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Benjamin Ian Swift (born 5 November 1987) is a British professional track and road racing cyclist, who currently rides for
UCI WorldTeam A UCI WorldTeam (2015–present), previously UCI ProTeam (2005–2014), is the term used by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to name a cycling team of the highest category in professional road cycling, the UCI World Tour or UCI ProTour ...
. Swift won the scratch race at the 2012 UCI Track Cycling World Championships and the men's elite road race at the 2019 and 2021
British National Road Race Championships The British National Road Race Championships cover different categories of British road bicycle racing events, normally held annually. History Between 1943 and 1958, two separate bodies – the British League of Racing Cyclists (BLRC) and t ...
. His cousin,
Connor Swift Connor Swift (born 30 October 1995) is an English racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . His cousin, Ben Swift, is also a professional cyclist. In 2018 he won the British National Road Race Championships. Career In August 2018 ...
, is also an English professional road racing cyclist, and the 2018 British champion.


Biography

Swift was born in
Rotherham Rotherham () is a large minster and market town in South Yorkshire, England. The town takes its name from the River Rother which then merges with the River Don. The River Don then flows through the town centre. It is the main settlement of ...
,
South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and metropolitan county, metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. The county has four council areas which are the cities of City of Doncaster, Doncaster and City of Sh ...
, he began cycling with Mossley Cycle Racing Team aged 12. In 2003, he came second to fellow Olympian Steven Burke in the under 16 national scratch race championship. As a junior rider, Swift competed at the Junior Commonwealth Games, taking bronze in the points race, he won two national titles, the junior points race championship in 2004 followed by the junior scratch race in 2005. He also competed in the senior scratch race in 2005, demonstrating his ability by finishing third to take the bronze medal. Swift began competing internationally, winning several madison events. In 2012 he won the World Championship Men's Scratch Race, becoming Great Britain's first ever World Scratch Champion.


Professional career

He made his professional road debut in August 2007 joining as a trainee during which time he won the King of the Mountains title in the Tour of Britain. During 2008 he raced for the
British Cycling British Cycling (formerly the British Cycling Federation) is the main national governing body for cycle sport in Great Britain. It administers most competitive cycling in Great Britain, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It represents Bri ...
development team and won his first UCI ranked race. He represented Great Britain in the 2008 Olympic Games road race and at the
UCI Road World Championships The UCI Road World Championships are the annual world championships for bicycle road racing organized by the (UCI). The UCI Road World Championships consist of events for road race and individual time trial, and a mixed team relay. Events ...
where he finished fourth in the under 23 race.


Katusha

After the championships he signed a two-year professional contract with the new Russian . In 2009 he was selected to ride the Giro d'Italia, taking a third-place finish in stage 2. He took his first professional win on the seventh stage of the Tour of Britain, leading Katusha teammate Filippo Pozzato in a one-two finish. Swift spoke with Cyclingnews.com in 2009, describing himself as "an allrounder, who can do well in the Classics and win stages. 'My weakness is in the time trial. I don't like doing them and I'm not really that good at them.'"


Team Sky

Swift joined the newly formed British-based in January 2010. His transfer to Sky from Team Katusha part way through his contract was instrumental in the
Union Cycliste Internationale The ''Union Cycliste Internationale'' (UCI; ; en, International Cycling Union) is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland. The UCI issues raci ...
considering new regulations for the transfer of riders between teams. During his first season with Sky Swift's most significant result came at the Tour de Picardie, at which he won one stage, the
general classification The general classification (or the GC) in road bicycle racing is the category that tracks overall times for riders in multi-stage races. Each stage will have a stage winner, but the overall winner in the GC is the rider who has the fastest cumulat ...
, the
points classification The points classification is a secondary award category in road bicycle racing. Points are given for high finishes and, in some cases, for winning sprints at certain places along the route, most often called ''intermediate sprints''. The points cl ...
and best young rider. 2011 saw Swift win his first stage of a
UCI World Tour The UCI WorldTour (2009–2010: ''UCI World Ranking'') is the premier men's elite road cycling tour, sitting above the UCI ProSeries and various regional UCI Continental Circuits. It refers to both the tour of 38 events and, until 2019, an ann ...
race, winning stage two of the Tour Down Under in Adelaide. Four days later he also won stage six. Swift won Stage 2 of the
Tour of California The Tour of California (officially sponsored as the Amgen Tour of California) was an annual professional road cycling stage race on the UCI World Tour and USA Cycling Professional Tour that ran from 2006 to 2019. It was the only event on the ...
, and took the lead of the race, after Stage 1 was cancelled due to adverse weather. Swift was selected for the
Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...
ahead of Greg Henderson, and finished 6th on Stage 15. In 2012 Swift focused on track cycling with a view to representing Great Britain in the 2012 Olympic Games. On 4 April, Swift won the Scratch Race at the
World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
to take the rainbow jersey. He finished second in the points race, and joined forces with
Geraint Thomas Geraint Howell Thomas, (; born 25 May 1986) is a Welsh professional racing cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam , Wales and Great Britain. He is one of the few riders in the modern era to achieve significant elite success as both a tra ...
to take silver in the madison. Swift was scheduled to ride the Giro d'Italia, but was forced to withdraw after suffering a broken shoulder in a crash during a training ride the week before. Although he failed to gain selection from the long list for the British Olympic team, he was picked for the Team Sky squad for the Tour de Pologne, winning the second and fifth stages, as well as wearing that Tour's red-and-white points classification jersey Swift was selected as Sky's sprinter at the 2012 Vuelta a España, and finished second on Stage 18. In March 2014, Swift achieved one of his biggest results to date by finishing third in Milan–San Remo. In April 2015, Swift crashed out of the newly created
Tour de Yorkshire The Tour de Yorkshire is a road cycling race in the historic county of Yorkshire, England which first took place in May 2015. It is promoted by the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) and is rated as a 2.HC event as part of the UCI Europe Tour. ...
, injuring his shoulder. On 19 March 2016, Swift finished second in Milan–San Remo, being narrowly outsprinted by Arnaud Démare ().


