There are not many athletes who can say they have won 10 Gold medals (at World Championships or the Olympics) in the last nine years.
With 3 Gold medals at the 2008 World Championships Chris has cemented himself as one of Britain’s leading contenders for Gold in the forthcoming Beijing Olympics.
Chris also has broken the World Record for the 500 metre ‘flying start’. He broke the record at altitude after narrowly missing out on the 1km Record in the morning. He also set a new world record at the Athens Olympics for the 1km record at sea level.
The video below shows Chris Hoy’s two record attempts. Continue reading →
Victoria Pendleton, born 24 September, 1980; British track World Champion
Once described by her French Canadian coach as being unsuited for cycling; on meeting her, he said “You’re too skinny, too puny to be a sprint cyclist.”, Victoria Pendleton has gone onto win 3 world Championships, and is currently one of the world’s leading female track cyclists.
Born in Stotfold, Bedfordshire, her talent in cycling was first recognised by a national coach at the age of 16. However, before devoting her time to cycling full time she completed a degree in Sport and Exercise Science from Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne.
As a child, Victoria was interested in playing many sports, but without any particular excellence. However, her father Max (a keen cyclist himself) , noted her athletic prowess on the bike and also the desire to win - essential to make it to the top of any sport. Her father, played a key role in her early development, encouraging her to train and aspire for continual improvement. It is clear that Victoria appreciates the effort and support of her father, even if the early training was not always easy.
‘I didn’t love it some of the time. Some of the time I hated it and wanted to give up. But I’m so glad I didn’t, because otherwise I wouldn’t have had the opportunities I have now.’
in 1993, Graeme Obree, stunned the cycling community by breaking Francesco Mosers World Hour Record set 10 years previously.
Graeme used a custom made bike and a radical new position. The amazing thing about the record is that he had attempted the record the day before and failed. Despite failing, he managed to persuade the authorities to let him have another go, 24 hours later. For anyone who has done a really hard time trial, they will know how difficult it is to go even faster the next day.
Chris Boardman is probably Britain’s most successful cyclist of all time. Chris broke 3 World Hour Records, won an Olympic Gold and was holder of the prestigious yellow jersey in the Tour De France. During his peak Chris was virtually unbeatable in time trials.
As a British time triallist, I gain alot of inspiration from Chris Boardman’s career. Chris began his career racing in the same races we still ride today. Chris won many national titles including 3 hill climb championships. It was a combination of exceptional ability and great determination that enabled Chris to make the jump from a British champion to a world champion and continental pro. It is a jump very few British cyclists have made. Also in a time when drug taking was rife, I always felt great sincerity when Chris Boardman said he didn’t take performance enhancing drugs. It is revealing what one ex pro said. “At the time all pros were taking drugs, oh except Chris Boardman”. (This quote is unofficial and I can’t even remember the cyclist who said it.
Chris Boardman’s Early Career
Chris initially rode for one of the UK’s top amateur clubs - The Manchester Wheelers. On the domestic time trial scene he won over 30 national titles including National 10, 25, 50, and National Hill Climb Championships. Only Scotland’s Graeme Obree was able to challenge Chris in domestic time trials. The media helped to create a sense of rivalry between the two top cyclists of a generation; I think this rivalry was exagerated and I think it’s fair to say they both respected each other.
Although Chris specialised in time trials he also turned his attention to road racing and competed in track disciplines, In the 1992 Olympics Chris was a gold medallist in the 4,000 metres pursuit. It was this Gold medal performance that launched Chris into the public light
Chris Boardman riding to Olympic Gold in the Barcelona Olympics
It is a great loss to the cycling community that Sheldon Brown, one of cycling’s great characters passed away recently. Sheldon Brown was known as a human encyclopedia of bicycling knowledge and was a famous employee of Harris Cyclery in Massachusetts
Sheldon Brown had a great love for cycling, especially experimenting with new features and fixing up old bikes. Sheldon particularly loved the old classic bikes such as sturmey archer gears, and fixed wheel gears.
This is a photo of Sheldon on a tandem. As he wryly notes “I couldn’t find a stoker, but it was a very aero position.”
Sheldon was diagnosed with primary progressive multiple sclerosis in August 2007. After losing his ability to balance an upright bicycle to the disease, he was able to continue pedaling by using a recumbent tricycle. Sheldon died on February 3, 2008 after a heart attack.
