Russell Downing
![]() | |
Personal information | |
---|---|
Full name | Russell Downing |
Born | Rotherham, England | 23 August 1978
Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7+1⁄2 in) |
Weight | 64 kg (141 lb)[1] |
Team information | |
Current team | Retired |
Disciplines |
|
Role | Rider |
Rider type | Sprinter |
Amateur teams | |
1998 | Brite Voice |
2000 | Miche Pena |
2001 | UVCA Troyes |
2019 | Giordana Cycling |
Professional teams | |
1999–2001 | Linda McCartney On Tour |
2002 | iTeamNova.com |
2003 | Time Life Repair |
2004–2005 | Recycling.co.uk–MG X-Power |
2006 | Driving Force Logistics |
2007 | Health Net–Maxxis |
2008 | Pinarello Racing Team |
2009 | CandiTV–Marshalls Pasta |
2010–2011 | Team Sky |
2012 | Endura Racing |
2013 | NetApp–Endura |
2014 | NFTO |
2015 | Cult Energy Pro Cycling |
2016–2017 | JLT–Condor |
2018 | Holdsworth |
Major wins | |
Stage races
|
Russell Downing (born 23 August 1978) is an English former professional cyclist, who rode competitively between 1999 and 2019 for numerous teams, such as Team Sky and JLT–Condor. He is the younger brother of fellow cyclist Dean Downing, and both brothers competed largely on the UCI Continental Tour and in British Premier Calendar races.
Career
[edit]Downing was born into a bike racing family: as well as his older brother, his father was also a bicycle racer. He was also a talented football player, playing with Rotherham United F.C.'s under-16s team, but Downing was convinced to become a professional cyclist by Milk Race winner Chris Walker, who Downing trained with during his late teens.[2]
He was the winner of the British National Road Race Championships in 2005.[3]
In addition to his national championships, he was also successful in some multi-stage races. His biggest victories came in the 2010 Tour de Wallonie, a 2.HC class event, as well as the 2009 Tour of Ireland.[4]
For 2010 he signed a one-year contract with the new British Professional Team, Team Sky, and became the first Briton to win a stage for the team, picking up a win in the Critérium International. His contract was renewed for a further year, for the 2011 season. In November 2011 it was announced that his contract was not being renewed for a third year and he would join the British Continental Team Endura Racing.[5] Following the merger of Endura with Team NetApp Downing joined the NetApp–Endura squad for 2013.[6] In September 2013 it was announced that Russell and Dean Downing would join the new NFTO team for 2014.[7] Russell Downing signed for the Cult Energy Pro Cycling team for the 2015 season,[8] but returned to Britain with JLT–Condor for the 2016 season.[9]
Major results
[edit]Road
[edit]- 1997
- 2nd Road race, National Under-23 Road Championships
- 1998
- Tour du Maroc
- 1st Stages 7 & 9
- 1999
- 3rd Road race, National Road Championships
- 2002
- 1st Buggenhout Kermesse
- 1st Boekhout Kermesse
- Tour de Brandenburge
- 1st Stage 2 Circuit des Mines
- 5th Archer Grand Prix
- 2004
- 1st Overall Credit Union Ras Mumhan
- 1st Stages 2, 4 & 5
- 1st Havant International
- 1st Colne Grand Prix[10]
- 1st Warwick Town Centre Circuit Race[11]
- 1st East Yorkshire Classic[12]
- 1st Stage 4 Circuit des Mines
- 1st Stage 1 Circuit des Plages Vendéennes
- 8th Archer Grand Prix
- 2005
- 1st
Road race, National Road Championships
- 1st Havant International
- 1st Lincoln Grand Prix
- 1st Clitheroe Town Centre Grand Prix[13]
- 1st Stage 5 Giro del Capo
- 2nd Overall Circuit des Plages Vendéennes
- 1st Stage 1
- 3rd Overall Ruban Granitier Breton
- 1st Stages 1, 3 & 6
- 2006
- 1st Overall Triptyque Ardennais
- 1st Druivenkoers Overijse
- 1st Stage 5 Tour de Beauce
- 7th Omloop der Kempen
- 9th Overall Tour of Britain
- 2007
- 1st Richmond Grand Prix
- 2nd Merco Credit Union Cycling Classic
- 3rd Lincoln Grand Prix
- 2008
- 1st Overall Premier Calendar
- 1st Overall Girvan 3-Day
- 1st Stages 1 & 2
- 1st Overall Tour of the Reservoir
- 1st Overall Chas Messenger Stage Race
- 1st Robert Price International Grand Prix of Wales
- 1st Tour of Blackpool
- 1st East Yorkshire Classic
- 1st Richmond Grand Prix
- 1st Lincoln Grand Prix[14]
- 2nd Overall Tour of Ireland
- 4th Rogaland GP
- 5th East Midlands International CiCLE Classic
- 8th Overall Cinturón a Mallorca
- 1st Stages 2, 3 & 4
- 10th Overall Tour of Britain
- 2009
- 1st Overall Premier Calendar
- 1st
Overall Tour of Ireland
- 1st Lincoln Grand Prix
- 1st Smithfield Nocturne
- 1st Ryedale Grand Prix
- 1st Colne Grand Prix[15]
- 1st East Yorkshire Classic Circuit Race[16]
- 2nd Beaumont Trophy[17]
