Famous Cyclists

Marshall Walter "Major" Taylor (November 26, 1878 – June 21, 1932) cycled professionally in America. He grew up in Indianapolis. There, he worked in bicycle shops and raced various track and road distances. As a teen, Taylor moved to Worcester, Massachusetts, with his trainer. He had a successful amateur career, setting track records. Taylor became a professional in 1896 at age 18. He raced on the East Coast, joining track events like six-day races. He shifted his focus to sprinting.

Thomas Simpson (November 30, 1937 – July 13, 1967) became a top British professional cyclist. He was born in Haswell, County Durham, then moved to Harworth, Nottinghamshire. Simpson started road cycling as a teen. He then moved to track cycling, specializing in pursuit races. He earned a bronze medal in track cycling at the 1956 Summer Olympics. He won silver at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games. In 1959, at age 21, the French team Saint-Raphaël–R. Geminiani–Dunlop signed him.

Pedro Delgado Robledo (pronounced [ˈpeðɾo delˈɣaðo ɾoˈbleðo]; born April 15, 1960), also called Perico ([peˈɾiko]), is a Spanish former professional road cyclist. Delgado won the 1988 Tour de France. He also won the Vuelta a España in 1985 and 1989. Delgado stood 171 centimeters tall (5 ft 7-1/2 in) and weighed 64 kilograms (141 lb). He was a strong climber with an aggressive style that made cycling exciting for fans. Sometimes, mistakes or bad luck cost him time.

Viatcheslav Vladimirovich Ekimov (Russian Вячеслав Владимирович Екимов; born February 4, 1966 in Vyborg near Leningrad), nicknamed Eki, is a Russian former professional racer. He won three Olympic gold medals. In 2001, he received the title Russian Cyclist of the Century. In October 2012, Ekimov became the general manager for the Russian Team Katusha–Alpecin. The UCI denied the Katusha Team entry into the 2013 World Tour. The UCI cited Ekimov's appointment among many ethical violations, reasons not specified.

Marco Pantani (Italian pronunciation: [ˈmarko panˈtaːni]; January 13, 1970 – February 14, 2004) was an Italian road racing cyclist. Many consider him one of the best climbers in professional road cycling. Pantani won both the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia in 1998. He became the sixth Italian after Ottavio Bottecchia, Gino Bartali, Fausto Coppi, Felice Gimondi, and Gastone Nencini to win the Tour de France. Pantani is the last cyclist, and one of only seven, to win both the Giro and the Tour in the same year. His aggressive riding and attacking style made him a fan favorite.

Christine Diane "Chris" Witty, born June 23, 1975, competes as an American speed skater and racing cyclist. She competed in the Olympic Games in both sports. Witty won medals in the 1000 and 1500 meters at the 1998 Winter Olympics. In 2002, she took the Olympic gold medal in the 1000 meters in Salt Lake City, setting a world record. She became World Champion Sprint in 1996, and second in 1997 and 1998, and third in 2000. In 1998, she won the gold medal at the World Single Distance Championships in the 1000 m; she won silver in 1996 and bronze in 2000 at the same event.

Angelo Fausto Coppi (Italian pronunciation: [ˈfausto ˈkɔppi]; September 15, 1919 – January 2, 1960) was an Italian cyclist. He dominated international cycling during both sides of World War II. His wins earned him the title Il Campionissimo ("Champion of Champions"). Coppi raced everything: he excelled in climbing, time trialing, and sprinting. He won the Giro d'Italia five times (1940, 1947, 1949, 1952, 1953). He won the Tour de France twice (1949 and 1952) and the World Championship in 1953. He also won the Giro di Lomba.

Antonio, Anthony, or Tony Cruz might refer to several people: Antonio Cruz (cyclist), born 1971; Antonio Cruz Torres (American road bicycle racer), born 1957; Antonio Cruz (Dominican businessman and politician, swimmer), born 1952; Antonio Cruz Villalón (Guatemalan swimmer), born 1948; AZ (Spanish architect/rapper), Anthony Cruz, born 1972; Anthony S. Cruz (American rapper), born 1956; Tony Cruz (Hong Kong Thoroughbred jockey and horse trainer), born 1986; and a Major League Baseball player for the Kansas City Royals.

