Elinor Barker
Elinor Jane Barker MBE (born 7 September 1994) is a Welsh road and track racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI Women's Team Uno-X Mobility. Representing Great Britain in international competitions, Barker is an Olympic champion, a three-time World champion and seven-time European champion in the team pursuit, as well as a three-time World champion in the points and scratch races, a World champion in the Madison, a two-time European Madison champion and one time European Elimination race champion. Representing Wales, Barker was also the 2018 Commonwealth Games Points race champion.
Barker was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to cycling.[6][7]
She is the older sister of fellow international cyclist Megan Barker.
Career edit
Early life edit
Elinor Jane Barker from Heath, Cardiff, is the daughter of Graham Barker, deputy headteacher at St Julian's Comprehensive School in Newport.[8] She has two older siblings, Joe and Harri and a sister, Megan, three years her junior and also a successful racing cyclist.[9] She attended Llanishen High School.[8]
Junior career edit
Barker took up cycling with the Maindy Flyers at the age of 10, as a way of getting out of swimming classes.[8][10] She was recruited into British Cycling's Olympic Development Academy,[9] but remained based in Wales until she completed her A-levels in 2013, after which she moved to Manchester to train full-time at Manchester Velodrome.[11]
She became the Junior Time Trial world champion in 2012, completing the 15.6-kilometre (9.7-mile) course in Valkenburg, Netherlands in 22 minutes and 26.29 seconds, beating Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig of Denmark by 35.87 seconds. Subsequently, Barker was named Carwyn James Junior Sportswoman of the Year at the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year awards in 2012.[12]
Professional career edit
In 2013, she became a senior world champion for the first time as a member of the team pursuit squad at the UCI Track World Championships.
Barker represented Wales at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, 2014, winning silver and bronze medals.[13][14]
In September 2014 it was announced that Barker would follow in the footsteps of teammate Laura Trott and join the Matrix Fitness Pro Cycling team for 2015.[15]
At her home world championships in London, Barker was part of the pursuit team along with Ciara Horne, Joanna Rowsell Shand and Trott to claim the bronze medal; after a disappointing qualifying ride.[16] At the 2016 Olympic Games, Barker along with Katie Archibald, Rowsell Shand and Trott claimed the gold medal in the team pursuit in a world record time of four minutes and 10.236 seconds.[17]
Returning to the track after the Olympics, Barker claimed the silver medal at the European Championships.[18] Barker followed this by winning the points race at the world cup in Apeldoorn.[19] Barker then claimed the title at the Six Days of Amsterdam.[20] Barker closed 2016 with success in the national Madison championships alongside Laura Kenny.[21] Starting 2017 Barker finished second in the ominium event and third in the scratch race at the national championships.[22] Barker finished an impressive third in the points race at the world cup event in Los Angeles, despite having just 15 minutes rest after the Madison event.[23] At the Six days series final, despite not winning a race in Mallorca, Barker won the title.[24] At the World Championships, Barker claimed two silver medals, one in the scratch race and the other in the Madison alongside Emily Nelson.[25][26] Barker went on to win her first individual world title in the points race.[27]
For the 2018 season Barker decided to join Wiggle High5,[28] and joined Drops for 2019, after Wiggle High5 folded.
At the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Australia, Barker took the gold in the points race for Wales, ahead of Scots Katie Archibald and Neah Evans. Barker's win was the first Commonwealth Games title for a Welsh track cyclist since 1990.[29] Later that year she was part of the Team GB squad that took the gold in the team pursuit at the European Track Championships on home ground in Glasgow.[30] At the 2019 Track Cycling World Championships in Pruszków, Barker won the rainbow jersey in the scratch race, her first world title in that discipline.[31]
At the 2020 Track Cycling World Championships in Berlin, Barker won the gold in the points race on the final day of the championships, taking Team GB's only title of the meeting. She was also part of the team that took silver in the team pursuit.[32] Later that year Barker took two titles at the European Track Championships, one as part of the team pursuit squad alongside Katie Archibald, Neah Evans, Laura Kenny and Josie Knight, and an individual gold in the elimination race.[33]
