Rachel Atherton

{{Infobox cyclist

|name = Rachel Atherton

|image = RachelAhterton.jpg

|image_size =

|caption = Rachel Atherton in August 2008

|fullname = Rachel Laura Atherton

|nickname = Waynehead

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1987|12|6}}

|birth_place = {{Nowrap|Salisbury, England, United Kingdom}}

|height = 1.70 m

|weight = 65 kg

|currentteam = Atherton Racing

|discipline = BMX & MTB

|role = Rider

|ridertype = DH

|proyears1 = 2007–2011

|proteam1 = Animal Commençal

|proyears2 = 2011–2015

|proteam2 = GT

|proyears3 = 2015–2018

|proteam3 = Trek Factory Racing

|proyears4 = 2018–

|proteam4 = Atherton Bikes

|majorwins = DH World Champion (x5)
DH World Cup (x6 overall, 40 rounds)
DH European Champion
DH National Champion (x6)
DH Junior World Champion
DH Junior European Champion

|show-medals = no

|medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{GBR2}}}}

}}

Rachel Laura Atherton (born 6 December 1987) is a British professional downhill mountain bike racer, and is a multiple time UCI World Champion.

Atherton began riding BMX at the age of 8 and mountain biking at the age of 11.{{cite web |url=http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/mtb/News2006/20060416_rachel_atherton_interview.asp |title=Rachel Atherton Interview |publisher=British Cycling |date=16 April 2008 |access-date=2 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080621120304/http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/mtb/News2006/20060416_rachel_atherton_interview.asp |archive-date=21 June 2008 |url-status=dead }} She was both Sunday Times' Sportswoman of the Year{{cite web|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/mtb.php?id=news/2005/nov05/nov23mtbnews |title=Atherton awarded Young Sportswoman|publisher=Cycling News|date=November 2005}} and BBC Midlands Junior Sportswoman of the Year{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/content/articles/2005/12/05/sports_personality_rachel_atherton_feature.shtml|title=Rachel wins BBC Midlands title|publisher=BBC Shropshire|date=5 December 2005|access-date=2 June 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112045622/http://www.bbc.co.uk/shropshire/content/articles/2005/12/05/sports_personality_rachel_atherton_feature.shtml|archive-date=12 November 2012|url-status=dead}} in 2005, and then BBC Midlands Sportswoman of the Year in 2008.{{cite web|url=http://www.pinkbike.com/news/rachel-atherton-midlands-sportswoman-year-2008.html|title=Rachel Atherton wins BBC Midlands Sportswoman of the Year!|publisher=Pinkbike|date=8 December 2008}} In October 2015, a video of Atherton overtaking 91 competitors in five minutes during a race went viral.{{cite web|url=http://www.redbull.com/uk/en/bike/events/1331726423300/red-bull-foxhunt-rachel-atherton|title=Red Bull Foxhunt with Rachel Atherton|publisher=Red Bull|date=October 2015}}

Career

For 5 years from 2007, Atherton was part of the Animal Commençal race team along with brothers Dan Atherton and Gee Atherton. In 2012, Atherton, along with her brothers Dan, Gee and Marc Beaumont, signed with GT Bicycles. In 2015, Atherton and her brothers signed with Trek Bicycle Corporation to race for Trek Atherton Racing.{{cite web|url=https://www.pinkbike.com/news/atherton-trek-racing-2015.html|title=Atherton Racing + Trek|publisher=Pinkbike|date=11 November 2015}}

In June 2008 Atherton became the first British woman to win the Elite UCI Downhill World Championship, defeating second placed Sabrina Jonnier by 11.99 seconds in the final.{{cite web|url=http://www.uci.ch/Modules/ENews/ENewsDetails.asp?id=NTg1NQ&MenuId=MTI1OTU&BackLink=%2Ftemplates%2FUCI%2FUCI5%2Flayout.asp%3FMenuId%3DMTI1OTU |title=Gee and Rachel Atherton will remember the 21st of June 2008 for a long time|publisher=Union Cycliste Internationale|date=21 June 2008}}

Atherton was involved in a collision with a pickup truck whilst on a time trial training ride with her brothers Dan and Gee in Santa Cruz, California, on 18 January 2009.{{cite web|url=http://www.pinkbike.com/news/rachel-atherton-car-accident-2009.html |title=Rachel Atherton Car Crash Accident| publisher=Pinkbike.com |date=20 January 2009}} She sustained a dislocated shoulder which, after later needing a nerve graft,{{cite web|url=http://animalcommencal.tv/rachel/blog/?p=18|title=Finally! A Decision!|publisher=AnimalCommencal|date=1 May 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090505185040/http://animalcommencal.tv/rachel/blog/?p=18|archive-date=5 May 2009}} ruled her out of the 2009 racing season, including the September World Championships in Canberra.{{cite web|url=http://animalcommencal.tv/rachel/blog/?p=186|title=World Championships, World Champion.|publisher=Atherton Racing|date=12 August 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090822084709/http://animalcommencal.tv/rachel/blog/?p=186|archive-date=22 August 2009}}

In September 2012, Atherton took the final World Cup round on a diverse and testing Norwegian track and clinched the overall title, despite missing the opening race of the season. The Norwegian race was the final round of a seven-round series in which Atherton claimed a win in 5 of the 6 events she raced.

