Wendy Houvenaghel retires as injury prevents Glasgow ride
Three time track world champion Wendy Houvenaghel announces retirement - Injury keeps her out of Commonwealth Games that was due to be her final ride - Houvenaghel retires with world titles and an Olympic silver medal


Wendy Houvenaghel has announced she is to retire from competitive cycling ahead of the Commonwealth Games. She was due to ride for Northern Ireland but an injury sustained while training has ruled her out.
Houvenaghel was a regular on Britain's track squad since 2006 where she debuted at the track world championships in the individual pursuit. She then became a cornerstone of the women's team pursuit squad when it became a world championships event in Manchester 2008.
She was part of the winning team that year, in 2009 and again in 2011. In 2010 she won a silver medal, the only year the British team did not win the team pursuit title.
Houvenaghel won an Olympic silver medal in Beijing behind Rebecca Romero. At London 2012 Houvenaghel was the fourth rider in the British team pursuit squad. She trained with Laura Trott, Joanna Rowsell and Dani King - who set three world records in three rides on their way to a gold medal - throughout the 2012 season but wasn't given a ride in any of the three rounds and therefore wasn't elligible for a medal. Something she bitterly complained about in an interview with the BBC. She hasn't been funded by the British squad since then.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Editor of Cycling Weekly magazine, Simon has been working at the title since 2001. He fell in love with cycling when channel surfing in 1989 and happening across the greatest ever edition of the Tour de France. He's been a Greg LeMond fan ever since. He started racing in 1995 when moving to university in North Wales gave him more time to train and some amazing roads to train on. He raced domestically for several years, riding everything from Surrey leagues to time trials, track and even a few Premier Calendars. In 2000 he spent one season racing in Belgium with the Kingsnorth International Wheelers.
Since working for Cycling Weekly he has written product reviews, fitness features, pro interviews, race coverage and news. He has covered the Tour de France more times than he can remember along with two Olympic Games and many other international and UK domestic races. He can still be seen at his club's evening races through the summer but he still hasn't completed the CW5000 challenge!
SIMON IS CURRENTLY RIDING
Road bike: Pinarello K8S with Shimano Dura Ace
TT bike: Specialized Venge road bike with FFWD wheels and Easton Attack TT bars
Gravel bike: N/A
Training bike: Rourke custom hand made with Reynolds 853 steel
-
-
Training for ultimate fitness gains as you age: Cycling into your 40s, 50s and beyond
A decline in your performance ceiling is natural as you age, but it doesn't mean you have to slow down - here's how you can adapt your training and approach to keep on getting faster
By Michelle Arthurs-Brennan • Published
-
Rondo launches Ratt all-road bike with variable geometry for swapping wheels
Both 650b and 700c wheels can be accommodated – and the geometry tailored to suit.
By Stefan Abram • Published
-
Jason Kenny retires from cycling, becomes GB sprint coach
Britain's most successful Olympian steps off bike after winning seven gold medals over career
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Ghent Six Day 2021: everything you need to know
Our guide on everything Ghent Six Day as the racing returns after a year out due to the Pandemic
By Tim Bonville-Ginn • Published
-
Olympic gold medal sprinter Phil Hindes announces retirement at 29
Hindes was an essential part of the GB team sprint squad, winning gold in London 2012 and Rio 2016
By Alex Ballinger • Published
-
‘The dream is a reality’: Ashton Lambie sets staggering individual pursuit record, breaking the four-minute barrier
The US track rider claimed the record from Filippo Ganna
By Alex Ballinger • Published
-
'I’ll make sure there’s a bike available if you think you’re good enough' - British Cycling boss responds to critics after Tokyo 2020 Olympics
Team GB was the best cycling nation in this year’s Games, matching the number of medals from London and Rio
By Alex Ballinger • Published
-
Kit, temperatures, and practice - How records fell on the opening day of Tokyo 2020 Olympics track cycling
With team pursuit world records falling in the first session, we asked Aerocoach expert Xavier Disley why
By Alex Ballinger • Published
-
Elinor Barker confident of catching Germany after qualifying second fastest at Tokyo Olympics
On a rapid opening day to the track events, the GB women’s team pursuit squad made mistakes but were still near the top of the standings
By Alex Ballinger • Published
-
European Track Championships cancelled after ‘hijacking’ of Ryanair flight in Belarus
The European Championships were the last major event before the Tokyo Olympics
By Alex Ballinger • Published