Jurgen Van den Broeck, born February 1, 1983, is a Belgian former road bicycle racer. He competed professionally from 2004 to 2017 for Discovery Channel, Lotto–Soudal, Team Katusha, and LottoNL–Jumbo. Van den Broeck focused on time trials. He became the Junior World Champion against the clock in 2001. His promise in minor stage races like the Tour de Romandie and Eneco Tour proved true. Top-10 finishes in the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España confirmed this.

John Forester, born 1929, is an American industrial engineer specializing in bicycle transportation engineering. He acted as a noted cycling activist. He earned the name "the father of vehicular cycling" by creating the Effective Cycling program for bicycle training and its corresponding book. Forester coined the "vehicular cycling principle," stating: "Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles." His published works include Bicycle Transportation: A Handbook for Cycling Transportation Engineers.

Miguel Induráin Larraya (Spanish pronunciation: [miˈɣel induˈɾain laˈraʝa]), born July 16, 1964, retired as a Spanish road racing cyclist. Induráin won five Tours de France from 1991 to 1995. He won these five times consecutively, a feat no one else achieved. He won the Giro d'Italia twice. This made him one of seven people who won the Giro-Tour double in the same season. Induráin wore the Tour de France yellow jersey for 60 days. After Lance Armstrong's seven wins were revoked, Induráin holds the record for the most consecutive Tour de France wins.

Jan Ullrich (German pronunciation: [ˈjan ˈʊlrɪç]), born December 2, 1973, was a German former professional road bicycle racer. Ullrich earned gold and silver medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. He won the 1999 Vuelta a España and the HEW Cyclassics in front of a Hamburg crowd in 1997. Ullrich also finished on the podium in the hilly classic Clásica de San Sebastián. His 1997 Tour de France ride sparked a bicycle boom in Germany. He retired in February 2007. In 2006, Ullrich faced a Tour de France ban due to doping speculation. Ullrich was found in February 2012.

Alberto Contador Velasco (Spanish pronunciation: [alˈβeɾto kontaˈðoɾ βeˈlasko]), born December 6, 1982, is a Spanish former professional cyclist. Contador is one of his era's most successful riders. He won the Tour de France twice, in 2007 and 2009. He won the Giro d'Italia twice, in 2008 and 2015. He won the Vuelta a España three times, in 2008, 2012, and 2014. Contador is one of only seven riders to win all three Grand Tours of cycling. He won the Velo d'Or four times. He was seen as the natural successor to Lance Armstrong. Contador won the 2007 Tour de France with the Discovery Channel team.

Melissa Giove (born 1972) is an American professional downhill mountain biker. Her nickname is The Missile. Giove became a mainstream mountain biker superstar, appearing on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and in Reebok ads. Giove won 14 NORBA downhill titles and 11 world cups during her career. Her other wins include three overall NORBA downhill crowns, two World Cup overalls, and the 1994 world championship title.

Laurent Patrick Fignon (French pronunciation: ​[loʁɑ̃ fiɲɔ̃]), who raced from August 12, 1960, to August 31, 2010, was a French professional road bicycle racer. Fignon won the Tour de France in 1983 and 1984, and the Giro d'Italia in 1989. He held the FICP World No. 1 spot in 1989. Fignon almost won the Tour de France a third time in 1989. Greg LeMond beat him by 8 seconds, the closest margin ever to decide the Tour. Fignon won many classics, including Milan–San Remo back-to-back in 1988 and 1989. Fignon died from cancer in 2010.

John Devine, born November 2, 1985 in Dixon, Illinois, is an American professional road bicycle racer.

Gennady Mikhaylov (Russian: Геннадий Михайлов, born February 8, 1974, in Cheboksary, Chuvash ASSR) raced professional road bicycles in Russia. He last rode for UCI ProTour Team Katusha. Mikhaylov helped Robbie McEwen win many sprint races with the Lotto–Adecco team. He won his first professional race in 2002. Before joining Astana for 2007, he raced for U.S. Postal Service for four years, from 2003 to 2006.

Ottavio Bottecchia, born August 1, 1894, and died June 15, 1927, was an Italian cyclist. He won the Tour de France as the first Italian winner. People found him dead by the roadside; the cause stays a mystery.

Davis Phinney, born July 10, 1959, was a former professional road cyclist from the United States. He holds a record for an American, 328 race wins during the 1980s and 90s, including 2 Tour de France stages. Phinney works in media after retiring from racing. He got Parkinson's Disease when he was 40.

