Robert Förstemann

Robert Förstemann
Personal information
Born	5 March 1986 (age 38); Greiz, East Germany
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	96 kg (212 lb; 15.1 st)
Team information
Discipline	Track
Role	Rider
Rider type	Sprinter
Medal record
Men's track cycling
Representing Germany
Olympic Games
World Championships
European Championships
Men's para-cycling
Paralympic Games
Track World Championships

Robert Förstemann (born 5 March 1986) is a German track cyclist specialising in the sprint disciplines and world champion in team sprint in 2010. In his later career he has transitioned to Paralympic track cycling, representing Germany as a sighted 'pilot' in tandem events at the 2020 Summer Paralympics. In 2023, Förstemann piloted Thomas Ulbricht to a silver medal in the tandem B sprint and a bronze medal in the tandem B kilo at the 2023 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Glasgow.

Major results

Date	Placing	Event	Competition	Location	Country
2004	3	Team sprint^{[N 1]}	National championships	Leipzig	Germany
25 July 2005	3	Team sprint^{[N 2]}	European Track Championships	Fiorenzuola	Italy
August 2005	3	Team sprint^{[N 3]}	National championships	Hamburg	Germany
11 December 2005	3	Team sprint^{[N 4]}	World Cup	Manchester	United Kingdom
19 August 2006	3	Team sprint^{[N 5]}	National championships	Cottbus	Germany
25 February 2007	2	Team sprint^{[N 6]}	World Cup	Manchester	United Kingdom
29 March 2007		Team sprint^{[N 7]}	World Championships	Palma de Mallorca	Spain
23 August 2007	2	Team sprint^{[N 8]}	National championships	Berlin	Germany
26 August 2007	3	Sprint	National championships	Berlin	Germany
30 November 2007	2	Team sprint^{[N 9]}	World Cup	Sydney	Australia
28 August 2008	2	Team sprint^{[N 10]}	National championships	Büttgen	Germany
29 August 2008	1	1 km time trial	National championships	Büttgen	Germany
30 August 2008	1	Sprint	National championships	Büttgen	Germany
11 December 2008	1	Team sprint^{[N 11]}	World Cup	Cali	Colombia
25 March 2009		Team sprint^{[N 12]}	World Championships	Pruszków	Poland
8 July 2009	1	Team sprint^{[N 13]}	National championships	Erfurt	Germany
1 November 2009	3	Team sprint^{[N 14]}	World Cup	Manchester	United Kingdom
11 December 2009	2	Sprint	World Cup	Cali	Colombia
12 December 2009	2	Team sprint^{[N 15]}	World Cup	Cali	Colombia
24 March 2010		Team sprint^{[N 16]}	World Championships	Ballerup	Denmark
19 February 2012	3	Sprint	World Cup	London	United Kingdom
2 August 2012		Team sprint^{[N 17]}	Summer Olympics	London	United Kingdom
18 October 2013		Team sprint^{[N 18]}	European Track Championships	Apeldoorn	Netherlands
19 October 2013		Sprint	European Track Championships	Apeldoorn	Netherlands
4 August 2023		Kilo B1	World Para-cyling Track Championships	Glasgow	United Kingdom