In June 2016, Atherton became the first woman to win 10 consecutive rounds of the World Cup, surpassing the record previously held by Anne-Caroline Chausson.{{Cite news|url=https://dirtmountainbike.com/racing-events/leogang-world-cup-2016-rachel-atherton-takes-record-breaking-tenth-consecutive-win.html|title=Leogang World Cup 2016: Rachel Atherton takes record breaking tenth consecutive win|last=Smurthwaite|first=James|date=12 June 2016|work=dirtmountainbike.com|access-date=12 June 2016}} In September that same year, she also achieved the unprecedented feat of winning every round in a World Cup season.{{Cite news|url=https://dirtmountainbike.com/racing-events/downhill/rachel-atherton-wins-womens-race-2016-vallnord-world-cup.html|title=Rachel Atherton wins women's race: 2016 Vallnord World Cup|date=3 September 2016|work=dirtmountainbike.com|access-date=3 September 2016}}

In 2019, Atherton suffered an injury to her Achilles tendon during a practice session, necessitating a prolonged period of recovery that sidelined her for the entirety of the 2020 season opener.{{Cite web |date=2022-07-21 |title="It was a bit of an eye-opener": Rachel Atherton on returning to racing |url=https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/rachel-atherton-returns-to-mtb-racing-2022 |access-date=2024-05-03 |website=Red Bull |language=en}}

In 2023, Atherton made a comeback to competitive riding at the UCI Downhill World Cup in Lenzerheide, clinching the first-place victory.{{Cite web |date=2023-06-12 |title=Inside Rachel Atherton’s stunning UCI Downhill World Cup victory |url=https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/rachel-atherton-career-wins |access-date=2024-05-03 |website=Red Bull |language=en}}

Personal life

Atherton keeps the rainbow jerseys she won for being world champion in a birdcage, so that she can "take them out, touch them and remember those races.".{{cite web|title=Rachel Atherton: British mountain biker goes for fifth downhill World Championship title|work=BBC Sport|date=4 September 2018|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/45345249}}

Atherton gave birth to a daughter on 4 August 2021.{{cite web|url =https://pinkbike.com/news/rachel-atherton-announces-birth-of-baby-daughter-arna.html|title =Rachel Atherton Announces Birth of Baby Daughter Arna|first =James |last =Smurthwaite |date =9 August 2021 |website =pinkbike}}

Palmarès

;2002

:1st 20px British National Mountain Biking Championships (DH) – Youth

;2004

:1st 20px British National Mountain Biking Championships (DH)

:2nd UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships (DH) – Junior

;2005

:1st 20px British National Mountain Biking Championships (DH)

:1st 20px UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships (DH) – Junior

:1st 20px European Mountain Bike Championships (DH) - Junior

;2006

:1st 20px European Mountain Bike Championships (DH)

:1st Lisboa Downtown Championships

:3rd Overall UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH)

::1st Round 5 (Balneário Camboriú, Brazil)

:2nd British National Mountain Biking Championships (DH)

:3rd UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships (DH)

;2007

:1st UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH), Round 5 (Maribor, Slovenia)

:1st Maxxis Cup DH Round 1

:1st Sea Otter Classic

:1st NPS DH, Round 1

:1st NPS DH, Round 3 (Moelfre)

:1st NPS DH, Round 4 (Caersws)

:1st Fat Face Night Race

:1st Street Race, Edinburgh

:2nd UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships (DH)

:2nd NPS DH, Round 5 (Innerleithen)

:3rd DS, Sea Otter Classic

;2008

:1st 20px UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships (DH)

:1st Overall UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH)

::2nd Round 1 (Maribor, Slovenia)

::1st Round 2 (Vallnord, Andorra)

::3rd Round 3 (Fort William, Scotland)

::1st Round 4 (Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada)

::1st Round 5 (Bromont, Canada)

::2nd Round 6 (Canberra, Australia)

::1st Round 7 (Schladming, Austria)

:1st Maxxis Cup DH (Gouveia, Portugal)

:1st Alpine Bikes Winter series DH (Scotland)

:1st Canadian Open DH (Whistler, Canada)

:1st Monster Energy Garbanzo Downhill (Whistler, Canada)

;2010

:UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH)

::1st Round 1 (Maribor, Slovenia)

::2nd Round 2 (Fort William, Scotland)

::1st Round 6 (Windham, United States)

;2011

:2nd UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships (DH)

:3rd Overall UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH)

::2nd Round 2 (Fort William, Scotland)

