August 16th, 2008 — british
Chris Newton
Born in Stockton on Tees, Chris is a versatile cyclist who has represented Great Britain in various events.
Chris missed out on the 2008 world championships due to a broken collar bone. However, in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Chris managed to win bronze in the points race; this involved lapping the field twice. He just missed out on silver, losing out on last sprint.
2000 - Bronze - Team Pursuit
2004 - Silver - Team Pursuit
2008 - Bronze - Points Race
August 10th, 2008 — british
Mark Cavendish
Born in Isle of Man, 1985, Mark Cavendish has become arguably the world’s fastest sprinter, dominating the sprint stages of the 2008 Tour by winning 4 stages.
Mark initially gained success through racing on the track. As part of Team Great Britain, he became Madison world champion in 2005 (with Rob Hayles) and 2008 (Bradley Wiggins). He also won gold for Isle of Man in the 2006 Commonwealth games.
In 2005, he rode his first road races, competing in the Tour of Britain and Tour of Berlin. In 2006, he won the points competition in the Tour of Britain, helping him gain a professional contract with T-Mobile.
His first Tour de France, in 2007, was a disappointment due to a couple of heavy crashes. He abandoned as the race reached the Alps.
In 2008, riding for Team High Road/Columbia, he completed the Giro d’Italia - his first major stage race winning 2 stages in the process. In the 2008 Tour, Mark emerged as the fastest sprinter in the world, winning 4 stages and coming second to a team mate.
August 7th, 2008 — british
Tom Simpson - celebrating 1965 World Championship Title
An iconic cyclist of the 1960s, Tom Simpson had a unique drive and ability. He was the first British cyclist to become a major cycling star winning the World Championship in 1965. Tragically, Simpson died during the 1967 Tour de France whilst climbing Mont Ventoux. Even more shocking was the revelation that Simpson had packets of amphetamines in his back pocket, and the use of drugs had been a contributory factor to his untimely death.
Tom Simpson was born in County Durham, the youngest child of a coal miner in 1937. The family later moved to Nottingham where Tom became interested in cycling. He competed in time trials, road races and on the track. It was on the track where he had his first taste of international success; he won a bronze medal in the 1956 Olympics as part of Great Britain’s team pursuit squad.
In April 1959, he felt he needed to travel abroad to try and win a place in a professional cycling team. (At the time the domestic British scene offered little for an aspiring professional cyclist. He left for Brittany, where he raced in amateur races and also met his future wife Helen Sherburn.
After winning a couple of amateur races he was offered a contract with Rapha Geminiani Team, who also had British cyclist Brian Robinson on the squad.
By 1960 he completed his first Tour de France, finishing a very creditable 29th.
In 1962, he became the first British cyclist to wear the maillot jaune of the Tour, eventually finishing 6th overall.
By 1963, he was riding for a new team Peugeot BP (with distinctive black and white jerseys). He won the Milan San Remo classic in 1964.
August 7th, 2008 — british
August 7th, 2008 — british
Reade - Pendleton celebrate Gold at Track Championships 2008
Shanaze Reade was born in Crewe, in 1988. She has always been interested in sports; her first interest was athletics - 100m spring and the shot put. However, after seeing a bmx race she decided to switch sports and soon began competiting in bmx races. Shanaze Reade would often beat, not just other girls, but, also men.
In 2002, her cycling career become more serious and she won a number of junior UCI European titles.
In 2007, she won the UCI Bmx World title, aged only 17. In 2007, she also made the switch to track racing and successfully won the 2007 team sprint title with Victoria Pendleton. This world title was despite very little track training. In 2007, Shanaze Reade was awarded the Sunday Times young sportsperson of the year award. Her world track title was repeated in the 2008 World Championships held in Manchester, where she again partnered Victoria Pendleton to Gold.
Shanaze Reade is Great Britain’s sole representative in the BMX event - In the Olympics for the first time.
August 7th, 2008 — british
Nicole Cooke is one of the world’s leading female cyclists. Born in Wales in 1983, Nicole was raised in a cycling family and became interested in cycling from an early age. As a youngster she competed in several disciplines from time trials to cyclocross and road racing; Nicole invariably won, often beating older children as well.
By the time she was 17 she had won an unprecedented collection of British National Titles and World Titles in a variety of cycling disciplines. These included Gold in Junior World Championships in Road Racing, Time Trials, and Mountain Bikes.
Nicole has a genuine passion for cycling and racing at the highest level. In an interview with Cycling News she said:
“I love to go hard and I love to train alone.”
By 2006, Nicole Cooke had become UCI’s number 1 ranking female cyclist, a position she currently holds (2008)
Her palmeres includes:
Nicole turned pro with an Italian team - Ausra Gruodis-Safi.
In 2008, she joined the British Team Halford Bike Hut, riding the new Chris Boardman pro Bikes
Nicole is currently based in Lugano, Switzerland, although she finds time to return home to her native Wales, in between training and racing. She is part of the Great Britain Olympic squad of 2008.
June 17th, 2008 — british
Graeme Obree is one of the most unique cyclists. He has had a colourful cycling history which includes breaking the prestigious world hour record twice. Obree made his first attempt in Norway, 1993. At the time he was relatively unknown outside of Great Britain and few gave him any realistic chance of beating Francesco Moser’s world hour record of 51.151 KM which had stood since 1984.
