Luke Roberts
Encyclopedia
Luke Roberts is an Australian racing cyclist specialising in both track cycling
and road bicycle racing
, on for road racing.
Born in Adelaide
, South Australia
, he resides both in Adelaide and in Cologne
, Germany. Coming from a cycle racing family, he started competitive cycling at the age of 13, and turned professional in 2002. He was a member of the Comnet Senges team (2002–2004), and of Team CSC
from 2005 to 2007. As a team and individual pursuit specialist, holding an Olympic gold medal
and World record with the Australian Pursuit team at the 2004 Summer Olympics
, he contributes particularly to the success of his team in time trial
events.
In 2003 he was awarded the title of Australian Male Track Cyclist of the Year. In 2005 he was awarded the Order of Australia
medal in the Australia Day
Honours List. In 2002, 2003 and 2004 he was a World Champion Team pursuit
, and won the silver medal in 2002 and 2003 for the World Individual Pursuit
Championship.
At the Olympic level, Luke Roberts has competed as part of the Australian cycling team at the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney and the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens
. In 2000 he came 9th in the Individual Pursuit at the Olympic Games. He improved his performance 4 years later in Athens, coming 5th in the Individual Pursuit. As part of the Australian pursuit team with Graeme Brown
, Brett Lancaster
, Bradley McGee
, (Peter Dawson
and Stephen Wooldridge
were also part of the team), Roberts won gold and set a new world record for the 4000m Team Pursuit of 3mins 56.610secs, breaking their previous world record set in Stuttgart
in 2003.
At the 1998 Commonwealth Games
, Roberts achieved a gold medal for the Teams Pursuit, a silver medal in the Individual Pursuit, and came 8th in the Points race
. Four year later at the 2002 Commonwealth Games
in Manchester
, Roberts won gold in the Teams Pursuit and 4th in the Individual Pursuit. His 2010 road racing team, , folded at the end of that season, and he signed to ride for a proposed Australian team known as Pegasus: this team, however, failed to obtain a UCI license. After riding with UniSA in the 2011 Tour Down Under
, Roberts signed with , a continuation of the squad he was with from 2005–2007, for the remainder of the season.
1994
1995
1996
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Track cycling
Track cycling is a bicycle racing sport usually held on specially built banked tracks or velodromes using track bicycles....
and road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...
, on for road racing.
Born in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, he resides both in Adelaide and in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Germany. Coming from a cycle racing family, he started competitive cycling at the age of 13, and turned professional in 2002. He was a member of the Comnet Senges team (2002–2004), and of Team CSC
Team CSC
Team Saxo Bank-SunGard is a professional cycling team from Denmark. It competes in the UCI ProTour. The team is owned and managed by former Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis, under the management of his company Riis Cycling. The sponsor is a Danish investment bank.Founded for 1998 Team home – Jack...
from 2005 to 2007. As a team and individual pursuit specialist, holding an Olympic gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
and World record with the Australian Pursuit team at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
, he contributes particularly to the success of his team in time trial
Time trialist
A time trialist is a road bicycle racer who can maintain high speeds for long periods of time, to maximize performance during individual or team time trials...
events.
In 2003 he was awarded the title of Australian Male Track Cyclist of the Year. In 2005 he was awarded the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
medal in the Australia Day
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
Honours List. In 2002, 2003 and 2004 he was a World Champion Team pursuit
Team pursuit
The team pursuit is a track cycling event similar to the individual pursuit, except that two teams, each of up to four riders, compete, start on opposite sides of the velodrome.- Race format :...
, and won the silver medal in 2002 and 2003 for the World Individual Pursuit
Individual pursuit
The individual pursuit is a track cycling event where two cyclists begin the race from a stationary position on opposite sides of the track.The event is held over 4 km for men and 3 km for women. The two riders start at the same time and set off to complete the race distance in the...
Championship.
At the Olympic level, Luke Roberts has competed as part of the Australian cycling team at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney and the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
. In 2000 he came 9th in the Individual Pursuit at the Olympic Games. He improved his performance 4 years later in Athens, coming 5th in the Individual Pursuit. As part of the Australian pursuit team with Graeme Brown
Graeme Brown
Graeme Allen Brown OAM is a professional cyclist and dual Olympic gold medallist from Australia.-Cycling career - road and track:...
