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Leontien van Moorsel (born March 22 1970, Boekel) is a Dutch cyclist. She is also known under her married name, Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel.
Van Moorsel started her professional career in the late 1980s, and soon was one of the best cyclists in the world. She won major races both on the track, and on the road. In the first half of the 1990s, she won the Tour Feminin twice, after fierce competition with her main rival in that time, Jeannie Longo.
Van Moorsel dropped out of cycling in 1994 because of psychological problems. She suffered from depressions and anorexia nervosa. Together with Michael Zijlaard, who she married in 1995, she overcame these problems and returned to cycling, although it was not expected she would race at top level any more.
However, she was selected to compete at the World Championships in 1998. Here, at here first major tournament for four years, she surprised everyone by winning the time trial and coming second in the road race. Since then, she has won a number of world titles.
At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Van Moorsel was one of the most succesful athletes. She won gold medals both on the road (road race and time trial), and on the track (3km pursuit). At the 2004 Summer Olympics, she was again one of the favorites in the road race, but she fell in the penultimate lap. Although she was injured, she started in the time trial three days later, and succesfully defended her title. With 4 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze Olympic medals, Leontien van Moorsel is one of the most succesful Dutch athletes ever.
After her last race at the 2004 olympics, the individual pursuit, Leontien van Moorsel has retired from professional cycling.
Major results
- 1990
- World champion 3km pursuit
- World champion 50km team time trial
- 1991
- 1992
- 1993
- World champion road race
- Tour Feminin
- 1998
- World champion time trial
- 1999
- World champion time trial
- 2000
- Olympic champion road race
- Olympic champion time trial
- Olympic champion 3km pursuit
- Olympic silver medalist points race
- 2001
- World champion 3km pursuit
- 2002
- World champion 3km pursuit
- 2003
- World champion 3km pursuit
- World hour record: 46,06511 km
- 2004
- Olympic champion time trial
- Olympic bronze medallist 3km pursuit
Van Moorsel was chosen as Dutch Sportswoman of the year in 1990, 1993, 1999, 2000 and 2003.
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