Rachel Atherton

Rachel Atherton
Personal information
Full name Rachel Laura Atherton
Nickname Waynehead
Born December 6, 1987
 England
 United Kingdom
Height 170 cm (5 ft 7 in)
Weight 65 kg (143 lb)
Team information
Current team GT
Discipline BMX & MTB
Role Rider
Rider type DH
Professional team(s)
2011- GT
Major wins
United Kingdom GBR DH National Champion (2 Wins)
European Union EUR DH European Champion (2 Wins)
UCI DH World Champion (1 Wins)
UCI DH Junior World Champion (1 Wins)
UCI DH World Cup (8 Wins)
UCI DH World Cup Overall (2 Wins)
Infobox last updated on
5 May 2012

Rachel Laura Atherton (born 6 December 1987, near Salisbury) is a professional racing cyclist specialising in downhill mountain bike racing, and is a multiple national champion.

Atherton began riding BMX at the age of 8 and mountain biking at the age of 11.[1] She was both Sunday Times' Sportswoman of the Year[2] and BBC Midlands Junior Sportswoman of the Year[3] in 2005, and then BBC Midlands Sportswoman of the Year in 2008.[4]

Career

Since 2007 Rachel Atherton has been part of the Animal Commençal race team along with brothers Dan Atherton and Gee Atherton. In 2012, Rachel along with brothers Dan, Gee and Marc Beaumont signed with GT Bicycles.

In June 2008 Rachel Atherton became the first British woman to win the Elite UCI Downhill World Championship, defeating second placed Sabrina Jonnier by 11.99 seconds in the final.[5]

Rachel Atherton was involved in an accident[6] with a pickup truck whilst on a time trial training ride with brothers Dan and Gee in Santa Cruz, California, on January 18, 2009. She sustained a dislocated shoulder which, after later needing a nerve graft,[7] ruled her out of the 2009 racing season, including the September World Championships in Canberra.[8]

In September 2012, Rachel Atherton took the final World Cup round on a diverse and testing Norwegian track and clinched the overall title, despite missing the opening race of the season. The Norwegian race was the final round of a seven round series in which Atherton claimed a win in 5 of the 6 events she raced.

Palmarès

2002
1st United Kingdom DH, British National Mountain Biking Championships – Youth
2004
1st United Kingdom DH, British National Mountain Biking Championships
2nd DH, UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships, Les Gets, France – Junior
2005
1st European Union DH, European Mountain Bike Championships
1st United Kingdom DH, British National Mountain Biking Championships
1st DH, UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships, Livigno, Italy – Junior
2006
2nd DH, British National Mountain Biking Championships
3rd DH, UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships, Rotorua, New Zealand
1st European Union DH, European Mountain Bike Championships
1st DH, Lisboa Downtown Championships, Lisbon, Portugal
1st DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Round 5, Balneario Camboriu
3rd DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Series Overall
2007
2nd DH, UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships, Fort William
1st DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Round 5, Maribor
1st DH, Maxxis Cup, Round 1
1st DH, Sea Otter Classic
3rd DS, Sea Otter Classic
1st DH, NPS, Round 1
1st DH, NPS, Round 3, Moelfre
1st DH, NPS, Round 4, Caersws
2nd DH, NPS, Round 5, Innerleithen
1st Fat Face Night Race
1st Street Race, Edinburgh
2008
1st DH, Maxxis Cup, Gouveia, Portugal
1st DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Round 1, Maribor, Slovenia
1st DH, Alpine Bikes Winter series, Scotland
1st Canada DH, Canadian Open, Kokanee Crankworx, Whistler, Canada
1st DH, Monster Energy Garbanzo Downhill, Kokanee Crankworx, Whistler, Canada
1st DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Round 2, Vallnord, Andorra
3rd DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Round 3, Fort William, Scotland
1st DH, UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships, Trentino, Italy
1st DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Round 4, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada
1st DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Round 5, Bromont, Canada
2nd DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Round 6, Canberra, Australia
1st DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Round 7, Schladming, Austria
1st DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Series Overall

2010

1st DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Round 1, Maribor, Slovenia
1st DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Round 6, Windham, United States
2012
1st European Downhill Cup, Round 1, Monte Tamaro, Switzerland
1st European Downhill Cup, Round 2, Leogang, Austria
2nd British Downhill Series, Round 1, Combe Sydenham, England
2nd British Downhill Series, Round 2, Fort William, Scotland
1st DH, British National Mountain Biking Championships
1st DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Round 2, Val di Sole, Italy
2nd DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Round 3, Fort William, Scotland
1st DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Round 4, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada
1st DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Round 5, Windham, United States
1st DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Round 6, Val d'Isère, France
1st DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Round 7, Hafjell, Norway
1st DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Series Overall
2013
1st DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Round 1, Fort William, Scotland
1st DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Round 2, Val di Sole, Italy
1st DH, UCI Mountain Bike World Cup, Series Overall

References

  1. ↑ "Rachel Atherton Interview". British Cycling. 16 April 2008.
  2. ↑ "Atherton awarded Young Sportswoman". Cycling News. November 2005.
  3. ↑ "Rachel wins BBC Midlands title". BBC Shropshire. 5 December 2005.
  4. ↑ "Rachel Atherton wins BBC Midlands Sportswoman of the Year!". Pinkbike. 8 December 2008.
  5. ↑ "Gee and Rachel Atherton will remember the 21st of June 2008 for a long time". Union Cycliste Internationale. 21 June 2008.
  6. ↑ "Rachel Atherton Car Crash Accident". Pinkbike.com. 20 January 2009.
  7. ↑ "Finally! A Decision!". AnimalCommencal. 1 May 2009.
  8. ↑ "World Championships, World Champion.". Atherton Racing. 12 August 2009.

External links