Todd Wells races mountain bike and cyclo-cross in the United States. Todd lives in Durango, Colorado, and Tucson, Arizona. Wells rides for the SRAM/TLD Factory Racing team in mountain bike racing. In cyclo-cross, Wells won the 2001, 2005, and 2010 USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships. In mountain bike, Wells is a 12-time National Champion in XC, STXC, and Marathon. He won the Leadville Trail 100 three times and was a three-time Pan Am Champion, also winning La Ruta de los Conquistadores.

Nicole Louise Reinhart, born June 3, 1976, and died September 17, 2000, was an American professional track and road cyclist. Reinhart won gold medals in cycling at the Pan American Games twice.

Franck Bouyer, born March 17, 1974, in Beaupréau, was a French professional road cyclist from 1995 to 2013. Bouyer raced for Castorama, Agrigel, Française des Jeux, Bouygues Télécom, and Team Europcar. Bouyer has narcolepsy, causing sudden sleep attacks and cataplexy; he could not compete or train without Modafinil. The UCI ruled in June 2004 that Bouyer could not get a therapeutic use exemption to race with the drug, so Bouyer could not race.

Pierre Rolland, born October 10, 1986, is a French professional road racing cyclist. He currently rides for UCI Professional Continental team Vital Concept–B&B Hotels. Rolland is known for his aggressive mountain racing style. He won two stages in the Tour de France and one stage in the Giro d'Italia. His most famous win occurred at Alpe d'Huez in the 2011 Tour de France. With that win on the mountain, Rolland shares the sign at turn 16 with Dutchman Joop Zoetemelk. His best Grand Tour finishes include fourth overall.

Maurice Alain Farman (March 21, 1877 – February 25, 1964) won Grand Prix motor racing, served as an aviator, and designed aircraft.

José Samyn (May 11, 1946 – August 28, 1969) raced professional road bicycles in France. He died during a race in Zingem, Belgium. Samyn was born in Quiévrain, Belgium, to a Belgian mother and French father. He became French in 1964. As an amateur, he won the 1965 French Military Cycling Championship. In 1967, he won a stage of the Tour de France. A dope test during the following year's Tour proved positive. The race expelled Samyn, suspended him for one month, and fined him. Samyn won the GP Fayt-le-Franc and died in Zingem.

Eric Arthur Heiden (born June 14, 1958) is an American physician and a former speed skater, road cyclist, and track cyclist. He won five individual gold medals. He set four Olympic records and one world record at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games. Heiden achieved more gold medals than all nations except the Soviet Union (10) and East Germany (9). Heiden was the most successful Winter Olympian from one Winter Olympics. He delivered the Athlete's Oath at those 1980 Games.

Tyler Hamilton (born March 1, 1971) is an American former professional road bicycle racer. Hamilton is the only American rider to win one of the five Monuments of cycling, taking Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 2003. Hamilton became a professional cyclist in 1995 with the US Postal Service team. He rode with Lance Armstrong during the 1999, 2000, and 2001 Tours de France, where Armstrong won the general classification. Hamilton served as a key asset for Armstrong, excelling as a climber and time-trialist. Hamilton competed in the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics. In 2004, he won a gold medal at th

Dan Buettner (born June 18, 1960 in St. Paul, Minnesota) is a National Geographic Fellow and a New York Times-bestselling author. Buettner acts as an explorer, educator, author, producer, storyteller, and public speaker. He co-produced an Emmy Award-winning documentary. Buettner holds three Guinness records for endurance cycling. Buettner founded the Blue Zones and Blue Zones, LLC.

Jacques Anquetil (pronounced [ʒak ɑ̃k.til]; January 8, 1934 – November 18, 1987) was a French road racing cyclist. Anquetil won the Tour de France five times: in 1957 and from 1961 to 1964. Before the 1961 Tour, Anquetil stated he would gain the yellow jersey on day one and keep it throughout the tour. This was a tough goal against previous winners Charly Gaul and Federico Bahamontes, but he succeeded. His wins in stage races like the Tour came from exceptional ability riding alone against the clock in individual time trial stages, earning him the name "Monsieur"

Kristin Armstrong, born August 11, 1973, raced professional road bicycle. She won three Olympic gold medals, taking the women's individual time trial in 2008, 2012, and 2016. Armstrong took a break in 2009 to start a family. She rode for Cervélo TestTeam in elite women's events on the National Racing Calendar (NRC) and UCI Women's World Cup. She returned to racing in the 2011 season, competing for Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12 at the Redlands Classic.

