Cyclists are the individuals who are engaged in cycling as a sport. When considered a sport, bicycle racing consists of various categories of racing such as road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, time trialling, track cycling, mountain bike racing and cycle speedway. Bicycle racing is an Olympic sport and is popular in several countries, especially in Denmark, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. It is also a Summer Paralympic sport. International competitive cycling events are governed by the Union Cycliste Internationale. Bicycle racing as a sport is of relatively recent origins and developed during the later part of the 19th century. Riding a bicycle competitively is very challenging. Add to that the fact that bicycle racing is not as glamorous as other sports like football or basketball. Professional cyclists follow a rigorous training regime that includes several miles of cycling and endurance training sessions at the gym. They also engage in exercises such as running and hiking. Cyclists have to consume a disciplined diet that is rich in carbohydrates and proteins. Cycling is one of the most physiologically demanding sports and cyclists need endurance, speed, technique and skills to excel in this field. Read on to learn about the life and works of various famous cyclists from all over the world.
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.Lance Armstrong became one of the most inspirational stories after he survived cancer and went on to win seven consecutive Tour de France races from 1999 to 2005. He was considered one of the greatest road racing cyclists ever before he was stripped of all of his achievements starting from August 1998 due to his involvement in a doping scandal.
.Peter Sagan is a Slovak road bicycle racer. He is currently associated with Bora-Hansgrohe, a popular UCI WorldTeam. Widely regarded as one of cycling's greatest talents, Peter Sagan has won several prestigious championships over the course of his career. He has won UCI Road World Championships and European Championship among many other contests.
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.Eddy Merckx is a Belgian former road and track bicycle racer. Widely regarded as the most successful rider in competitive cycling history, Merckx achieved several important victories, such as 11 Grand Tours, three World Championships, and all five Monuments. He is also considered the greatest cyclist of all time. After retiring, he coached his national cycling team for 11 years.
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Greg LeMond is an American former road racing cyclist and anti-doping advocate. Widely regarded as the greatest American cyclist ever, LeMond is a three-time Tour de France winner and a two-time Road Race World Championship winner. Greg LeMond is also regarded as an icon of the sport's globalization and is counted among the greatest all-round cyclists of the present era.
.Bernard Hinault is a French former professional cyclist, often counted among the best cyclists of all time. He has 147 professional victories, including five in the Tour de France, to his name. In 1986, he was given the Legion of Honour; he retired the same year. He turned to farming after his retirement.
.Tour de France-winning Australian cyclist Cadel Evans is also a four-time Olympian. His career took off when he earned a scholarship to the mountain biking program of the Australian Institute of Sport. An avid philanthropist, he has an adopted son from Ethiopia, along with a son from his second wife.
.Nicknamed Spartacus, Swiss retired cyclist and Olympic gold medalist Fabian Cancellara is a four-time world time trial champion. He also won both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix thrice. He had started cycling at 13, after finding an old family bike. He was also good at football and skiing.
.Jacques Anquetil was a French professional road racing cyclist. He was the first person to win five Tour de France races. At the time of his retirement, Anquetil had won eight Grand Tours, which was a record at that time. He was also a controversial figure who spoke openly about his dependency on drugs to compete in races.
.Laurent Fignon was a French professional road bicycle racer. He won the Tour de France in 1983 and 1984. He became the FICP World No. 1 in 1989 and also won the Giro d'Italia the same year. One of the most successful cyclists of his era, he won many classic races. He retired in 1993.
Floyd Landis is an American former road racing cyclist who won the 2006 Tour de France before being stripped off of his title after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. In 2010, he revealed that many other top riders including Lance Armstrong had doped as well. His revelation helped accelerate the Lance Armstrong doping case.
Michael Shermer is an American historian of science and science writer. He is credited with founding The Skeptics Society, a nonprofit organization that aims at promoting scientific skepticism. He also serves as the editor-in-chief of the organization's magazine Skeptic. From 2001 to 2019, he was a major contributor to Scientific American magazine.
.Son of cyclist Johny Schleck, Andy Schleck is a cyclist from Luxembourg who has been associated with teams such as Leopard Trek. The 2010 Tour de France winner has also been ranked second in the race twice. Following his retirement, he now owns a bike shop and a souvenir museum.
Eric Heiden is a former track cyclist, road cyclist, and long track speed skater. At the 1980 Winter Olympics, Heiden won five individual gold medals, setting one world record and four Olympic records in the process. The most successful athlete at the 1980 Winter Olympics, Heiden won more gold medals than all other nations except East Germany and Soviet Union.
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.
Glenn Curtiss was an American motorcycling and aviation pioneer. He is credited with founding the U.S. aircraft industry. He is also credited with forming the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company which merged with the Wright Aeronautical to form Curtiss-Wright Corporation in 1929. Glenn Curtiss’ company played a major role in the years leading up to the First World War.
Tyler Hamilton is an American former road bicycle racer who played an important role as a teammate of Lance Armstrong in the 1999, 2000 and 2001 Tours de France. Hamilton is the only American to win one of the five classic cycle races known as the Monuments. In 2004, he was suspended for two years after failing a dope test.
George Hincapie is a former road bicycle racer. As a domestique for Alberto Contador and Cadel Evans, Hincapie played a major role in helping Contador and Evans win the 2007 and 2011 Tour de France, respectively. Hincapie was also an important domestique of Lance Armstrong. In 2012, George Hincapie admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs between 2004 and 2006.