^{^ The other riders on the squad were Sebastian Döhrer and Dominik Harzheim

^ The other riders on the squad were Daniel Giese and Marco Jager

^ The other riders on the squad were Sascha Jäger and Alexander Lesser

^ The other riders on the squad were Maximilian Levy and Benjamin Wittmann

^ The other riders on the squad were Sebastian Döhrer and René Enders

^ The other riders on the squad were Matthias John and Michael Seidenbecher

^ The other riders on the squad were Maximilian Levy and Stefan Nimke

^ The other riders on the squad were Carsten Bergemann and Benjamin Wittmann

^ The other riders on the squad were Matthias John and Stefan Nimke

^ The other riders on the squad were Stefan Nimke and Benjamin Wittmann

^ The other riders on the squad were Carsten Bergemann and Stefan Nimke

^ The other riders on the squad were René Enders and Stefan Nimke

^ The other riders on the squad were Carsten Bergemann and Sascha Hübner

^ The other riders on the squad were Stefan Nimke and Tobias Wachter

^ The other riders on the squad were Maximilian Levy and Mathias Stumpf

^ The other riders on the squad were Maximilian Levy and Stefan Nimke

^ The other riders on the squad were Maximilian Levy and René Enders

^ The other riders on the squad were Maximilian Levy and René Enders}

Olympics 2012

The German Olympic team used a loophole in the International Cycling Union (UCI) regulations to include Förstemann as an additional member of their 2012 sprint cycling team.^[1] He was also included in the German team for the mountain bike event.

Physique

In July 2012, a photograph of Förstemann's legs was widely circulated by the world's media during the 2012 Summer Olympics.^[2] Described as a 'quad off' with Olympic team-mate André Greipel, the photo showed his quad muscles compared with those of the road cyclist. His thighs were measured with a circumference of 73 centimetres (29 in).^[3] A circumference of 86 centimetres (34 in) has also been recorded, and the size of his quad muscles has led to him being called "Quadzilla" by some in his sport.^[4]

References

^ Gallagher, Brendan (2 August 2012). "Sir Chris Hoy sets the wheels turning in the hunt for Olympic gold". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2 August 2012.
^ Roberts, Christine (30 July 2012). "The thigh's the limit! Olympic athletes Robert Forstemann and Andre Griepel compete in 'quad-off'". Daily News (New York). Retrieved 2 August 2012.
^ "Wer toppt diese Olympia-Schenkel?". B.Z. (in German). 1 August 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2015.
^ "They call him Quadzilla. Picture captures scale of cyclist Robert Forstemann's massive thighs". The Independent. 5 November 2013.

External links

Robert Förstemann at Cycling Archives (archived)
Robert Förstemann at Olympedia (archive)
Robert Förstemann at Olympics.com
Robert Förstemann at Team Deutschland (in German)
Robert Förstemann at Team Deutschland Paralympics (in German)
Official website at the Wayback Machine (archived 3 July 2013) (in German)

[1] The other riders on the squad were Sebastian Döhrer and Dominik Harzheim

[2] The other riders on the squad were Daniel Giese and Marco Jager

[3] The other riders on the squad were Sascha Jäger and Alexander Lesser

[4] The other riders on the squad were Maximilian Levy and Benjamin Wittmann

[5] The other riders on the squad were Sebastian Döhrer and René Enders

[6] The other riders on the squad were Matthias John and Michael Seidenbecher

[7] The other riders on the squad were Maximilian Levy and Stefan Nimke

[8] The other riders on the squad were Carsten Bergemann and Benjamin Wittmann

[9] The other riders on the squad were Matthias John and Stefan Nimke

[10] The other riders on the squad were Stefan Nimke and Benjamin Wittmann

[11] The other riders on the squad were Carsten Bergemann and Stefan Nimke

[12] The other riders on the squad were René Enders and Stefan Nimke

[13] The other riders on the squad were Carsten Bergemann and Sascha Hübner

[14] The other riders on the squad were Stefan Nimke and Tobias Wachter

[15] The other riders on the squad were Maximilian Levy and Mathias Stumpf

[16] The other riders on the squad were Maximilian Levy and Stefan Nimke

[17] The other riders on the squad were Maximilian Levy and René Enders

[18] The other riders on the squad were Maximilian Levy and René Enders

[19] Gallagher, Brendan (2 August 2012). "Sir Chris Hoy sets the wheels turning in the hunt for Olympic gold". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 2 August 2012.

[NYDN_quad_off-20] Roberts, Christine (30 July 2012). "The thigh's the limit! Olympic athletes Robert Forstemann and Andre Griepel compete in 'quad-off'". Daily News (New York). Retrieved 2 August 2012.

[21] "Wer toppt diese Olympia-Schenkel?". B.Z. (in German). 1 August 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2015.

[22] "They call him Quadzilla. Picture captures scale of cyclist Robert Forstemann's massive thighs". The Independent. 5 November 2013.

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