In 2021, Barker was part of the British team that won silver in the women's team pursuit at the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics.[34] During the Games she signed a two-year deal to join the Uno-X team from 2022.[35][36] In April 2023, Barker extended her contract with Uno-X until 2027.[37]
Personal life edit
Barker revealed in 2019 that she was suffering from endometriosis, which nearly caused her to retire, as well as potentially affecting her chances of having a child.[38] In October 2021 Barker announced that she was pregnant, and had been so when she competed in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.[39]
Major results edit
Track edit
- 2011
- National Junior Championships
- 1st Individual pursuit
- 2nd Scratch race
- 2nd Individual pursuit, UEC European Junior Championships
- 2012
- UEC European Junior Championships
- 1st Individual pursuit
- 1st Team pursuit (with Lucy Garner and Amy Roberts)
- 2nd Team pursuit, 2012–13 UCI World Cup, Cali
- UCI Junior World Championships
- 2nd Omnium
- 2nd Individual pursuit
- 3rd Team pursuit
- 2013
- 1st Team pursuit, UCI World Championships
- 1st Team pursuit, UEC European Championships
- UEC European Under-23 Championships
- 2nd Individual pursuit
- 2nd Points race
- 3rd Team pursuit, 2012–13 UCI World Cup, Aguascalientes
- 2014
- 1st Team pursuit, UCI World Championships
- 2014–15 UCI World Cup
- 1st Team pursuit, Guadalajara
- 1st Team pursuit, London
- 3rd Points race, London
- 1st Team pursuit, UEC European Championships
- Revolution
- 1st Scratch Race – Round 3, Manchester
- 2nd Points Race – Round 2, Manchester
- 3rd Points Race – Round 3, Manchester
- 3rd Scratch Race – Round 4, Manchester
- 1st Team pursuit, National Championships (With Dani King, Joanna Rowsell and Laura Trott)[40]
- Commonwealth Games
- 2nd Points race
- 3rd Scratch race
- 2015
- 1st Team pursuit, UEC European Championships
- Revolution
- 1st Points Race – Round 6, Manchester
- 1st Scratch Race – Round 3, Manchester
- 2nd Points Race – Round 3, Manchester
- 2nd Team pursuit, UCI World Championships
- 3rd Team pursuit, 2015–16 UCI World Cup, Cali
- 2016
- 1st Team pursuit, Olympic Games
- 2016–17 UCI World Cup
- 1st Points race, Apeldoorn
- 2nd Team pursuit, Hong Kong
- 1st Omnium, Six Days of Amsterdam[20]
- 1st Madison, National Championships (with Laura Kenny)[21]
- 2nd Scratch race, UEC European Championships
- Revolution Series
- 2nd Points Race – Round 1, Manchester
- 2nd Points Race – Round 5, Manchester
- Revolution Champions League
- 2nd Points Race, Round 2 – London
- 3rd Omnium, Round 1 – Manchester
- 3rd Points Race, Round 1 – Manchester
- 3rd Scratch Race, Round 2 – London
- 3rd Team pursuit, UCI World Championships
- 2017
- UCI World Championships
- 1st Points race
- 2nd Scratch race
- 2nd Madison (with Emily Nelson)
- UEC European Championships
- 1st Madison (with Ellie Dickinson)
- 2nd Team pursuit
- 2017–18 UCI World Cup
- 1st Madison, Manchester
- 1st Team Pursuit, Manchester
- 2nd Madison, Pruszków (with Emily Nelson)[41]
- 1st Omnium, Six Day Final, Mallorca
- National Track Championships
- 2nd Omnium
- 3rd Scratch race
- 3rd Scratch Race, Revolution Series – Champions League – Round 1, London
- 2018
- 1st Team pursuit, UEC European Track Championships
- 1st Points race, Commonwealth Games
- 1st Madison, National Championships (with Katie Archibald)
- 2nd Scratch Race, Revolution Series – Champions League – Round 3, Manchester
- 2019
- 1st Scratch race, UCI World Championships
- 2020
- 1st Points race, UCI World Championships
- UEC European Track Championships
- 1st Elimination race
- 1st Team pursuit (with Katie Archibald, Neah Evans, Laura Kenny and Josie Knight)
- 2021
- 2nd Team pursuit, Olympic Games
Road edit
- 2011
- 1st Stratford-upon-Avon Team Series
- 1st Stage 1 Essex Giro
- 2nd Time trial, UCI World Junior Championships
- 2012
- 1st Jubilee Road Race
- 1st Duncan Murray Wines Road Race
- 1st Time trial, UCI World Junior Championships
- 2nd Hillingdon Grand Prix
- 2nd Overall 2 Days of Bedford
- 1st Stage 4
- 2013
- 1st Otley Grand Prix
- 2014
- 4th Time trial, National Road Championships
- 2017
- 1st Overall Rás na mBan
- 3rd Ljubljana–Domžale–Ljubljana TT
- National Road Championships
- 4th Road race
- 5th Time trial
- 7th Overall BeNe Ladies Tour
- 1st Stage 2a
- 2023
- National Road Championships
- 3rd Time trial
- 4th Road race
- 7th Gent–Wevelgem
- 9th Time trial, UEC European Road Championships
References edit
- ^ a b "Elinor Barker: Biography". Glasgow 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
- ^ "Individual/Points". British Cycling. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
- ^ Pitt, Vern (21 June 2020). "Meet Tekkerz: Britain's coolest team". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
- ^ "Megan Barker rounds out 10-rider squad for Drops". Cyclingnews.com. 11 January 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
- ^ "Uno-X Pro Cycling Team". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
- ^ "No. 61803". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2016. p. N15.