UAE Abu Dhabi

After seven seasons with Sky, in September 2016 Swift announced that he would join on a two-year deal from 2017 in order to seek more opportunities to ride for himself.


Return to Team Sky

In October 2018, Swift rejoined for the 2019 season. In June 2019, Swift won the
British National Road Race Championships The British National Road Race Championships cover different categories of British road bicycle racing events, normally held annually. History Between 1943 and 1958, two separate bodies – the British League of Racing Cyclists (BLRC) and t ...
in
Norwich Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...
, beating team leader Ian Stannard. In September 2019, Swift signed a new contract to remain with Team Ineos until the end of the 2021 season. Swift said he had 'found a renewed enthusiasm and motivation for the sport'.


Major results

;2004 : 1st Points race, National Junior Track Championships ;2005 : 1st Scratch race, National Junior Track Championships : 1st Rotterdam Junior 2-day madison ::1st Nights 1 & 2 : 1st Dortmund Under-23 3-day madison ;2006 : 2nd
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, starting on opposite sides of the velodrome. Race format Both men's and women's events are competed over ...
, National Track Championships ;2007 : 1st Team pursuit, UEC European Under-23 Track Championships :
Giro delle Regioni The Giro delle Regioni was a multi-day cycling race held annually in Italy. It is part of UCI Europe Tour in category 2.ncup, meaning it was part of the UCI Under 23 Nations' Cup The UCI Under 23 Nations' Cup is an annual, season-long competitio ...
::1st Mountains classification ::1st Stage 4 : 1st Mountains classification Tour of Britain : 3rd Milan–Busseto : 4th Gran Premio della Liberazione : 5th Road race, UEC European Under-23 Road Championships : 7th
La Côte Picarde La Côte Picarde was a professional cycling race held between 1986 and 2015 in Picardy, France. It was held as part of the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competitions which were introduced in 20 ...
;2008 : 1st Coppa della Pace : 1st GP Coppa Romita : 1st Stage 5 Giro della Valle d'Aosta Mont Blanc : 4th Road race, UCI Under-23 Road World Championships : 4th Road race, UEC European Under-23 Road Championships : 6th Gran Premio Industrie del Marmo : 10th Gran Premio della Liberazione ;2009 : 1st Stage 7 Tour of Britain : 2nd Nokere Koerse : 8th Gran Premio di Lugano : 10th
Gran Premio dell'Insubria-Lugano Gran Premio dell'Insubria-Lugano was a single day race in the historic region of Insubria, Switzerland. The race was established in 2009 as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. The race replaced the former Gran Premio di Chiasso The Gran Premio ...
;2010 : 1st Overall Tour de Picardie ::1st Points classification ::1st Young rider classification ::1st Stage 2 : 2nd
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, starting on opposite sides of the velodrome. Race format Both men's and women's events are competed over ...
,
UCI Track World Championships The UCI Track Cycling World Championships are the set of world championship events for the various disciplines and distances in track cycling. They are regulated by the Union Cycliste Internationale. Before 1900, they were administered by the UCI ...
;2011 : 1st Stage 5
Vuelta a Castilla y León The Vuelta Ciclista a Castilla y León is a professional road bicycle stage race held in Castile and León, Spain. Since 2005, Vuelta a Castilla y León has been a part of the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bi ...
: 1st Stage 5
Tour de Romandie The Tour de Romandie is a stage race which is part of the UCI World Tour. It runs through the Romandie region, or French-speaking part of Switzerland. The competition began in 1947, to coincide with the 50-year anniversary of Swiss Cycling. It ...
: 1st Stage 2
Tour of California The Tour of California (officially sponsored as the Amgen Tour of California) was an annual professional road cycling stage race on the UCI World Tour and USA Cycling Professional Tour that ran from 2006 to 2019. It was the only event on the ...
: 3rd Overall Tour Down Under ::1st Stages 2 & 6 ;2012 :
UCI Track World Championships The UCI Track Cycling World Championships are the set of world championship events for the various disciplines and distances in track cycling. They are regulated by the Union Cycliste Internationale. Before 1900, they were administered by the UCI ...
::1st Scratch race ::2nd
Points race A points race is a mass start track cycling event involving large numbers of riders simultaneously on track. It was an Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 18 ...
::2nd Madison (with
Geraint Thomas Geraint Howell Thomas, (; born 25 May 1986) is a Welsh professional racing cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam , Wales and Great Britain. He is one of the few riders in the modern era to achieve significant elite success as both a tra ...