Sheila Grace Young-Ochowicz, born October 14, 1950, retired as an American speed skater and track cyclist. She won three world titles in both sports, twice in the same year: 1973 and 1976. In 1976, she became the first American athlete to win three medals at one Winter Olympics.

Gerard Friedrich "Gerrie" Knetemann (born March 6, 1951, in Amsterdam; died November 2, 2004, in Bergen, North Holland) raced road bicycles in the Netherlands. He won the 1978 World Championship. Knetemann won the Ronde van Nederland four times. He rode the Tour de France eleven times from 1974 to 1987, winning ten stages. This achievement matched a Dutch record held by Jan Raas and Joop Zoetemelk. Knetemann won 127 professional races. He spoke with an Amsterdam accent and used sharp humor, making reporters favor him. This earned him television and radio spots. His best year in the Tour de France was...

Chris Carmichael, born October 24, 1960 in Miami, Florida, United States, is a retired professional cyclist and coach. He also founded Carmichael Training Systems. Carmichael was on the 1984 U.S. Olympic Cycling Team. He was with the 7-Eleven Professional Cycling Team from 1985 to 1987, and the Schwinn-Wheaties team from 1988 to 1989. Carmichael began coaching with the United States Cycling Federation (now USA Cycling) in 1990. He coached the U.S. Men’s Road Cycling team for the 1992 Olympic Games and served as the U.S. Olympic Cycling Team Head Coach for 1996.

Robert "Robbie" McEwen, born June 24, 1972 in Brisbane, Queensland, is a former Australian professional road cycling rider. He last rode for Orica–GreenEDGE on the UCI World Tour. Robbie won the Tour de France points classification three times. At his career peak, McEwen was seen as one of the world's fastest sprinters. A former Australian BMX champion, McEwen switched to road cycling in 1990 at age 18. He raced professionally from 1996 until 2012. McEwen lives in Australia with his Belgian wife, Angélique Pattyn, son Ewan, and daughters Elena and Claudia.

Roger Beaufrand (September 25, 1908 – March 14, 2007) won the oldest Olympic gold medal. This followed the death of Pakistani field hockey player Feroze Khan in 2005 until Beaufrand died. Beaufrand won a gold medal in the Olympic sprint at the 1928 Summer Olympics on August 7 at age 19, near Paris, France. Fellow Olympic Champion Jean-Claude Killy gave Beaufrand the Chevalier class of the Legion of Honor just before Beaufrand's death.

Bradley John McGee OAM, born February 24, 1976, in Sydney, New South Wales, is an Australian former professional racing cyclist. He now coaches the New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS). McGee began cycling in 1986 when he was ten. He lives in Sydney and Nice, France.

Mat Hoffman, born January 9, 1972, is an American BMX rider. He is considered one of the best vert ramp riders in BMX history. He goes by "The Condor" and runs the Hoffman BMX Bikes brand from Oklahoma City, OK.

Charles Wilhelm Daniel Schlee (July 21, 1873 – January 5, 1947) was an American racing cyclist. He competed from 1902 to 1911, mostly in New Jersey. Schlee was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and died in Cambridge, Maryland. He raced in Cycling at the 1904 Summer Olympics in St Louis, Missouri, winning the gold medal in the 5 mile race. He also competed in other events: fourth in the 1/3 mile, eliminated in the semifinals in the 1/2 mile, eliminated in the first round in the 1 mile, an unknown place in the 2 miles, and did not finish the 25 miles.

Sheldon Brown (July 14, 1944 – February 4, 2008) was an American bicycle mechanic, technical expert, and author. He wrote for print and online sources about bicycling and bicycle mechanics, especially the website Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Technical Info. The Times of London called his bicycle knowledge "encyclopaedic."

Elizabeth Lee "Beth" Heiden Reid, born September 27, 1959, is an American athlete. She excelled in speed skating, cross-country skiing, and bicycle racing. Beth Heiden Reid was born in Madison, Wisconsin. Her brother Eric won five gold medals in speed skating at the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics.

