Ben Swift
Date of birth: 5 November 1987
Height: 179cm
Weight: 69kg
Team: Team Ineos
Although recognised more as a sprinter on the road, Ben Swift's formative years in the saddle were spent as a track rider. His talents in the velodrome were spotted early on by British Cycling as he won junior national titles, and he became part of its Academy.
Success on the road followed in 2007, when Swift won a stage of the Giro delle Regioni in Italy and won the mountains classification in the Tour of Britain riding as a stagiaire for the Barloworld team.
In 2009, Swift got his first taste of being on a top-level team as he was signed to Katusha, where he won a stage of the Tour of Britain.
He was then signed by Sky for 2010, where he amassed a series of victories and high placings in prestigious races. The pinnacle has so far perhaps been his second place at Milan-San Remo in 2016 – following on from his third in 2014 – once again showing he has the potential to contest the biggest races.
After seven seasons with Sky, Swift elected to switch to the UAE Abu Dhabi team for 2017.
Clearly preferring the British nature of team Sky, he switched back for the 2019 season. He won the 2019 British national championships, arguably his biggest result to date.
Although a major victory has thus far eluded Swift, not least due to niggling injuries, a big win is surely just around the corner as the likeable Rotherham man reaches his early thirties.
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Geraint Thomas headlines eight-man Ineos Grenadiers squad for British National Road Championships
Welshman part of strong line-up for WorldTour team alongside two-time winner Ben Swift
By Tom Thewlis Published
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‘It’s a good thing and shows progression of the sport’ - Ben Swift hails changes at British Cycling academy
Ineos Grenadier says putting academy riders in with development teams will encourage development of many skills
By Tom Thewlis Published
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Ben Swift among five contract renewals as Ineos Grenadiers complete 2022 squad
Jonathan Castroviejo, Salvatore Puccio, Brandon Rivera and Cameron Wurf also sign deals taking them into next season
By Adam Becket Published
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British champion Ben Swift extends contract with Team Ineos
Owain Doull and Chris Lawless also among those give new contracts with the British team
By Richard Windsor Published
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Inaugural Abu Dhabi Tour hailed a success by riders and organisers alike
Riders like Vincenzo Nibali, Ben Swift and Esteban Chaves praise the inaugural Abu Dhabi Tour, which has enjoyed a successful, if hot, debut
By Gregor Brown Published
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Pit yourself against Team Sky riders in a time trial around Silverstone race track
Team Sky riders have set their best times around Silverstone and you can try and beat them at Operation Smile's charity time trial challenge
By Stuart Clarke Published
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Ben Swift signs to Team Sky for two more years
Yorkshireman Ben Swift extends with British WorldTour outfit Sky for two more years
By Nigel Wynn Published
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Ben Swift hits WorldTour top 10 after Milan-San Remo ride
British rider Ben Swift joins Sky team-mate Geraint Thomas in the top 10 of the UCI WorldTour ranking
By Nigel Wynn Published
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Ben Swift outlines his early season with new team UAE Abu Dhabi
British sprinter Ben Swift unveils full roster of early-season races in his first year with UAE Abu Dhabi team, including Milan-San Remo
By Nigel Wynn Published
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Ben Swift takes Ruta del Sol overall lead as Oscar Gatto wins third stage
Team Sky's Ben Swift takes the overall lead at the Ruta del Sol after finishing second behind Oscar Gatto on stage three of the race
By Stuart Clarke Published
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Ben Swift recovering after suffering spleen rupture in training crash
Swift hopes to be recovered in time to compete at Milan-San Remo in March
By Gregor Brown Published
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Ben Swift 'close' on contract with new team for 2019 season
Briton leaves UAE Team Emirates after a difficult two years
By Richard Windsor Published
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Colnago owners' day: celebrating the Italian brand with its biggest fans
Last autumn saw the very first Colnago owners’ day in the UK — CW joined the Italophiles in Gloucestershire to ask them what makes their bikes so special - Photos by Jesse Wild
By Simon Smythe Published
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Ben Swift wins Tour of the Basque Country stage five
Yorkshireman Ben Swift (Team Sky) takes uphill sprint on stage five of Tour of the Basque country to continue his rich vein of form
By Richard Abraham Published
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Ben Swift unsure of future with Team Sky
British rider Ben Swift may look elsewhere when his contract ends as team and personal targets move further apart
By Nick Bull Published
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Ben Swift: ‘Laying in intensive care, coming back is the last thing on your mind’
Ben Swift has reflected on his undulating fortunes as he is set to lead the men’s road race team at the Yorkshire 2019 World Championships.
By Alex Ballinger Published
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Ben Swift, Ian Stannard and Luke Rowe all pull out of British National Road Race Championships
Alex Peters and Andy Fenn will be Team Sky's only representatives in the 2016 British National Road Race Championships
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
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Ben Swift heads Team Sky's RideLondon-Surrey Classic line-up
Team Sky announces rosters for RideLondon Surrey Classic, Clásica San Sebastián, Tour of Poland and Tour of Denmark
By Nigel Wynn Published
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Ben Swift: 'I took a drink and then the break split. A demonstration of how to mess up a race'
UAE-Team Emirates Ben Swift was frustrated that he was unable to contest the final kilometres of stage 19 of the Tour de France
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
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Ben Swift wins opening stage of Settimana Coppi e Bartali
Rotherham sprinter Ben Swift follows podium spot in Milan-San Remo with win in Italian stage race
By Nigel Wynn Published
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Marcel Kittel takes his second stage win in Giro d'Italia
German sprinter Marcel Kittel edges out Ben Swift to take his second consecutive stage win
By Stephen Puddicombe Published
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Ben Swift looking to the future after 'inspiring' year for British cycling
Having suffered from a bad injury at the Tour de Yorkshire this year, Ben Swift is looking to regain his form for 2016 and return to being part of British cycling's continuing success
By Gregor Brown Published
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Ben Swift celebrating podium spot in his first Milan-San Remo
Ben Swift says he felt 'better and better' as the 300km Milan-San Remo progressed, eventually placing third
By Gregor Brown Published
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Ben Swift: Milan-San Remo is the one thing I'm thinking about
Cycling Weekly joined Ben Swift to ride Box Hill and talk about his upcoming race schedule
By Jack Elton-Walters Published
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Ben Swift has 'mad rush home' from Abu Dhabi Tour for birth of first child
UAE Team Emirates sprinter Ben Swift had late night home from the Abu Dhabi Tour on Saturday to attend the birth of his first child.
By Vern Pitt Published
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Ben Swift set to leave Team Sky for Lampre in 2017
Ben Swift will join the Chinese backed Lampre team for the 2017 season after six years at Sky
By Gregor Brown Published
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‘Leaving Team Sky was a now or never. I have a massive opportunity to perform across the year’
CW sits down with Ben Swift as he heads through his first season since leaving Team Sky, with an eye on a Monument win
By Gregor Brown Published
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Adam Blythe wins Revolution's longest lap race (video)
Adam Blythe beats Ben Swift in the uniquely slow mass-start bike race at the opening round of the Revolution Series in London
By Nigel Wynn Published
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Ben Swift ‘missed Team Sky's unity’ as he takes Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana stage two podium
Ben Swift says he missed Team Sky’s unity as he took a podium finish in the Volta a Valenciana stage two sprint.
By Alex Ballinger Published