STUART O'GRADY

Date of birth: 06/08/1973

From: Adelaide, Australia

Team: Retired

Previous teams: Orica-GreenEdge (2012-2013), Leopard-Trek (2011), Team Saxo-Bank (2006-2010); Cofidis (2004-2005); Crédit Agricole (1998-2003)

Stuart O'Grady career profile

A rouleur in the purest sense, O'Grady has earned his reputation as one of the hard men in cycling.

A former track rider with Commonwealth and Olympic gold medals to his name, his biggest professional win appropriately came in a velodrome, powering away from the peloton to seal the 2007 edition of Paris-Roubaix.

On top of this, he has spent numerous days wearing the yellow jersey and has added two individual stage wins in the Tour de France in 1998 and 2004 to his palmarès.

Unfortunately, claiming the green jersey on the Champs Elysées has always eluded the Australian and he has finished second in the points competition on four occasions in 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2005.

In recent years, O'Grady has become more used to being seen stamping on his pedals at the front of the pack than on the podium.

Working under Bjarne Riis at CSC and Saxo-Bank, he has served as a loyal domestique to Carlos Sastre and the Schleck brothers in many a Grand Tour, following the latter pair to Leopard-Trek in 2010.

Despite having had more than his fair share of injuries and illnesses during his career, the worst of which came in 2001 when he was diagnosed with a narrowing of an artery in his leg, ‘Stuey' is showing no signs of slowing down with age.

Although without any major wins, O'Grady continued to play a key team role as he linked up with the Australian GreenEdge superteam in 2012.

O'Grady was part of Orica-GreenEdge's 2013 Tour de France stage-winning team time trial squad, which set the record for the fastest average speed of a Tour stage. It was O'Grady's 17th Tour appearance in an unbroken run since debuting in the race in 1997.

He announced his retirement from the sport on Monday, July 22, the day after the 2013 Tour finished.

Stuart O'Grady results

2008

Herald Sun Tour; overall classification

Herald Sun Tour; stage five

Herald Sun Tour; stage two

2007

Paris-Roubaix

2006

Vuelta a España; stage one (TTT)

Eindhoven Team Time Trial

2005

Tour de France; second, points classification

2004

Olympic Games; gold, men's madison

Tour of Denmark; stage four

Tour de France; stage five

Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré; points classification

Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré; stage seven

Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré; stage five

GP de Viller-Cotterêts

2003

Tour de Langkawi; stage eight

Tour de Langkawi; stage six

Australian National Championships; road race

2002

Commonwealth Games; road race

2001

Tour de France; second, points classification

Tour de France; leader, stages three to nine

Tour de France; stage five (TTT)

Tour Down Under; overall classification

2000

GP du Midi Libre; stage three

Melbourne to Sorrento

1999

Tour de France; second, points classification

Pru Tour (Tour of Britain); stage five

Classic Haribo

Tour Méditerranéen; stage 3b (TTT)

Tour Down Under; overall classification

Tour Down Under; stage five

Tour Down Under; stage three

1998

Tour de France; second, points classification

Tour de France; stage 14

Tour de France; leader, stages four to six

1996

Olympic Games; bronze, men's points race

Olympic Games; bronze, men's team pursuit

Related links

Cycling Weekly Rider Profiles index

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Richard Abraham is an award-winning writer, based in New Zealand. He has reported from major sporting events including the Tour de France and Olympic Games, and is also a part-time travel guide who has delivered luxury cycle tours and events across Europe. In 2019 he was awarded Writer of the Year at the PPA Awards.