) : Tour de Pologne ::1st Points classification ::1st Stages 2 & 5 : 4th Road race, National Road Championships ;2013 : 3rd
Time trial In many racing sports, an athlete (or occasionally a team of athletes) will compete in a time trial against the clock to secure the fastest time. The format of a time trial can vary, but usually follow a format where each athlete or team sets off at ...
, National Road Championships : 3rd Trofeo Palma de Mallorca : 5th Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana : 10th Trofeo Campos–Santanyí–Ses Salines : 10th RideLondon–Surrey Classic ;2014 :
Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali The Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali ( en, International Week of Coppi and Bartali), also known as Coppi e Bartali, is an Italian cycle road race. It is run typically in late March over five days in the Emilia-Romagna region of Ital ...
::1st Points classification ::1st Stages 1a & 1b ( TTT) : 1st Stage 5
Tour of the Basque Country The Tour of the Basque Country (Officially: ''Itzulia Basque Country'', es, Vuelta al País Vasco, links=no, eu, Euskal Herriko Itzulia) is an annual road cycling stage race held in the Spanish Basque Country in April. It is one of the races ...
: 2nd Road race, National Road Championships : 2nd RideLondon–Surrey Classic : 2nd Trofeo Ses Salines : 3rd Trofeo Muro–Port d'Alcúdia : 3rd Milan–San Remo : 8th Nokere Koerse ;2015 : 2nd Overall
Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali The Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali ( en, International Week of Coppi and Bartali), also known as Coppi e Bartali, is an Italian cycle road race. It is run typically in late March over five days in the Emilia-Romagna region of Ital ...
::1st Points classification ::1st Stage 2 : 3rd Trofeo Playa de Palma : 3rd RideLondon–Surrey Classic : 7th Trofeo Santanyi–Ses Salines–Campos : 9th International Road Cycling Challenge : 9th
Japan Cup The is one of the most prestigious horse races in Japan. It is contested on the last Sunday of November, post time of 15:40 at Tokyo Racecourse in Fuchu, Tokyo at a distance of 2400 meters (about miles) run under weight for age conditions with ...
;2016 : 1st Points classification
Vuelta a Andalucía The Vuelta a Andalucía (Tour of Andalusia) or Ruta del Sol (Route of the Sun) is a regional Spanish road bicycle race first held in 1925. Since 2005, it has been a 2.1 category race on the UCI Europe Tour. The race became a part of the new UCI ...
: 2nd Milan–San Remo : 7th Overall Tour du Poitou-Charentes : 7th Gran Piemonte : 8th Overall Tour of Britain : 8th
Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race The Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race also known as Great Ocean Road Race or Cadel Road Race is an annual professional one-day road bicycle racing for both men and women starting and finishing in Geelong, Victoria, Australia, and routed along th ...
;2017 : 5th Road race,
UCI Road World Championships The UCI Road World Championships are the annual world championships for bicycle road racing organized by the (UCI). The UCI Road World Championships consist of events for road race and individual time trial, and a mixed team relay. Events ...
: 5th Road race, National Road Championships : 10th
Eschborn–Frankfurt Eschborn–Frankfurt, previously Rund um den Henninger Turm Frankfurt, is an annual semi classic cycling race in Germany, starting in Eschborn and finishing in Frankfurt. The event, sometimes referred to as the Frankfurt Grand Prix, is held annua ...
;2019 : 1st Road race, National Road Championships ;2020 : 8th
Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne is an annual single-day road cycling race in Belgium. It is held one day after Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, on the last Sunday of February or the first of March, and completes the opening weekend of the Belgian cycling season ...
: 10th
Milano–Torino Milano–Torino is a semi classic European single day cycling race, between the northern Italian cities of Milan and Turin over a distance of 199 kilometres. The event was first run in 1876 making it the oldest classic race in the world. The ev ...
;2021 : 1st Road race, National Road Championships (Lincoln Grand Prix) : 3rd Grand Prix de Denain ;2022 : 8th
Milano–Torino Milano–Torino is a semi classic European single day cycling race, between the northern Italian cities of Milan and Turin over a distance of 199 kilometres. The event was first run in 1876 making it the oldest classic race in the world. The ev ...


Grand Tour results timeline


References


External links

*
Ben Swift profile
at Team Sky * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Swift, Ben 1987 births Living people Cyclists from Yorkshire Cyclists at the 2008 Summer Olympics Olympic cyclists of Great Britain Sportspeople from Rotherham UCI Track Cycling World Champions (men) English male cyclists English track cyclists