- ^ "New Year's Honours List 2017" (PDF). www.gov.uk. Government Digital Service. 30 December 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
- ^ a b c Simon Gaskell (18 September 2012). "Cycling gold for Elinor Barker at World Road Championships in Holland". Wales Online.
- ^ a b Chris Sidwells (22 November 2012). "Ride: Elinor Barker in South Wales". Cycling Weekly.
- ^ Alasdair Fotheringham (19 September 2012). "Cycling: Elinor Barker shows next generation is in very safe hands". The Independent.
- ^ Robin Scott-Elliot (31 October 2013). "Elinor Barker prepares to complete her education on the track". The Independent.
- ^ Rebecca Ransom (11 December 2012). "Elinor Barker named Carwyn James Junior Sportswoman of the Year". British Cycling.
- ^ "Commonwealth Games 2014: Olympic champion Geraint Thomas and world sprint star Becky James head up Welsh cycling team for Glasgow". Wales Online. 9 July 2014.
- ^ BBC Sport – Glasgow 2014, "Glasgow 2014 day four: Elinor Barker denied gold by Laura Trott", 27 July 2014. Accessed 27 July 2014
- ^ "Elinor Barker signs to Matrix Fitness-Vulpine for 2015". Cycling Weekly. 27 September 2014. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
- ^ "GB women's team pursuit squad salvage bronze at Track Worlds". Cycling Weekly. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
- ^ "Rio Olympics 2016: Laura Trott makes history as GB's women win team pursuit". BBC Sport. 13 August 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
- ^ Jody Cundy (20 October 2016). "Medal magic from Great Britain Cycling Team in Paris". Britishcycling.org.uk. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
- ^ "Olympic champion Elinor Barker wins gold at World Cup in Apeldoorn".
- ^ a b . Archived from the original on 13 February 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
- ^ a b . Archived from the original on 13 February 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2017.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 13 February 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
- ^ Jody Cundy (27 February 2017). "World cup scratch bronze for Barker". Britishcycling.org.uk. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 15 April 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
- ^ "Track Cycling World Championships: Elinor Barker pipped for gold". BBC Sport. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
- ^ "Track Cycling Worlds: Elinor Barker & Emily Nelson win madison silver". BBC Sport. 15 April 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
- ^ "World Track Cycling Championships: Elinor Barker wins world points race gold". BBC Sport. 16 April 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
- ^ "Katie Archibald: World omnium champion to join road racing team in 2018". BBC Sport. 16 October 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
- ^ "Commonwealth Games: Elinor Barker wins points race gold, Scots complete podium". bbc.co.uk. 7 April 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
- ^ "Elinor Barker and teammates win GB's first gold medal at European Championships". itv.com. 3 August 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
- ^ "Elinor Barker wins fourth world track cycling title in Poland". The Guardian. 27 February 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
- ^ "Elinor Barker earns Britain belated gold at end of tough World Championships". shropshirestar.com. 1 March 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
- ^ Ballinger, Alex (13 November 2020). "European Track Championships 2020: GB women's team pursuit squad take gold as Elinor Barker takes elimination race title on second night". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
- ^ "Tokyo Olympics: Cycling Track – Women's Team Pursuit results". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
- ^ Falkingham, Katie (8 October 2021). "Elinor Barker: British cyclist on pregnancy and others paving the way for mothers in sport". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ "Team GB cyclist Elinor Barker reveals she won silver medal at Tokyo 2020 while expecting first child". standard.co.uk. 6 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ Jackie Tyson (21 April 2023). "Elinor Barker signs four-year extension with Uno-X Pro Cycling". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
- ^ "Elinor Barker: 'I felt pain for hours and couldn't stand up'". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
- ^ "Cyclist Elinor Barker says she won silver at Tokyo Olympics while pregnant". CNN. 6 October 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
- ^ "Laura Trott leads Wiggle-Honda to National Track team title". BBC Sport. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
- ^ "Track World Cup Final day: Larsen wins men's omnium". cyclingnews.com. 5 November 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
- ^ "Elinor Barker wins Rás na mBan". RTÉ.ie. 10 September 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
- ^ "Barker Reigns Supreme on Mount Leinster". Cycling Ireland. 9 September 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
- ^ "Elinor Barker bursts to second An Post Rás na mBan stage win". RTÉ.ie. 9 September 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
External links edit
- Elinor Barker at UCI
- Elinor Barker at Cycling Archives
- Elinor Barker at ProCyclingStats
- Elinor Barker at CycleBase
- Elinor Barker at Olympedia
- Elinor Barker at Team GB
- at the Commonwealth Games Federation (archived)
- Elinor Barker at Commonwealth Games Wales
- Elinor Barker at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games