Ji Cheng (cyclist)

Ji Cheng

Ji Cheng at the 2015 Brabantse Pijl.
Personal information
Nickname Breakaway killer[1]
Born July 15, 1987
Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight 65 kg (143 lb; 10.2 st)
Team information
Current team Giant-Alpecin
Discipline Road
Professional team(s)
2006 Purapharm
2007– Skil-Shimano
Infobox last updated on
1 January 2014
This is a Chinese name; the family name is Ji.

Ji Cheng (simplified Chinese: 计成; traditional Chinese: 計成; pinyin: Jì Chéng; born 15 July 1987) is a Chinese professional cyclist for the Giant-Alpecin team. He has been a professional since 2006, and has ridden for Giant-Alpecin since 2007, when the team was known as Skil-Shimano.[2]

Before taking up cycling, Ji competed as a runner whilst at school. One factor which led to him switching sports was the weather in his hometown, the northern city of Harbin, where temperatures can drop to -20 °C (-4 °F) in winter, when Ji could train for cycling indoors. Initially a track cyclist, he later switched to road racing.[3] Ji moved to Europe in 2006, competing in amateur criterium races in the Netherlands before turning professional.[4]

In 2012, Ji became the first Chinese rider to race in,[5] and complete, a Grand Tour, when he finished 175th at the Vuelta a España.[6] By taking the start in the 2013 Giro d'Italia, he likewise became the first Chinese cyclist to start that race. The following year he was selected for the 2014 Tour de France, and became the first Chinese rider to compete in the Tour.[3] Ji managed to complete the race despite a knee injury, finishing last as the 2014 race's lanterne rouge.[7]

Palmarès

2008
1st, Stage 1, Tour of South China Sea
2012
Most combative rider Stage 19 Vuelta a España

References

  1. ↑ "Chinese ‘Breakaway Killer’". pelotonmagazine. 14 July 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  2. ↑ "http://www.cyclingarchives.com/coureurfiche.php?coureurid=29359". Retrieved 28 July 2012.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Tolan, Casey (4 July 2014). "Ji Cheng to ride into history as the first Chinese cyclist in the Tour de France". CNN.com. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  4. ↑ Cary, Tom (25 July 2014). "Tour de France 2014: Ji Cheng blazes a trail for China by coming last". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
  5. ↑ Hood, Andrew (21 August 2012). "From China to the Vuelta: Ji Cheng is riding into history". VeloNews (Competitor Group, Inc.). Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  6. ↑ Benson, Daniel (9 September 2012). "Degenkolb takes fifth Vuelta stage win in Madrid". Cycling News (Future Publishing Limited). Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  7. ↑ Austen, Ian (27 July 2014). "Italy’s Vincenzo Nibali Wins the 2014 Tour de France". nytimes.com. Retrieved 27 July 2014.

External links