Stephen Swart
{{Short description|New Zealand cyclist (born 1965)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox cyclist
| name = Stephen Swart
| image =
| image_size =
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1965|01|05|df=y}}
| birth_place = New Zealand
| height =
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| currentteam = Retired
| discipline = Road
| role = Rider
| ridertype =
| amateuryears1 =
| amateurteam1 =
| amateuryears2 =
| amateurteam2 =
| proyears1 = 1987
| proteam1 = ANC–Halfords
| proyears2 = 1988
| proteam2 = {{UCI team code|SEFB|1988}}
| proyears3 = 1989–1993
| proteam3 = {{UCI team code|Coors|1989}}
| proyears4 = 1994–1995
| proteam4 = Motorola
| majorwins =
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCountry| {{NZL}} }}
{{MedalSport | Men's Track cycling}}
{{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}}
{{MedalSilver | 1986 Edinburgh | 4000m Team Pursuit}}
| show-medals = yes
}}
Stephen Swart (born Auckland, 5 January 1965) is a former New Zealand cyclist. He began his professional career with British team, ANC-Halfords and rode the 1987 Tour de France with them. After the ANC team folded later that year, he rode for American teams.
With the Motorola team, he participated in the 1994 and 1995 Tour de France. He won the Herald Sun Tour (Australia) and the Tour of Canada.
Swart's older brother, Jack, was a top amateur cyclist.{{cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1991/05/10/new-zealander-emerges-from-pack-swart-3rd-in-prologue-of-tour-du-pont/|title=New Zealander emerges from pack Swart 3rd in prologue of Tour Du Pont|date=10 May 1991 }}
In the 1986 Commonwealth Games he competed in the 4000m team pursuit, the team came second for silver; and in the 4000m individual pursuit.
Doping and cheating revelations
Prompted by his son's taking up racing, Swart spoke up about doping in cycling. He described Lance Armstrong, his Motorola teammate, as one of the strongest advocates of doping when the team decided to dope. “He was the instigator,” Swart told Sports Illustrated. “It was his words that pushed us toward doing it.” {{cite web|url=http://larrybrownsports.com/cycling/stephen-swart-lance-armstrong-was-ringleader-in-encouraging-blood-doping/48084|title=Stephen Swart: Lance Armstrong Was Ringleader in Encouraging Blood Doping|date=18 January 2011}} Swart also described his own doping.
When he initially made his disclosures, he was vilified and called a loser. Later, in 2012, he was named the 'New Zealander of the Year' for having told the truth.{{cite web |date=11 January 2013 |title=Walsh on heroes: Andreu, O'Reilly, Swart championed truth - VeloNews.com |url=https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/walsh-on-heroes-andreu-oreilly-swart-championed-truth/}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/|title=New Zealander of the Year 2012: Stephen Swart|first=Phil Taylor Senior writer, Weekend Herald and New Zealand Herald phil taylor@nzherald co nz|last=@PhilHTaylor|date=14 December 2012|via=www.nzherald.co.nz}}
Swart also testified, under oath in 2006, that he was paid $50,000 to lose a race, by Armstrong.{{cite web|url=http://nesn.com/2012/10/cyclist-stephen-swart-claims-lance-armstrong-paid-him-to-lose-races-video/|title=Lance Armstrong Accused of Paying Competitors to Lose Races by Fellow Cyclist Stephen Swart (Video)|date=20 October 2012}}
Major results
;1988
: 8th Fleche Hesbignonne
: 9th Grand Prix de Plumelec-Morbihan
;1989
: 7th Philly Cycling Classic
;1991
: 6th Thrift Drug Classic
;1992
: 1st {{USA}} National Criterium Championships
: 1st Stage 3 Tour of the Adirondacks
: 2nd Overall Celestial Bicycle Classic
::1st Stages 1 & 2
: 5th Overall Herald Sun Tour
::1st Stages 10 & 11
;1993
: 1st Stage 11 Herald Sun Tour
;1994
: 9th Wincanton Classic
;1995
: 4th Overall Tour of Luxembourg
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|colspan=19 align="center"|Grand Tour general classification results timeline |
| scope="col" | Grand Tour
! scope="col" | 1987 ! scope="col" | 1988 ! scope="col" | 1989 ! scope="col" | 1990 ! scope="col" | 1991 ! scope="col" | 1992 ! scope="col" | 1993 ! scope="col" | 1994 ! scope="col" | 1995 |
|---|
| style="text-align:center;"
! scope="row" | {{cjersey|pink}} Giro d'Italia | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| style="text-align:center;"
! scope="row" | {{cjersey|yellow}} Tour de France | DNF | — | — | — | — | — | — | 112 | 109 |
| style="text-align:center;"
! scope="row" | {{cjersey|red}} Vuelta a España | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
References
{{reflist}}
=Sources=
- {{cite book |author= Des Williams |title= Born to Thunder: Champions of New Zealand Cycling|year= 2006 |publisher= Last Side Publishing, Hamilton |pages= 252–264 |quote= Jack & Steven Swart: Serious Tour riders |isbn= 0-473-10929-8 }}
External links
- {{NZOC profile|steven-swart}}
{{1986 New Zealand Commonwealth Games team}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Swart, Steven}}
Category:New Zealand male cyclists
Category:Cyclists from Auckland
Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for New Zealand
Category:Cyclists at the 1986 Commonwealth Games
Category:Commonwealth Games medallists in cycling
Category:Doping cases in cycling
Category:New Zealand sportspeople in doping cases