- 5th Overall Tour of Britain
- 5th Overall Girvan Three Day[18]
- 1st Stages 3 & 4[19]
- 7th Overall Rás Tailteann
- 8th East Midlands International CiCLE Classic
- 9th Overall Cinturón a Mallorca
- 1st Stage 3
- 2010
- 1st
Overall Tour de Wallonie
- 1st Stage 5
- 1st Monsal Hill Climb
- 1st Stage 2 Critérium International
- 1st Stage 1 (TTT) Tour of Qatar
- 4th Overall Tour de Picardie
- 2012
- 1st Grand Prix de la Ville de Lillers
- 1st Beaumont Trophy
- 1st Eddie Soens Memorial Road Race
- 1st Lincoln Grand Prix
- 1st Stage 5 Tour of Norway
- 2nd Overall Circuit des Ardennes
- 4th Route Adélie
- 2013
- 1st
National Criterium Championships
- 3rd Monsal Hill Climb[20]
- 2014
- 1st Stockton Grand Prix[21]
- 3rd Ryedale Grand Prix[22]
- 3rd Circuit of the Fens[23]
- 3rd Newport Nocturne
- 4th Road race, Commonwealth Games
- 5th Rutland–Melton International CiCLE Classic
- 10th RideLondon–Surrey Classic
- 2015
- 4th Gran Premio della Costa Etruschi
- 4th Velothon Wales
- 8th Trofeo Playa de Palma
- 2016
- 3rd Overall Tour du Loir-et-Cher
- 1st Stage 2
- 2017
- 2nd Poreč Trophy
- 10th Rutland–Melton CiCLE Classic
Track
[edit]- 1999
- National Track Championships
- 1st
Team pursuit
- 2nd Madison (with Jon Clay)
- 1st
- 2002
- National Track Championships
- 1st
Scratch
- 3rd Points race
- 1st
- 2003
- National Track Championships
- 1st
Points race
- 1st
Madison (with Dean Downing)
- 2nd Scratch
- 1st
- 2004
- 1st
Team pursuit, UCI Track World Cup, Sydney
- 3rd Scratch, National Track Championships
- 2013
- 3rd Madison, National Track Championships (with Jonathan McEvoy)
- 2014
- 2nd Team pursuit, National Track Championships
References
[edit]- ^ "Team Sky profile". Retrieved 24 May 2011.
- ^ MacLeary, John (10 September 2010). "Russell Downing: Q&A". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
- ^ Profile
- ^ "Downing takes Tour of Ireland win". BBC Sport. 23 August 2009. Retrieved 24 August 2009.
- ^ "Downing to Endura Racing in 2012". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. 15 November 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
- ^ Fidler, Richard (20 September 2012). "Rotherham's Russ Downing returns to the big time". Sheffield Star. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
- ^ Bull, Nick (25 September 2013). "Downing brothers reunited at NFTO for 2014". Cycling Weekly. IPC Media. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
- ^ Clarke, Stuart (24 November 2014). "Cult Energy Pro Cycling fire manager after just two months in charge". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
- ^ Bull, Nick (12 October 2015). "Russ Downing among nine new JLT-Condor signings for 2016". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
- ^ "Colne Grand Prix". British Cycling. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
- ^ "Warwick Town Centre Circuit Races". British Cycling. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
- ^ "East Yorkshire Classic". British Cycling. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
- ^ "Clitheroe Town Centre Grand Prix". British Cycling. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
- ^ "Downing Wins Lincoln – But Which One?". Cycling Weekly. 11 May 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- ^ Hickmott, Larry (14 June 2014). "Colne Grand Prix". British Cycling. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
- ^ "East Yorkshire Classic National Circuit Race Championship". British Cycling. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
- ^ Wynn, Nigel (14 June 2009). "Wiggins shows international class with Beaumont Trophy win". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ "Marcin Bialoblocki wins the Girvan". Cycling Weekly. 13 April 2009. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
- ^ Lawrenson, Carl J. "40the Girvan 3 Day Cycle Race". British Cycling. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
- ^ "Jack Pullar wins Monsal Hill-Climb". Cycling Weekly. 6 October 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
- ^ "Stockton Velo29-Altura Grand Prix". British Cycling. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
- ^ "The Ryedale Grand Prix inc The Peter Longbottom Memorial". British Cycling. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
- ^ Whitehouse, Andy (27 July 2014). "Adam Blythe (NFTO Pro Cycling) wins the 2014 Vericool for Schools Circuit of the Fens". British Cycling. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
External links
[edit]- Russell Downing at Cycling Archives
- Russell Downing at ProCyclingStats