Stuart O'Grady

Stuart O Grady in the Tour de France (abc.net.au)

The Australian cyclist Stuart O’Grady is my idea of a living legend. Born in 1973 in Adelaide, he came from a cycling background; his father represented South Australia in road and track cycling events and his uncle competed in the Tokyo Olympic games. When Stuart first started cycling, even the girls in his age group could beat him. However, in time he managed to improve his fitness and racing technique due to his determination and focus.

His professional racing career started in 1992 when at 19 years of age, he joined the European cycling team, GAN later called Credit Agricole. At this time he began training hard and racing on the European circuit. He competed in the Summer Olympics in 1992 in Barcelona and managed to win a silver medal in the Men’s 4000m Team Pursuit. Feeling very proud of this achievement, he went home and continued training hard for the next four years.

In 1996 he was back to compete in the next Olympics in Atlanta and earned a further two bronze medals. From this base he went on to perform well in many major world cycling events. He was successful in winning stages in the Herald Sun Tour and the Down Under Tour in Australia, as well as many stage wins in major European Tours.

Stuart O Grady in the Tour de France (letourfotoside.nl)

Probably the highlight of this period was his first stage win in the 1998 Tour de France. This is such a difficult and prestigious event that to break through and win a stage was an amazing achievement for Stuart. He became only the second Australian cyclist ever to win a stage in the Tour de France. This grueling event is so dominated by European and American cyclists that for an Australian to win a coveted “maillot jaune” was remarkable. This performance contributed to his selection as the Australian Cyclist of the Year in 1998.

In 2001 he again wore the yellow jersey for five days in the Tour de France. However, his career suffered a setback when he was diagnosed with a blocked artery. Tests found that Stuart’s right leg produced more power than his left leg and he had to have surgery the following year. After the surgery he started training to get back in shape for racing by the summer.

In 2004, he moved from Credit Agricole to the Cofidis team. His career with the new team started badly when he suffered a series of injuries and doping allegations. He made a comeback by winning two stages in the Dauphine Libere race. He continued with a stage win in the Tour de France, several days in the green jersey and a victory in the World Cup Race HEW Cyclassics. Stuart reestablished his reputation as a great cyclist by winning an Olympic gold medal at Athens in 2004 in the Madison. This track event medal highlights Stuart’s versatility as a cyclist. He has performed at world class level in both track and road cycling events.

Stuart O Grady and son Seth (washingtonpost.com)

In a career spanning 13 years, Stuart O’Grady has a string of major stage wins, yellow and green jerseys as well as Olympic medals to his credit. I consider him to be a living legend in his sport. He has experienced serious health and fitness problems and has worked hard to overcome these obstacles. He demonstrates the essential qualities for success as an athlete at the elite level and provides a great role model for others to follow. Stuart O’Grady is My Hero.