour du Finistère]] : 5th Overall [[Route du Sud]] ;2012 : 4th Overall [[2012 Tour of Oman|Tour of Oman]] {{div col end}}

===Grand Tour general classification results timeline===

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" |- ! scope="col" | [[Grand Tour (cycling)|Grand Tour]] ! scope="col" | 2002 ! scope="col" | 2003 ! scope="col" | 2004 ! scope="col" | 2005 ! scope="col" | 2006 ! scope="col" | 2007 ! scope="col" | 2008 ! scope="col" | 2009 ! scope="col" | 2010 ! scope="col" | 2011 ! scope="col" | 2012 ! scope="col" | 2013 |- style="text-align:center;" ! scope="row" | [[File:Jersey pink.svg|20px|link=|alt=A pink jersey]] [[General classification in the Giro d'Italia|Giro d'Italia]] |— | style="text-align:center;"|[[2003 Giro d'Italia|13]] |— | style="text-align:center;"|[[2005 Giro d'Italia|81]] | style="background:#ddf;" |[[2006 Giro d'Italia|6]] |— |— |— |— |— | style="text-align:center;"|[[2012 Giro d'Italia|25]] | style="text-align:center;"|[[2013 Giro d'Italia|DNF]] |- style="text-align:center;" ! scope="row" | [[File:Jersey yellow.svg|20px|link=|alt=A yellow jersey]] [[General classification in the Tour de France|Tour de France]] | style="text-align:center;"|[[2002 Tour de France|83]] | style="text-align:center;"|[[2003 Tour de France|111]] | style="text-align:center;"|[[2004 Tour de France|16]] | style="text-align:center;"|[[2005 Tour de France|29]] | style="text-align:center;"|[[2006 Tour de France|69]] | style="text-align:center;"|[[2007 Tour de France|71]] | style="text-align:center;"|[[2008 Tour de France|13]] | style="background:#ddf;" |[[2009 Tour de France|10]] | style="text-align:center;"|[[2010 Tour de France|25]] | style="text-align:center;"|[[2011 Tour de France|27]] | style="text-align:center;"|[[2012 Tour de France|22]] |— |- style="text-align:center;" ! scope="row" | [[File:Jersey red.svg|20px|link=|alt=A red jersey]] [[List of Vuelta a España general classification winners|Vuelta a España]] |— |— |— |— |— |— | style="text-align:center;"|[[2008 Vuelta a España|19]] | style="text-align:center;"|[[2009 Vuelta a España|DNF]] |— |— |— |— |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category}} *{{Official website|http://sandy.casar.club.fr/Index.htm}} {{in lang|fr}} *[http://www.fdjeux.com/institutionnel_uk/cyclisme/coureurs/coureurs_palmares.php# Team biography] *{{cycling archives|795}} *[http://www.cyclingbase.com/Sandy-Casar.html Sandy Casar's profile on Cycling Base]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Casar, Sandy}} [[Category:1979 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Sportspeople from Mantes-la-Jolie]] [[Category:Cyclists from Yvelines]] [[Category:French male cyclists]] [[Category:French Tour de France stage winners]] [[Category:Tour de Suisse stage winners]] [[Category:2010 Tour de France stage winners]]