At the first attempt Obree failed missing the mark by nearly 1 KM. However, Obree was determined to try again the next day. Most journalists left and Obree had to beg the officials to let him have another go. This time to many people’s surprise he was successful setting a new hour record of 51.596 KM. This record would later be surpassed by Chris Boardman just one week later. However, Obree went on to break the record a second time in April 1994.
Graeme Obree is also famous for building innovative bike designs using various spare parts. After his first world hour record there was a lot of media interest in his home made bike. Obree’s bike apparently was made with bits of an old BMX and parts from a washing machine. I think some of this got exaggerated however Obree was definitely an innovator and continues to make his own bikes. For a while Obree was feted by the European press who were intrigued with this eccentric Scottish man who had built his own bike. Perhaps unfairly this overshadowed his athletic ability and great determination. For his first record he used a position known as the tuck position this has also been labelled the “Obree” position.
A photo of Obree in the tuck position
June 17th, 2008 — british
Chris Boardman was born August 26 1968 in Holyake, UK.
Chris was one of the world’s top time triallists, winner the prologue of the Tour de France, Olympic Gold in the 4,000Km pursuit; he also broke the world hour record on 3 occasions.
Chris was renowned for his meticulous preparation. He was an early advocate of using all possible scientific methods to improve performance. These included heart rate monitors, wind tunnels, power metres and carefully calibrated interval training.
In training for the world hour record, he used an oxygen tent in his house to help his preparations.
He is married with 6 children and retired from professional cycling due, in part, to a form of osteoperosis which made his bones susceptible to excessive pressure. He now works as a commentator for ITV. He also advises the British track cycling squad.
More on Chris Boardman
June 17th, 2008 — british
Chris Hoy was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, March 23rd 1976. From a young age he was active in many sports. He represented Scotland at a junior level for BMX and rowing.
Chris joined his first cycling club, Dunedin CC, in 1992. He participated in different cycling disciplines such as Time Trials, Road and Track. However, after a couple of years he focused on track racing and joined the City of Edinburgh Racing Club.
His talents on the track were spotted by the British tack team and Chris has been a member of the British squad since 1996.
Chris also found time to complete a degree in applied sports science graduating from the University of Edinburgh in 1999
2000 Olympics
At the 2000 Olympics, Chris won the silver medal in the team sprint with Jason Queally and Craig Maclean
2004 Olympics
Chris won gold in the individual 1km time trial. The 1Km time trial was considered to be Chris’s best discipline, but unfortunately the Olympic committee decided to scrap the event to make room for a bmx discipline. However, since the decision to scrap the 1km pursuit, Chris has shifted his focus to other disciplines such as the, individual 500m sprint, the team sprint, and the Keirin
World Record for 1Km Time Trial
On 12th May, Chris attempted to break the World Record for the Kilometre Time Trial at altitude in la Paz, Mexico. At his first attempt he fell just 0.005 short, clocking 58.880. However, he managed to recover and in the afternoon he succeeded in breaking the record for the 500m flying start of 24.758 secs. It was a remarkable achievement given the difficulties he faced in travelling to the track at altitude. Doctors were amazed at his recovery from his first record attempt (he had been desperately short of oxygen as he finished the attempt.)
2008 World Championships
In the 2008 World Championships, Chris eskwed the 1km time trial as it is no longer in the Olympics. Instead he successfully turned his attention to sprint events and the keirin. In doing so he became the first athlete to win a gold medal in 4 different disciplines. In the last 9 years he has won 19 medals at World Championships or Olympics (10 of these medals have been gold)
Although, still a novice in the keirin, he now looks to be one of the favourites for the Olympic title. Although he was rightly disappointed when the 1Km race was removed, it may be that it was a blessing in disguise as he now has a chance to win Gold in 3 different events.
Chris Hoy
DoB: 23 March 1976
Height: 1.85m
Weight: 92kg
Chris Hoy Profile at the Telegraph
Photo Top: Chris Hoy in 1Km Time trial at UK Sport
June 17th, 2008 — british
Rebecca Romero is an Olympic silver medalist at rowing. After retiring from rowing, after the 2005 World Championships, she made a seamless transition to cycling and represents an excellent chance for a future Olympic medal. To win an Olympic medal at different disciplines is quite a rare occurrence and is unheard of in a sport as different as rowing and cycling.
Born in Twickenham, London in 1980, Rebecca didn’t take up rowing until the relatively late age of 17. However, once she had taken up the sport she made rapid progress to become a key member of the British Olympic squad.
In December 2006, after only recently making the switch to cycling, Rebecca won the Silver medal in a World Cup event in the 3,000 mertres track pursuit. (She was beaten by fellow Briton Wendy Houvenhagel.)
World Championships
Rebecca won silver in the 2007 World Championships in Palma Mallorca
On 16th February 2008, Rebecca won gold in the World Cup meet in Copenhagen and now represents one of the leading candidates for winning the Olympic Gold in Beijing.
Chris Boardman who helps in the training of British cyclists has been impressed by the physical capacity and mental strength of Rebecca. Speaking on Rebecca he said:
“She’s prepared to ask the hard questions and her commitment is unquestioned,” he said. “She’s utterly uninterested in the silver medal. She’s been there and done that and she doesn’t want another one. It’s fantastic but quite scary as well with her level of commitment.”
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