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Dani Rowe

British cyclist From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dani Rowe
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Danielle Rowe (née King; born 21 November 1990) is a British former road and track cyclist. As a track cyclist, she is an Olympic gold medallist, three-time world champion, and two-time European champion in the team pursuit. She is a member of the British Cycling Hall of Fame.

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Rowe became a member of Great Britain's team pursuit squad in 2010, and she became world champion in the discipline for the first time in 2011. Later that year she became European champion in the same event. Riding with Laura Kenny and Joanna Rowsell, Rowe helped Great Britain defend their world title in 2012 and win the gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics; Great Britain also broke the world record at the Olympics. In 2013, Rowe won a third world title and a second European title in the team pursuit. She missed the 2014 World Championships through injury, and then turned her focus towards road cycling. She was overlooked for selection for the road race at the 2016 Summer Olympics, but won a bronze medal for Wales in the road race at the 2018 Commonwealth Games having previously represented England at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. She retired from cycling in December 2018.

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Early life

Rowe went to school at Hamble Community Sports College before attending Barton Peveril Sixth Form College.[4] Her father, Trevor King, is a former biathlete who competed in both the 1984 and 1988 Winter Olympics, and Rowe has stated that he was "inspirational" for her.[5] She has a younger sister, Sarah.[6] As a youngster, Rowe initially competed in swimming,[7] but in 2005, she participated in testing hosted by British Cycling at her school. Rowe was then selected to join the Talent Team.[8][9] Later that year, she joined the Portsmouth School of Cycle Racing which was based at the Mountbatten Centre in Portsmouth.[10]

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Career

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Rowe joined Great Britain's Olympic Development sprint squad,[8] and she entered in the junior category at the 2007 European Track Championships, finishing ninth in the sprint and twelth in the keirin. She then switched to the endurance squad.[11][12] In 2008, she won stage two on the Junior Tour of Borsele road race, and she also finished runner-up in the junior scratch race at the British National Track Championships.[11][13][14] In 2009, she joined the Vision1 Racing team which included Nicole Cooke on their roster.[12] That year, Rowe won the British National Circuit Race Championships,[15] and the National Derny Championships.[16] She also became national champion in the madison (with Alex Greenfield).[17] Stating her future ambitions, Rowe said: "I won't be satisfied until I'm [an] Olympic Gold medallist and World Champion." She also described how watching Cooke win a race had inspired her to be successful.[8]

In May 2010, she won a race in Belgium,[18] and the following month, she claimed victory in the Horizon Fitness Women's GP, part of the Tour Series.[19] A few weeks later, Rowe began suffering fatigue, and following tests she was diagnosed with glandular fever. The illness prevented her from competing in the National Circuit Race Championships.[20] She was able to compete in the British National Track Championships in September, winning in the team pursuit (as a member of Horizon Fitness), as well as recording podium finishes in the madison (with Ella Hopkins), points race and scratch race.[21][22]

The following month, Rowe began training with the national team after successfully progressing through a selection process run by head coach Shane Sutton. Three months later, she made her World Cup debut in Manchester. Rowe, Laura Kenny and Katie Colclough finished fifth in the team pursuit.[9] The following month, she became world champion in the team pursuit at the 2011 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Apeldoorn. Riding with Wendy Houvenaghel and Kenny, the trio overcame the United States in the final.[23] She also won a bronze medal in the scratch race during the championships.[11]

In September, at the 2011 British National Track Championships, Rowe was part of the team pursuit line-up that secured victory, and she also came third in the scratch race.[24] The following month, she became European champion, helping Great Britain triumph over Germany in the team pursuit final alongside teammates Joanna Rowsell and Kenny.[25] The following month, Rowe won a silver medal in the omnium at the 2011-12 Track Cycling World Cup meeting in Astana. She won two of the events that comprised the Omnium — the individual pursuit and flying lap.[26] She then secured a gold medal in the team pursuit (with Kenny and Colclough) at the under-23 European Track Championships in Portugal, as well as claiming a silver medal in the omnium.[27]

