Tom Zirbel has been a fixture in the US domestic cycling scene for nearly a decade, but the 37-year-old who won the US time trial championship in 2013 told Cyclingnews recently that 2016 will be his final season in the pro peloton.
Zirbel started his career in 2006 with the Priority Health team and stayed with the program, which morphed into Bissell Pro Cycling the following year, through 2009. Zirbel finished fourth in the UCI Time Trial World Championships in September of that year and then signed with Garmin's WorldTour team for 2010. But that all came crashing down when US Anti-doping Agency announced in December of 2009 that he had tested positive for DHEA in an anti-doping test at the US time trial championships that August.
Zirbel denied taking the substance knowingly but accepted a two-year ban and then announced his retirement. His ban was eventually reduced to 18 months after he assisted USADA in another investigation. Zirbel reversed his decision to retire, and in May of 2011 signed with Jamis-Sutter Home for the remainder of that season. He moved to Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies in 2012 and has remained with that team – now Rally Cycling – ever since.
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Zirbel scored his only stars-and-stripes jersey in 2013 when he won the US time trial championship. During his career he has won stages at the Volta ao Alentejo, Tour of Utah, Tour of the Gila, Cascade Cycling Classic, Tour of Elk Grove, Nature Valley Grand Prix, Fitchburg Longsjo Classic and the Green Mountain Stage Race.
Cyclingnews caught up with Zirbel earlier this week at the Rally Cycling training camp along the Southern California coast in Oxnard.
Cyclingnews: How have things been going so far at team camp with the new teammates and the new sponsor.
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