::2nd Round 3 (Leogang, Austria)

::3rd Round 4 (Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada)

::1st Round 5 (Windham, United States)

::3rd Round 7 (Val di Sole, Italy)

;2012

:1st 20px British National Mountain Biking Championships (DH)

:1st Overall UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH)

::1st Round 2 (Val di Sole, Italy)

::2nd Round 3 (Fort William, Scotland)

::1st Round 4 (Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada)

::1st Round 5 (Windham, United States)

::1st Round 6 (Val d'Isère, France)

::1st Round 7 (Hafjell, Norway)

:1st European Downhill Cup round 1 (Monte Tamaro, Switzerland)

:1st European Downhill Cup round 2 (Leogang, Austria)

:2nd British Downhill Series, Round 1 (Combe Sydenham, England)

:2nd British Downhill Series, Round 2 (Fort William, Scotland)

;2013

:1st 20px UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships (DH)

:1st Overall UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH)

::1st Round 1 (Fort William, Scotland)

::1st Round 2 (Val di Sole, Italy)

::1st Round 3 (Vallnord, Andorra)

::2nd Round 4 (Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada)

::1st Round 5 (Hafjell, Norway)

::2nd Round 6 (Leogang, Austria)

;2014

:2nd UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships (DH)

:2nd Overall UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH)

::2nd Round 1 (Pietermaritzburg, South Africa)

::1st Round 2 (Cairns, Australia)

::2nd Round 4 (Leogang, Austria)

::2nd Round 5 (Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada)

::2nd Round 6 (Windham, United States)

::1st Round 7 (Méribel, France)

;2015

:1st 20px UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships (DH)

:1st 20px British National Mountain Biking Championships (DH)

:1st Overall UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH)

::2nd Round 1 (Lourdes, France)

::1st Round 2 (Fort William, Scotland)

::1st Round 3 (Leogang, Austria)

::1st Round 4 (Lenzerheide, Switzerland)

::1st Round 5 (Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada)

::1st Round 6 (Windham, United States)

::1st Round 7 (Val di Sole, Italy)

:1st British Downhill Series, Round 2 (Fort William, Scotland)

;2016

:1st 20px UCI Mountain Bike & Trials World Championships (DH)

:1st 20px British National Mountain Biking Championships (DH)

:1st Overall UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH)

::1st Round 1 (Lourdes, France)

::1st Round 2 (Cairns, Australia)

::1st Round 3 (Fort William, Scotland)

::1st Round 4 (Leogang, Austria)

::1st Round 5 (Lenzerheide, Switzerland)

::1st Round 6 (Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada)

::1st Round 7 (Vallnord, Andorra)

;2017

:1st 20px British National Mountain Biking Championships (DH)

:UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH)

::1st Round 1 (Lourdes, France)

::2nd Round 5 (Lenzerheide, Switzerland)

;2018

:1st 20px UCI Mountain Bike World Championships (DH)

:1st Overall UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH)

::2nd Round 1 (Lošinj, Croatia)

::3rd Round 2 (Fort William, Scotland)

::1st Round 3 (Leogang, Austria)

::2nd Round 4 (Val di Sole, Italy)

::2nd Round 5 (Vallnord, Andorra)

::1st Round 6 (Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada)

::1st Round 7 (La Bresse, France)

;2019

:UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH)

::2nd Round 1 (Maribor, Slovenia)

::1st Round 2 (Fort William, Scotland)

::1st Round 4 (Vallnord, Andorra)

;2023

:UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (DH)

::1st Round 1 (Lenzerheide, Switzerland)

References

External links

[https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/athlete/rachel-atherton Athlete profile of Rachel Atherton] on Redbull.com
{{Cycling Archives}}
[http://www.athertonracing.co.uk athertonracing.co.uk]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20090423042243/http://www.animalcommencal.com/ animalcommencal.com]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20081013130046/http://descent-world.co.uk/ARCHIVE_PRE2005/html/interview/rachelatherton.htm Interview: Rachel Atherton, Douglas Cook, Descent World, 2004]
[http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/mtb/2007/sep07/mtbworlds07/?id=/riders/2007/interviews/athertons07_part1 An interview with the Athertons, Steve Thomas, Cycling News, 6 September 2007]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20080617233009/http://www.silverfish-uk.com/sponsored_riders_and_teams.php?view=4 Silverfish Atherton Racing Profiles]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20110923162544/http://losinground.com/profiles/rachel-atherton Rachel Atherton's bio]

{{Laureus World Sports Award for Action Sportsperson of the Year}}

Category:1987 births

Category:Living people

Category:Downhill mountain bikers

Category:UCI Mountain Bike World Champions (women)

Category:English female cyclists

Category:British female cyclists

Category:Sportspeople from Salisbury

Category:Laureus World Sports Awards winners

Category:English mountain bikers

Category:British mountain bikers

Category:21st-century English sportswomen