, Brett Lancaster
Brett Lancaster
Brett Lancaster is a professional racing cyclist from Australia, currently riding for UCI ProTeam . He started cycle racing at the age of 14 in 1993. He spent four years riding for before moving to Team Milram in July 2006...
, Bradley McGee
Bradley McGee
Bradley John McGee OAM is an Australian former professional racing cyclist. He is currently a directeur sportif for UCI ProTeam Team Saxo Bank and the personal coach of young Australian rider Richie Porte. He started cycling in 1986 at the age of ten...
, (Peter Dawson
Peter Dawson (cyclist)
Peter Dawson is an Australian professional racing cyclist.-Career highlights:2002Peter Dawson is an Australian professional racing cyclist.-Career highlights:2002...
and Stephen Wooldridge
Stephen Wooldridge
Stephen Wooldridge is an Australian racing cyclist, an Olympic and four-time world champion on the track.- Palmarès :2002...
were also part of the team), Roberts won gold and set a new world record for the 4000m Team Pursuit of 3mins 56.610secs, breaking their previous world record set in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
in 2003.
At the 1998 Commonwealth Games
1998 Commonwealth Games
The 1998 XVI Commonwealth Games were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 11 September to 21 September 1998 making it the first Asian country to act as host and the last Commonwealth Games for the 20th century. A record 70 nations supplied 3638 athletes...
, Roberts achieved a gold medal for the Teams Pursuit, a silver medal in the Individual Pursuit, and came 8th in the Points race
Points race
A points race is a mass start track cycling event involving large numbers of riders simultaneously on track. It was an Olympic event for men between 1984–2008 and for women 1996-2008....
. Four year later at the 2002 Commonwealth Games
2002 Commonwealth Games
The 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The XVII Commonwealth Games was the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK, eclipsing London's 1948 Summer Olympics in numbers of teams and athletes participating.After the 1996 Manchester...
in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, Roberts won gold in the Teams Pursuit and 4th in the Individual Pursuit. His 2010 road racing team, , folded at the end of that season, and he signed to ride for a proposed Australian team known as Pegasus: this team, however, failed to obtain a UCI license. After riding with UniSA in the 2011 Tour Down Under
2011 Tour Down Under
The 2011 Tour Down Under was the 13th edition of the Tour Down Under stage race. It took place from 18 January to 23 January and was the first race of the 2011 UCI World Tour...
, Roberts signed with , a continuation of the squad he was with from 2005–2007, for the remainder of the season.
Cycling career
1993- 1st
U-17 National Individual Pursuit Champion - 1st U-17 National Sprint Champion
- 1st U-17 National Time Trial Champion
- 1st U-17 National Team Time Trial Champion
1994
- 1st
Junior Teams Pursuit World Champion
1995
- 1st Junior Individual Pursuit World Champion
- 1st Junior Teams Pursuit World Champion
- 1st Junior National Individual Pursuit Champion
- 1st Junior National Teams Pursuit Champion
- 1st Junior National Elimination Race Champion
- 1st Junior National Points Race Champion
- 1st Junior National Time Trial Champion
1996
- 1st National Teams Pursuit Champion
1998
- 1st
Teams Pursuit 1998 Commonwealth Games1998 Commonwealth GamesThe 1998 XVI Commonwealth Games were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 11 September to 21 September 1998 making it the first Asian country to act as host and the last Commonwealth Games for the 20th century. A record 70 nations supplied 3638 athletes... - 1st National Teams Pursuit Champion
- 1st Individual Pursuit Track World Cup
- 1st Madison Track World Cup
- 1st Teams Pursuit Track World Cup
- 2nd
Individual Pursuit 1998 Commonwealth Games1998 Commonwealth GamesThe 1998 XVI Commonwealth Games were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 11 September to 21 September 1998 making it the first Asian country to act as host and the last Commonwealth Games for the 20th century. A record 70 nations supplied 3638 athletes...
1999
- 1st National Individual Pursuit Champion
- 1st National Teams Pursuit Champion
- 1st Teams Pursuit Track World Cup
- 1st Individual Pursuit overall Track World Cup rankings
- 2nd Individual Pursuit Track World Cup
2000
- 1st National Individual Pursuit Champion
2001
- 1st Stage 4 Tour Down UnderTour Down UnderThe Tour Down Under is a cycling race in Adelaide, South Australia and surrounding area. The race starts on the third Tuesday of January each year and attracts riders from across Australia and the world. In 2005, the Tour Down Under was promoted by the Union Cycliste Internationale to the...
