Internal stresses due to anisotropic thermal and plastic properties were investigated in a rolled zirconium-alpha. The thermal stresses induced by a cooling process were predicted using a self-consistent model and compared with experimental results obtained by X-ray diffraction. The study of the elastoplastic response after uniaxial loading was performed along the rolling and the transverse direction of the sheet. Using an elastoplastic self-consistent model, the predicted results were compared with X-ray diffraction and mechanical tests. Theoretical and experimental results agree in their tendencies. The confrontation between epsilon(phipsi) vs. sin(2)psi and simulations confirms that prismatic slip is the main active deformation mode.