In February 2012, Rowe, Kenny and Rowsell were victorious in the team pursuit at a subsequent leg of the Track Cycling World Cup in London. They also set a new world record time of 3:18.148 in the final. Houvenaghel rode in qualifying with Rowe replacing her for the final against Canada.[28] Rowe, Kenny and Rowsell then defended Great Britain's world team pursuit title at the 2012 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Melbourne. They overcame Australia in the final with a world record time of 3:15.720.[29] At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Rowe won a gold medal in the team pursuit again riding alongside Kenny and Rowsell. The trio also set a new world record time of 3:14.051 in the final versus the United States.[30][31] In November, at the 2012–13 UCI Track Cycling World Cup meeting in Glasgow, Rowe, Kenny and Elinor Barker rode to victory against Australia in the final of the team pursuit.[32]

In February 2013, Rowe helped Great Britain defend their world title in the team pursuit at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Minsk. Rowe, Kenny and Barker secured victory against Australia in the final. After the competition, the women's team pursuit was set to increase to four riders riding 4 km.[33] On the road, Rowe won the Milk Race in May,[34] and finished in third position at the British National Road Race Championships in June.[35] Returning to the track at the National Championships in September, Rowe, Kenny, Rowsell and Barker won the team pursuit in a world record time of 4:32.721. She also claimed victory in the madison alongside teammate Kenny.[36] In November, she was a member of the British line-up that won the team pursuit at the 2013 UEC European Track Championships in Apeldoorn. Great Britain overcame Poland in the gold-medal race and also recorded a new world record time of 4:26.556 during the competition.[37] Rowe also claimed a silver medal in the points race.[38]

In November, Great Britain twice broke the world record for the team pursuit at the 2013–14 UCI Track Cycling World Cup meeting in Manchester. Rowe, Kenny, Barker and Rowsell won the event with victory over Canada in the final with a time of 4:19.604.[39] The following month in Aguascalientes, at the next leg of the Track Cycling World Cup, Great Britain broke their own record twice more as they again triumphed over Canada in the final. The team of Rowe, Rowsell, Barker and Katie Archibald beat the world record set in Manchester by three seconds, posting a time of 4:16.552, assisted by the high altitude conditions in Mexico.[40][41]

After being involved in crashes on consecutive days, Rowe was unable to train fully and consequently missed out on selection for the 2014 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. She labelled her absence as "heartbreaking".[9] She represented England at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. She finished eleventh in the road race, and on the track, she came fourth in the scratch race, seventh in the points race, and eighth in the individual pursuit.[42] In late June, at the British National Road Race Championships, Rowe finished runner-up behind Kenny.[43] In September, Rowe was part of the Wiggle-Honda team pursuit line-up that achieved victory at the British National Track Championships.[44]

In November 2014, Rowe was involved in a crash after a fellow rider hit a pothole while they were training on roads near Merthyr Tydfil. She suffered a snapped rib cage and a collapsed lung and spent ten days in hospital.[45] Five months later, Rowe claimed overall victory at the Tour of the Reservoir.[46] It was her first race back after recovering from her crash the previous year.[47]

In 2016, Rowe finished third in the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, fourth in the Women's Tour Down Under, and seventh in the Philadelphia Cycling Classic. She then missed out on selection for the road race at the 2016 Summer Olympics.[48] A "gutted" Rowe criticized the decision not to select her, calling it "unfair". Rowe's ranking was better than two of the cyclists that were selected.[49][50] She later launched an appeal, but was unsuccessful.[51] In September 2016, Rowe signed for Cylance Pro Cycling for the 2017 season.[52] In October 2017, she announced that she would join WaowDeals Pro Cycling for 2018.[53]

In December 2017, Rowe announced that she was switching allegiance to Wales ahead of the forthcoming 2018 Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast. Explaining her decision, she stated that she has a "strong affinity and love" for Wales where she had lived throughout her professional career.[42] At the Games, she won a bronze medal in the road race.[54] In May, Rowe finished runner-up to Megan Guarnier at the Tour de Yorkshire,[55] and in June, she finished third overall at the 2018 Women's Tour. She suffered injuries in a crash on the penultimate day but was able to finish the race. Afterwards, Rowe stated that it was her "best result" on the road.[56] The following month, she finished runner-up in the British National Road Race Championships after she was beaten by Jessica Roberts.[57] In December 2018, Rowe announced her retirement from the sport.[58]