2002
- 1st Teams Pursuit World Champion
- 1st Teams Pursuit 2002 Commonwealth Games2002 Commonwealth GamesThe 2002 Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester, England from 25 July to 4 August 2002. The XVII Commonwealth Games was the largest multi-sport event ever to be held in the UK, eclipsing London's 1948 Summer Olympics in numbers of teams and athletes participating.After the 1996 Manchester...
- 1st Overall Tour of Tasmania
2003
- 1st Team Pursuit World Champion
- 1st Individual Pursuit, UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics
- 1st Prologue U-23 Giro del Veneto
- 1st Stage 4 U-23 Giro del Veneto
- 1st Giro del Capo
- 1st Stage 5 Ringerike Grand Prix
- 2nd Individual Pursuit World Titles
- 2nd Overall Brandenburg-Rundfahrt
- 2nd Overall Herald Sun TourHerald Sun TourThe Herald Sun Tour is an Australian professional bicycle race held in Melbourne and provincial Victoria sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale . The first tour was held in October 1952 as a six day event and it is held annually in October. It is named after the Herald Sun, Melbourne's...
2004
- 1st
2004 Summer Olympic Games Team Pursuit - 1st Team Pursuit World Champion
- 1st Stage 6 Tour de NormandieTour de NormandieTour de Normandie is a road bicycle race held annually in the region of Normandie, France. The race started in 1939, but was not held in the periods of 1940-1955 and 1960-1980. It was originally a race for amateurs, but was opened for professionals in 1996...
- 1st Stage 1 Intl Rheinland-Pfalz RundfahrtRheinland-Pfalz RundfahrtThe International Rheinland-Pfalz Rundfahrt is a multi-stage road bicycle race held in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Since 2005 it is part of the UCI Europe Tour, being organised as 2.1 race.In its early years, it was an amateur race...
- 9th Overall Tour Down UnderTour Down UnderThe Tour Down Under is a cycling race in Adelaide, South Australia and surrounding area. The race starts on the third Tuesday of January each year and attracts riders from across Australia and the world. In 2005, the Tour Down Under was promoted by the Union Cycliste Internationale to the...
2005
- 1st Stage 4 TTT Tour MéditerranéenTour MéditerranéenTour Méditerranéen is a professional road bicycle racing event held in southern France along the Mediterranean Sea. The Tour Méditerranéen is a five-day stage race that began in 1974 and since 2005 has been a part of the UCI Europe Tour as a 2.1 event...
- 4th Stage 1 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
- 7th Stage 1 Tour de RomandieTour de RomandieThe Tour de Romandie is a stage race which is part of the UCI World Tour. It runs in the Romandie region, in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. It began in 1947, to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Swiss Cycling....
- 7th Stage 18 Tour de FranceTour de FranceThe Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
2006
- 1st Stage 4, 3-Länder-Tour
- 3rd Overall Bayern-Rundfahrt
2007
- 1st Eindhoven TTT
- 3rd Overall Tour of Britain
- 6th Overall Tour Down UnderTour Down UnderThe Tour Down Under is a cycling race in Adelaide, South Australia and surrounding area. The race starts on the third Tuesday of January each year and attracts riders from across Australia and the world. In 2005, the Tour Down Under was promoted by the Union Cycliste Internationale to the...
- 9th Paris–Bourges
2008
- 1st Stage 3 Giro del Capo
- 1st Stolberg-Breinig
2009
- 1st Grenoble, Six Days
2010
- 1st Stage 3 Tour of Murcia
- 5th Overall Tour Down UnderTour Down UnderThe Tour Down Under is a cycling race in Adelaide, South Australia and surrounding area. The race starts on the third Tuesday of January each year and attracts riders from across Australia and the world. In 2005, the Tour Down Under was promoted by the Union Cycliste Internationale to the...
- 2nd Stage 5
- 5th Stage 15 Tour de FranceTour de FranceThe Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
2011
- 10th Overall Tour Down Under2011 Tour Down UnderThe 2011 Tour Down Under was the 13th edition of the Tour Down Under stage race. It took place from 18 January to 23 January and was the first race of the 2011 UCI World Tour...
- 1st
Mountains classification
- 1st