Famous British Cyclists

Chris Froome is an English professional road racing cyclist best known for winning two bronze medals in the Olympic Games so far; he won the medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. In 2017, Froome won a bronze medal at the UCI Road World Championships in Bergen, Norway. Froome has won many prestigious awards, such as the Vélo d'Or.

Welsh racing cyclist Geraint Thomas is a 2-time Olympic gold medal winner, apart from being a 3-time world champion and the 2018 Tour de France winner. Starting cycling at age 10, he is now an OBE and has also bagged numerous endorsement deals, such as the one with Continental Tyres.

British road and track cyclist Bradley Wiggins scripted history by becoming the first British racer to win the Tour de France, in 2012. Though born to Australian track cyclist Gary Wiggins, he was initially a fan of football but turned to cycling after watching the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.  

Danny MacAskill is a Scottish professional mountain bike trial cyclist who works for Santa Cruz Bicycles. MacAskill, who achieved popularity after showcasing his skills on YouTube, went on to feature in several commercials and promotional videos for brands like Leica Camera. Danny MacAskill is also credited for performing the stunts in the 2012 American action thriller film Premium Rush.

Tom Simpson was a British professional cyclist who specialized in pursuit racing. One of most successful and popular cyclists of Britain, Simpson is best remembered for winning a bronze medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. He then went on to win a gold medal at the 1965 UCI Road World Championships in San Sebastián, Spain.

English sports broadcaster Phil Liggett is known for his commentary of the Tour de France and other cycling events. Though he had fancied a career as a cyclist earlier, he later chose sports journalism instead. He is now a wildlife conservationist, who protects rhinos in a South African game reserve.

David Millar is a former racing cyclist who rode for the professional road bicycle racing team Cofidis from 1997 to 2004. Millar won two World Championship silver medals in 2001 and 2010. He also won a gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Since serving his two-year ban for using performance-enhancing drugs in 2006, Millar has been an anti-doping campaigner.

English cyclist Paul Sherwen was raised in Kenya, where his father worked. Initially devoted to swimming, he had even competed in swimming contests in Kenya and Britain but deviated toward cycling at 16. Part of the group of cyclists known as the Foreign Legion, he later turned into a successful broadcaster, too.

Legendary British cyclist Beryl Burton dominated the British women’s racing scene from the 1950s to the 1980s. Apart from being a 5-time world champion, she set a new women’s record for the 25-mile time trial, which surpassed the men’s record for 2 years. Her achievements inspired a radio play.

One of Britain’s greatest cyclists, Chris Boardman is an Olympic gold medalist and has three Tour de France stage wins in his kitty. Nicknamed The Professor, for his preparation for his races, he now produces cycles under the brands Boardman Bikes and Boardman Elite. He is also Greater Manchester’s Transport Commissioner.

Graeme Obree is a Scottish racing cyclist best known for using a bicycle which he had built using parts from an old washing machine. Obree won two World Championship gold medals in 1993 and 1995. He was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame in 2010. His life was dramatized in the 2006 movie The Flying Scotsman.

Born to Children of God cult followers in Greece, Juliana Buhring was abandoned at age 4 and grew up with several foster parents, thus traveling the world. The world-renowned endurance cyclist lost her lover to a crocodile attack but still became the fastest solo female cyclist to tour across the world.

With six Olympic gold medals in her kitty, Laura Trott has become the most decorated female athlete from Britain in the Olympics. She is married to cyclist Jason Kenny, who is also an Olympic gold medalist. Surprisingly, born with asthma, she was advised by doctors not to take up sports.

Dan Martin is an England-born Irish retired road racing cyclist. During his professional career that spanned 13 years, Martin won stages of 2013 as well as the 2018 Tour de France and took part in two Olympic Games. Renowned for his achievements in one-day races, Martin won the 2010 Tre Valli Varesine and the 2010 Japan Cup Cycle Road Race.

English world champion cyclist Lizzie Deignan, née Armitstead, was discovered at school by the Olympic Talent Team. She also has an Olympic silver in her kitty and has been a popular commentator and a writer for various national broadcasters.  She is married to Irish cyclist and Olympian Philip Deignan.

Rebecca Romero scripted history by winning two Olympic medals in two different sports, rowing and cycling, thus becoming the second woman to achieve the feat, after swimmer and handball player Roswitha Krause. Initially a rower, she was later deviated toward cycling after suffering a severe back injury.

Fell runner, cyclo-cross racer, and skyrunner Rob Jebb is a 4-time Three Peaks Race winner and has also won the Three Peaks Cyclo-Cross a record 12 times. Born to a professional fell racer and rock climber father, he grew up being inspired by him. He also works at Windermere as a BT engineer.

Runner and cyclo-cross racer Victoria Wilkinson had been a national fell running champion multiple times. Shining bright in the under-16 and under-18 levels, she showed promise early in life. A world mountain running champion, too, she has broken many records, such as the Ben Nevis Race ladies’ fell race record in 2018.

Former British road race champion Matthew Stephens is a cycling legend. He has also had a 12-year stint in the police force and has worked in child protection, while balancing his cycling career. He once spoke publicly about his failed marriage and how not being able to see his son broke him emotionally.