Rachel Atherton
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Rachel Laura Atherton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nickname | Waynehead | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Salisbury, England, United Kingdom | 6 December 1987||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 65 kg (143 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | Atherton Racing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Discipline | BMX & MTB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Role | Rider | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rider type | DH | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Professional teams | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2007–2011 | Animal Commençal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2011–2015 | GT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2015–2018 | Trek Factory Racing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2018– | Atherton Bikes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Major wins | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
DH World Champion (x5) DH World Cup (x6 overall, 40 rounds) DH European Champion DH National Champion (x6) DH Junior World Champion DH Junior European Champion | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Rachel Laura Atherton (born 6 December 1987) is a British professional
Atherton began riding BMX at the age of 8 and mountain biking at the age of 11.
Career
For 5 years from 2007, Atherton was part of the
In June 2008 Atherton became the first British woman to win the
Atherton was involved in a collision with a
In September 2012, 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.
In June 2016, Atherton became the first woman to win 10 consecutive rounds of the World Cup, surpassing the record previously held by Anne-Caroline Chausson.[11] In September that same year, she also achieved the unprecedented feat of winning every round in a World Cup season.[12]
In 2019, Atherton suffered an injury to her Achilles tendon during a practice session, necessitating a prolonged period of recovery that sidelined her for the entirety of the 2020 season opener. [13]
In 2023, Atherton made a comeback to competitive riding at the UCI Downhill World Cup in Lenzerheide, clinching the first-place victory. [14]
Personal life
Atherton keeps the rainbow jerseys she won for being world champion in a birdcage, so that she can "take them out, touch them and remember those races.".[15]
Atherton gave birth to a daughter on August 4th, 2021.[16]
Palmarès
- 2002
- 1st British National Mountain Biking Championships (DH) – Youth
- 2004
- 1st British National Mountain Biking Championships (DH)
- 2nd UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships (DH) – Junior
- 2005
- 1st British National Mountain Biking Championships (DH)
- 1st UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships (DH) – Junior
- 1st European Mountain Bike Championships (DH) - Junior
- 2006
- 1st European Mountain Bike Championships (DH)
- 1st Lisboa Downtown Championships
- 3rd Overall UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH)
- 1st Round 5 (Balneário Camboriú, Brazil)
- 2nd British National Mountain Biking Championships (DH)
- 3rd UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships (DH)
- 2007
- 1st UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH), Round 5 (Maribor, Slovenia)
- 1st Maxxis Cup DH Round 1
- 1st Sea Otter Classic
- 1st NPS DH, Round 1
- 1st NPS DH, Round 3 (Moelfre)
- 1st NPS DH, Round 4 (Caersws)
- 1st Fat Face Night Race
- 1st Street Race, Edinburgh
- 2nd UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships (DH)
- 2nd NPS DH, Round 5 (Innerleithen)
- 3rd DS, Sea Otter Classic
- 2008
- 1st UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships (DH)
- 1st Overall UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH)
- 2nd Round 1 (Maribor, Slovenia)
- 1st Round 2 (Vallnord, Andorra)
- 3rd Round 3 (Fort William, Scotland)
- 1st Round 4 (Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada)
- 1st Round 5 (Bromont, Canada)
- 2nd Round 6 (Canberra, Australia)
- 1st Round 7 (Schladming, Austria)
- 1st Maxxis Cup DH (Gouveia, Portugal)
- 1st Alpine Bikes Winter series DH (Scotland)
- 1st Canadian Open DH (Whistler, Canada)
- 1st Monster Energy Garbanzo Downhill (Whistler, Canada)
- 2010
- UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH)
- 1st Round 1 (Maribor, Slovenia)
- 2nd Round 2 (Fort William, Scotland)
- 1st Round 6 (Windham, United States)
- 2011
- 2nd UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships (DH)
- 3rd Overall UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH)
- 2nd Round 2 (Fort William, Scotland)
- 2nd Round 3 (Leogang, Austria)
- 3rd Round 4 (Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada)
- 1st Round 5 (Windham, United States)
- 3rd Round 7 (Val di Sole, Italy)
- 2012
- 1st British National Mountain Biking Championships (DH)
- 1st Overall UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH)
- 1st Round 2 (Val di Sole, Italy)