Coming across Graeme Obree’s blog and being reminded about Yvonne McGregor’s hour record in 1995, got me thinking about the World hour Record. The World Hour has always been something that has captured my imagination, perhaps being a time triallist it is the ultimate challenge.
The hour by Michael Hutchinson is a great read and fascinating story about an honourable ‘failure’ in his attempt to set a new hour record.
I admire anyone who has the guts to go for the ultimate cycling record, especially a non professional outsider. The problem with going for the hour is that you either prove yourself to be the fastest cyclist ever - or you fail. There is nothing in between; it is all or nothing with a very slim chance of achieving the goal. Continue reading →
If you were inspired by Graeme Obree’s book or the film ‘The Flying Scotsman’ you may be interested in Graeme’s new blog. Graeme Obree.blogspot - ‘My Words’ I would be interested to hear Graeme’s ideas on cycling and life and hope he has time to maintain a blog. As I mentioned in a comment to his recent post, I think the fact that Obree was never part of the ‘cycling establishment’ makes his world hour record even more special. It is one of the great stories of cycling.
Also Graeme made a good point about Yvonne McGregor’s World Hour record on 1995 June 17. - To break the world hour record is one of the pinnacles of achievement in cycling.
47.411 kph (29.4 mph)
Yvonne McGREGOR (GBR)
Manchester, England
Manchester Cycling Centre
Indoor, 250 meters, wood
Sea level
jasonjasonYesterday there was very sad news that one of the UK’s top time triallists and cyclists, Jason McIntyre, was involved in a fatal collision, whilst out training near his home in Fort William, Scotland.
Jason came to cycling relatively late he only began aged 18, but his enthusiasm and passion for the sport saw him rise to the peak of the sport and was in with a good chance of reaching the Olympics in 2008. Last year was arguably Jason’s most successful season. It saw him crowned British champion at 25 miles. Jason was also leading in the British time trial Championships (ahead of pro David Miller) until a puncture scuppered his chances 5 miles from the finish.
As well as being a champion cyclist, Jason was a devoted father who cared for his 2 daughters (one of his daughters requires extra care due to a kidney complaint. A fund is being set up by the Braveheart foundation to help the family he leaves behind. Jock Shaw of Scottish cycling said:
“We have lost one of our finest cyclists. Jason was a true champion, who was always handicapped by geography. His achievements over the last few years proved that he was still improving and we were looking forward to him progressing further.”
Jason represented Scotland in the 2002 Commonwealth Games, and had regularly ridden for his country. Last year he smashed the Scottish 10-mile record last year – previously held by Graeme Obree.
“I’ve decided to end my professional career in cycling,”
After receiving a one year ban for blood doping, Vinokourov made the, as expected, decision to retire. Although the one year ban he recieved from the Kazakh authorities may seem rather paltry. The main damage has been to his reputation. Given the doping difficulties that procycling are going through at the moment, no Pro Tour teams could really afford to be associated with a rider such as Vinokourov.
Vinokourov tested postive for blood doping in this year’s time trial stage of the Tour de France. Vinokourov won the stage after struggling through the earlier parts of the race. However, Vinokourov was defiant saying that:
“I don’t want this sport any more. I’m slamming the door and I’m leaving. I will prove I’m not guilty,”
“I want to restore my honour and get the results of this test rescinded.”
Vinokourov has had a colourful cycling career, often gaining the respect of fans for his attacking style of cycling.
Highlights of Vinokourov’s Career.
2000 2nd (Silver Medal), Summer Olympics: Men’s Road Race
2003 1st, Amstel Gold Race
2003 1st, Overall and Stage 5, Paris-Nice
2003 1st, Overall and Stage 1, Tour de Suisse
2003 Tour de France - Third overall.
Any cyclist will, at some stage, have suffered being labeled pejoratively as one of ‘those irresponsible lycra lights’
Why is it assumed by many, that somehow people who ride bikes are one uniform group. If one cyclists behaves irresponsibly why is it assumed all people who ride bikes must behave the same?
Yet, if a motorist was to exceed the speed limit causing a fatal crash - would all motorists be labeled as irresponsible killers?
