| Intro | English racing cyclist |
| Is |
Athlete Sport cyclist |
| From | United Kingdom |
| Type | Sports |
| Gender | male |
| Birth | 4 January 1970, London |
| Age: | 50 years |
Matthew Stephens (born 4 January 1970) is a British former professional road racing cyclist, who rode as a professional between 1998 and 2011.
Biography
Stephens was successful as a junior rider, winning the Junior Tour of Wales in both 1987 and 1988, one of only two riders to win the race twice. He represented Great Britain at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, finishing 61st in the road race. Stephens finished 8th in the Amateur World Road Race Championships in 1995, earning Team GB their squad for the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. However, he was not selected for the Olympic Road Race team that year, causing some uproar amongst fans of the sport. He became the British National Road Race Champion in 1998. After this he turned professional with the British-based Harrods team in 1998, before riding for the Linda McCartney Racing Team in 1999 until their demise in February 2001. During the 2000 3-week Giro d’Italia race he battled through with injuries from a fall, earning media admiration. He rode for Sigma Sport between 2001 and 2011, acting as rider/manager from 2010 onwards. He combined his racing at Sigma Sport with a career in the police with Cheshire Constabulary, which he joined in 2001. A broken knee in the 2011 Paris-Troyes ended his racing career.
Since retiring from racing, he has written for various websites as well as being the ‘specialist’ on ITV4’s Halfords Tour Series and Tour of Britain coverage, and commentating on live races for British Cycling’s Premier Calendar and Eurosport. He also works as a presenter for Global Cycling Network, a YouTube channel backed by Shift Active Media.
Palmarès
- 1987
- 1st Overall Junior Tour of Wales
- 1988
- 1st Overall Junior Tour of Wales
- 1989
- 1st Hessen Rundfahrt
- 1993
- 1st Overall Tour of the Peak
- 1994
- 3rd National Amateur Criterium Championships
- 1995
- 1st Tom Simpson Memorial
- 3rd Rás Tailteann
- 7th World Amateur Road Race Championships
- 1997
- 3rd National Road Race Championships
- 1998
- 1st National Road Race Championships
- 2nd Havant International GP
- 3rd Overall Tour of Greece
- 1999
- 1st Tom Simpson Memorial
- 4th National Road Race Championships
- 2000
- 2nd Overall Tour of the Cotswolds
- 4th Overall Tour de Langkawi
- 4th National Road Race Championships
- 8th Overall Tour Down Under
- 2001
- 1st Manx Trophy
- 3rd Lincoln International GP
- 3rd Tour of the Peak
- 2002
- 2nd Neil Gardner Memorial
- 2003
- 3rd Havant International GP
- 1st Overall Tour of Northumberland
- 3rd Stage 2
- 2006
- 1st Worcester St Johns RR
- 3rd Overall Tour of the Reservoir
- 3rd Rydale GP
- 2007
- 3rd East Yorkshire Classic Roadrace
- 2008
- 4th Grand Prix of Wales
- 2009
- 7th Rutland–Melton International CiCLE Classic
- 2010
- 2nd Dumfries Bike Fest Grand Prix
- 9th East Yorkshire Classic