- 2nd Round 3 (Fort William, Scotland)
- 1st Round 4 (Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada)
- 1st Round 5 (Windham, United States)
- 1st Round 6 (Val d'Isère, France)
- 1st Round 7 (Hafjell, Norway)
- 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)
- 2013
- 1st UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships (DH)
- 1st Overall UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH)
- 1st Round 1 (Fort William, Scotland)
- 1st Round 2 (Val di Sole, Italy)
- 1st Round 3 (Vallnord, Andorra)
- 2nd Round 4 (Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada)
- 1st Round 5 (Hafjell, Norway)
- 2nd Round 6 (Leogang, Austria)
- 2014
- 2nd UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships (DH)
- 2nd Overall UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH)
- 2nd Round 1 (Pietermaritzburg, South Africa)
- 1st Round 2 (Cairns, Australia)
- 2nd Round 4 (Leogang, Austria)
- 2nd Round 5 (Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada)
- 2nd Round 6 (Windham, United States)
- 1st Round 7 (Méribel, France)
- 2015
- 1st UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships (DH)
- 1st British National Mountain Biking Championships (DH)
- 1st Overall UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH)
- 2nd Round 1 (Lourdes, France)
- 1st Round 2 (Fort William, Scotland)
- 1st Round 3 (Leogang, Austria)
- 1st Round 4 (Lenzerheide, Switzerland)
- 1st Round 5 (Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada)
- 1st Round 6 (Windham, United States)
- 1st Round 7 (Val di Sole, Italy)
- 1st British Downhill Series, Round 2 (Fort William, Scotland)
- 2016
- 1st UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships (DH)
- 1st British National Mountain Biking Championships (DH)
- 1st Overall UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH)
- 1st Round 1 (Lourdes, France)
- 1st Round 2 (Cairns, Australia)
- 1st Round 3 (Fort William, Scotland)
- 1st Round 4 (Leogang, Austria)
- 1st Round 5 (Lenzerheide, Switzerland)
- 1st Round 6 (Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada)
- 1st Round 7 (Vallnord, Andorra)
- 2017
- 1st British National Mountain Biking Championships (DH)
- UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH)
- 1st Round 1 (Lourdes, France)
- 2nd Round 5 (Lenzerheide, Switzerland)
- 2018
- 1st UCI Mountain Bike World Championships (DH)
- 1st Overall UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH)
- 2nd Round 1 (Lošinj, Croatia)
- 3rd Round 2 (Fort William, Scotland)
- 1st Round 3 (Leogang, Austria)
- 2nd Round 4 (Val di Sole, Italy)
- 2nd Round 5 (Vallnord, Andorra)
- 1st Round 6 (Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada)
- 1st Round 7 (La Bresse, France)
- 2023
- UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH)
- 1st Round 1 (Lenzerheide, Switzerland)
References
- ^ "Rachel Atherton Interview". British Cycling. 16 April 2008. Archived from the original on 21 June 2008. Retrieved 2 June 2008.
- ^ "Atherton awarded Young Sportswoman". Cycling News. November 2005.
- ^ "Rachel wins BBC Midlands title". BBC Shropshire. 5 December 2005. Archived from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2008.
- ^ "Rachel Atherton wins BBC Midlands Sportswoman of the Year!". Pinkbike. 8 December 2008.
- ^ "Red Bull Foxhunt with Rachel Atherton". Red Bull. October 2015.
- ^ "Atherton Racing + Trek". Pinkbike. 11 November 2015.
- ^ "Gee and Rachel Atherton will remember the 21st of June 2008 for a long time". Union Cycliste Internationale. 21 June 2008.
- ^ "Rachel Atherton Car Crash Accident". Pinkbike.com. 20 January 2009.
- ^ "Finally! A Decision!". AnimalCommencal. 1 May 2009. Archived from the original on 5 May 2009.
- ^ "World Championships, World Champion". Atherton Racing. 12 August 2009. Archived from the original on 22 August 2009.
- ^ Smurthwaite, James (12 June 2016). "Leogang World Cup 2016: Rachel Atherton takes record breaking tenth consecutive win". dirtmountainbike.com. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
- ^ "Rachel Atherton wins women's race: 2016 Vallnord World Cup". dirtmountainbike.com. 3 September 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
- ^ ""It was a bit of an eye-opener": Rachel Atherton on returning to racing". Red Bull. 21 July 2022. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- ^ "Inside Rachel Atherton's stunning UCI Downhill World Cup victory". Red Bull. 12 June 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- ^ "Rachel Atherton: British mountain biker goes for fifth downhill World Championship title". BBC Sport. 4 September 2018.
- ^ Smurthwaite, James (9 August 2021). "Rachel Atherton Announces Birth of Baby Daughter Arna". pinkbike.
External links
- Athlete profile of Rache Atherton on Redbull.com
- Rachel Atherton at Cycling Archives
- athertonracing.co.uk
- animalcommencal.com
- Interview: Rachel Atherton, Douglas Cook, Descent World, 2004
- An interview with the Athertons, Steve Thomas, Cycling News, 6 September 2007
- Silverfish Atherton Racing Profiles
- Rachel Atherton's bio