Career
He was one of the top sprinters in the peloton. Steels competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, in the Men"s 1000 metres Time Trial, finishing 19th
Steels began his professional cycling career in 1994 with the Vlaanderen 2002 team, winning eight times in his first two seasons. His breakthrough was after he signed with Mapei in 1996.
However, during the sprint for the finish for the sixth stage he found himself blocked and boxed in by other sprinters and in frustration threw his water bottle at another rider, for which he was thrown out of that year"s Tour.
As a result, he earned the nickname "Tom Bidon". The point jersey would also have been his, as the people in front of him all admitted to doping.
Steels retired from racing at the end of the 2008 season, during which he raced for Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner. In October 2010 it was announced that he would work as a coach for Quick Step, a Protour team, during 2011.
Victories.