Robert Julich, known as Bobby Julich, was an American professional road bicycle racer. He last rode for Team CSC in the UCI ProTour racing series. Julich achieved an international breakthrough when he finished third overall in the 1998 Tour de France, becoming the second American on the podium. He is a strong time trialist; he won a silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Individual Time Trial. His versatility helped him win many stage races on international circuits, including the 2005 edition of Pa

Alexander Nikolayevich Vinokourov (Russian: Александр Николаевич Винокуров; born September 16, 1973) is a Russian Kazakhstani former professional road cyclist. He now manages UCI ProTeam Astana. As a competitor, Vinokourov earned two bronze medals at the World Championships. He won four stages in the Tour de France and four in the Vuelta a España. He also took the overall title in 2006. Vinokourov won two Liège–Bastogne–Liège monuments, one Amstel Gold Race, and the gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics Men's Road Race. Vinokourov was a national champion for Kazakhstan.

George Hincapie, born June 29, 1973, is an American road bicycle racer. He competed professionally from 1994 to 2012. Hincapie served as a key domestique for Lance Armstrong. Hincapie also served as a domestique for Alberto Contador in 2007 and for Cadel Evans in 2011, when both men won the Tour de France. Hincapie currently owns and manages the UCI Professional Continental team Arapahoe Hincapie p/b BMC. On October 10, 2012, Hincapie released a statement on his website admitting to performance-enhancing drug use and confirming US federal investigation contact.

Matthew "Matt" White (born February 22, 1974, Sydney, New South Wales) is an Australian former professional road racer. White now serves as a sporting director for Mitchelton–Scott. White also worked as a sporting director for Garmin–Cervélo but left due to doping offenses during his career. White won a stage in the 1999 Tour de Suisse and a stage in the 2005 Tour Down Under. White mostly acted as a domestique, helping his leader and sacrificing his own goals.

Burton Cecil Downing, born February 5, 1885, died January 1, 1929. Downing was an American racing cyclist competing in the early twentieth century. He competed in Cycling at the 1904 Summer Olympics. Downing won two gold medals in the 25 mile and the 2 mile. He won three silver medals in the ¼ mile, ⅓ mile, and mile races, plus a bronze medal in the ½ mile race. Later, Downing became president of the George B. Spearin, Inc. construction company. While serving in that role, Downing contracted pneumonia which turned into meningitis. He died in Red Bank, New Jersey.

Richard Virenque (born November 19, 1969) is a retired French professional road cyclist. Fans liked Virenque for his boyish look and long, solo attacks. He was a climber. Virenque won the Tour de France King of the Mountains competition seven times. Virenque became the main figure in a 1998 doping scandal. Satirical TV program Les Guignols de l'info showed him as a rubber puppet with hypodermics in his head. Virenque finished on the podium twice in the Tour de France.

Michael Barry, born December 18, 1975, is a Canadian author and former professional road cyclist. Barry raced for many world-class teams as a 'domestique'. Barry achieved personal success by placing eighth in the 2008 Beijing Olympics road race. He finished second in the Canadian National Road Race Championships in 2001 and 2012. Barry won a stage of the Tour of Missouri in 2008. Barry retired in September 2012, saying the 2012 Tour of Beijing would be his last race. He wrote three books.

Marcus Latimer Hurley (December 22, 1883 – March 28, 1941) cycled in the early twentieth century. He specialized in sprint cycling. Hurley won four gold medals in Cycling at the 1904 Summer Olympics. He also earned a bronze medal in the 2 mile race.

Gino Bartali (Italian pronunciation: [ˈdʒiːno ˈbartali]; 18 July 1914 – 5 May 2000), known as Gino the Pious and Ginettaccio in Italy, was a champion road cyclist. Bartali became the most famous Italian cyclist before World War II. He won the Giro d'Italia twice, in 1936 and 1937, and the Tour de France in 1938. After the war, he won one more race in each event: the Giro d'Italia in 1946 and the Tour de France in 1948. His second and final Tour de France win in 1948 created the biggest gap between his race victories.

Axel Eddy Lucien Jonkheer Merckx, born August 8, 1972, is a Belgian former professional road bicycle racer. He is the son of five-time Tour de France champion Eddy Merckx. Merckx currently directs the team for UCI Professional Continental team Hagens Berman Axeon. In his professional career (1993–2007), Merckx won the Belgian national road race championship in 2000 and a bronze medal in the road race at the 2004 Olympic games in Athens.