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Russell Downing

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Russell Downing
Personal information
Full nameRussell Downing
Born (1978-08-23) 23 August 1978 (age 46)
Rotherham, England
Height1.71 m (5 ft 7+12 in)
Weight64 kg (141 lb)[1]
Team information
Current teamRetired
Disciplines
  • Road
  • Track
RoleRider
Rider typeSprinter
Amateur teams
1998Brite Voice
2000Miche Pena
2001UVCA Troyes
2019Giordana Cycling
Professional teams
1999–2001Linda McCartney On Tour
2002iTeamNova.com
2003Time Life Repair
2004–2005Recycling.co.uk–MG X-Power
2006Driving Force Logistics
2007Health Net–Maxxis
2008Pinarello Racing Team
2009CandiTV–Marshalls Pasta
2010–2011Team Sky
2012Endura Racing
2013NetApp–Endura
2014NFTO
2015Cult Energy Pro Cycling
2016–2017JLT–Condor
2018Holdsworth
Major wins
Stage races
Tour of Ireland (2009)
Tour de Wallonie (2010)

One-day races and Classics

National Road Race Championships (2005)

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

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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

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Road

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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 Points classification
1st Stage 1
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
1st Points classification
1st Stage 4
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 Points classification
1st Stage 1
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
1st Points classification
1st Stage 1
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

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References

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  1. ^ "Team Sky profile". Retrieved 24 May 2011.
  2. ^ MacLeary, John (10 September 2010). "Russell Downing: Q&A". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  3. ^ Profile
  4. ^ "Downing takes Tour of Ireland win". BBC Sport. 23 August 2009. Retrieved 24 August 2009.
  5. ^ "Downing to Endura Racing in 2012". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. 15 November 2011. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  6. ^ Fidler, Richard (20 September 2012). "Rotherham's Russ Downing returns to the big time". Sheffield Star. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  7. ^ Bull, Nick (25 September 2013). "Downing brothers reunited at NFTO for 2014". Cycling Weekly. IPC Media. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
  8. ^ Clarke, Stuart (24 November 2014). "Cult Energy Pro Cycling fire manager after just two months in charge". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  9. ^ Bull, Nick (12 October 2015). "Russ Downing among nine new JLT-Condor signings for 2016". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
  10. ^ "Colne Grand Prix". British Cycling. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  11. ^ "Warwick Town Centre Circuit Races". British Cycling. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  12. ^ "East Yorkshire Classic". British Cycling. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  13. ^ "Clitheroe Town Centre Grand Prix". British Cycling. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  14. ^ "Downing Wins Lincoln – But Which One?". Cycling Weekly. 11 May 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
  15. ^ Hickmott, Larry (14 June 2014). "Colne Grand Prix". British Cycling. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
  16. ^ "East Yorkshire Classic National Circuit Race Championship". British Cycling. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  17. ^ Wynn, Nigel (14 June 2009). "Wiggins shows international class with Beaumont Trophy win". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  18. ^ "Marcin Bialoblocki wins the Girvan". Cycling Weekly. 13 April 2009. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  19. ^ Lawrenson, Carl J. "40the Girvan 3 Day Cycle Race". British Cycling. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  20. ^ "Jack Pullar wins Monsal Hill-Climb". Cycling Weekly. 6 October 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
  21. ^ "Stockton Velo29-Altura Grand Prix". British Cycling. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  22. ^ "The Ryedale Grand Prix inc The Peter Longbottom Memorial". British Cycling. Retrieved 7 August 2014.
  23. ^ 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.
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