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Personal life

Rowe married fellow cyclist Matthew Rowe in September 2017,[54] and she gave birth to a son in September 2020.[59][60]

After retiring from cycling, Rowe began preparing to run the 2019 London Marathon but was forced to stop training after developing multiple stress fractures in her right leg.[61]

Honours and awards

The Royal Mail painted a postbox gold in Rowe's hometown of Hamble to honour her gold medal in the team pursuit at the 2012 Summer Olympics.[62] Rowe, and her team pursuit teammates were also commemorated by the Royal Mail in 2012 by appearing on a stamp which formed part of a set featuring British gold medalists from that year's Games.[63] Rowe was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to cycling.[64][65] In 2012, a cycle route in Hamble was named after her,[66] and the following year, she was given the Freedom of the Borough of Eastleigh.[67] In 2024, she was inducted into the British Cycling Hall of Fame.[68]

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Major results

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Track

2008
2nd Scratch, National Junior Track Championships[14]
2009
National Track Championships
1st Derny[16]
1st Madison (with Alex Greenfield)[17]
3rd Individual pursuit[69]
3rd Points race[70]
3rd Scratch[71]
2010
National Track Championships
1st Team pursuit[21]
2nd Derny[72]
2nd Madison (with Ella Hopkins)[21]
2nd Points race[21]
3rd Scratch[21]
2011
UCI Track World Championships
1st Team pursuit[23]
3rd Scratch[11]
UEC European Track Championships
1st Team pursuit[25]
UEC European Under-23 Track Championships
1st Team pursuit[27]
2nd Omnium[27]
National Track Championships
1st Team pursuit[24]
3rd Scratch[24]
2nd Omnium, 2011–12 UCI Track Cycling World Cup, Astana[26]
2012
1st Team pursuit, Olympic Games[30]
1st Team pursuit, UCI Track World Championships[29]
1st Team pursuit, 2011–12 UCI Track Cycling World Cup, London[28]
1st Team pursuit, 2012–13 UCI Track Cycling World Cup, Glasgow[32]
2013
1st Team pursuit (with Laura Kenny and Elinor Barker, UCI Track World Championships[33]
Team pursuit, 2013–14 UCI Track Cycling World Cup
1st Manchester[39]
1st Aguascalientes[40]
UEC European Track Championships
1st Team pursuit[37]
2nd Points race[38]
National Track Championships
1st Madison (with Laura Trott)[36]
1st Team pursuit[36]
2nd Individual pursuit[73]
2nd Points race[74]
3rd Scratch[75]
2014
National Track Championships
1st Team pursuit[44]
3rd Scratch[76]

Road

source:[2]

2009
1st British National Circuit Race Championships, National Road Championships[15]
2011
2nd British National Circuit Race Championships, National Road Championships[77]
2013
1st Milk Race[34]
3rd Road race
6th Team Time Trial, UCI Road World Championships
2014
2nd Road race
3rd Overall Surf & Turf 2-Day Women's Stage Race[78]
8th Individual Time Trial, British National Time Trial Championships
2015
1st Overall Tour of the Reservoir[46]
1st Stage 1
1st Bath, Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series[79]
4th Team Time Trial, UCI Road World Championships
5th Team Time Trial, Crescent Vårgårda
10th Gooik–Geraardsbergen–Gooik
2016
1st Red Hook Crit (London)[51]
3rd Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
4th Road race, National Road Championships
4th Overall Women's Tour Down Under
1st Mountains classification
5th Team Time Trial, Crescent Vårgårda UCI Women's WorldTour
7th Philadelphia Cycling Classic
9th Overall La Route de France
2017
9th Overall The Women's Tour
9th Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
9th GP de Plouay – Bretagne
10th Women's Tour de Yorkshire
2018
2nd Road race, National Road Championships
2nd Overall Women's Tour de Yorkshire
3rd Road race, Commonwealth Games
3rd Overall The Women's Tour
10th Road race, UEC European Road Championships
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See also

References

External links

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