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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