Alex Dowsett facts for kids
Dowsett in 2019
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alex Edward Albert Dowsett | ||
| Nickname | The Tiger | ||
| Born | 3 October 1988 Maldon, Essex, England |
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| Height | 1.82 m | ||
| Weight | 73 kg | ||
| Team information | |||
| Role | Rider | ||
| Rider type | Time trialist | ||
| Major wins | |||
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Alex Edward Albert Dowsett (born 3 October 1988) is a British former professional road racing cyclist. He was known for being a time trial specialist. This means he was very good at races against the clock. In 2015, he even broke the world hour record in track cycling. He rode a distance of 52.937 kilometers in one hour!
Contents
Early Life and First Rides
Alex Dowsett was born in Maldon, England. His dad was a racing car driver. Alex first loved swimming and swam almost every day. Later, he started cycling with his father on a mountain bike. He went to Elm Green Preparatory School and King Edward VI Grammar School.
Alex's Cycling Journey
Starting Out in Cycling
Alex began his cycling career at the Maldon and District Cycling Club. People quickly saw his talent. He joined the British Olympic Academy development team. He won the British Time Trial Championships for riders under 23 in 2008 and 2009. In 2010, he won the under-23 European time trial championship. He also earned a silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Riding for Team Sky (2011–2012)
In 2011, Alex joined the British team, Team Sky. His first win for them was at the London Nocturne event. He finished fifth overall in the Danmark Rundt race. He also won a stage in the Tour du Poitou-Charentes. In September, he won the British National Time Trial Championships. He also won a stage in the Tour of Britain.
In 2012, Alex broke his elbow in a race. This meant he missed some important races. But he recovered well. He finished second in the National Road Race Championships. He also kept his title as National Time Trial Champion. Later that year, he finished eighth in the individual time trial at the UCI World Road Race Championships.
Time with Movistar Team (2013–2017)
In 2013, Alex joined the Spanish Movistar Team. He hoped to race in a Grand Tour, which are the biggest cycling races. He was chosen to ride in the 2013 Giro d'Italia. This was his first Grand Tour! On stage eight, a long individual time trial, Alex rode the fastest. It was his biggest win at that time. He beat the second-place rider by ten seconds. In June, he won the British National Time Trial Championships for the third year in a row.
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In 2014, Alex set a new British record for a 10-mile time trial. He finished in just 17 minutes and 20 seconds. He won a gold medal for England at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. This was in the Individual Time Trial. He also led the Tour of Britain for a while. In September, he signed a new contract with Movistar.
In December 2014, Alex said he would try to break the Hour record. This is a record for how far a cyclist can ride in one hour. He had to delay it because he broke his collarbone. But on May 2, 2015, he set a new world record! He rode 52.937 kilometers. This was almost half a kilometer further than the old record. Two weeks later, he won his first stage race, the Bayern Rundfahrt. In June 2015, he won his fourth national time trial title. He started the 2015 Tour de France but had to stop due to an injury.
Later Teams and Retirement (2018–2022)
In 2018, Alex joined Team Katusha–Alpecin. After this team changed, he thought about taking a break from cycling. But instead, he joined Israel Start-Up Nation in 2020. He won stage eight of the 2020 Giro d'Italia. He rode alone for the last 18 kilometers to win. In 2021, Alex tried to break the UCI Hour Record again. He rode 54.555 kilometers. This was the third furthest distance in the modern history of the Hour Record. In August 2022, Alex announced he would retire from professional cycling at the end of the season.
Life Outside of Racing
Alex Dowsett has a medical condition called haemophilia. This means his blood does not clot properly. He wears a special necklace that tells people about his medical needs. He chose cycling because contact sports like football were too risky for him. His mother even put pads in his school uniform to protect him.
Alex is thought to be the only top athlete with this condition. He has special permission to inject himself with a clotting protein every 48 hours. This helps his blood clot.
Alex started a charity called "Little Bleeders." It helps raise awareness about haemophilia. It also encourages young people with haemophilia to play sports. He also has his own YouTube channel. There, he shares videos about his life as a professional cyclist.
Images for kids
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Dowsett in 2019
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Dowsett at the 2011 Tour of Britain
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Dowsett at the 2014 Tour of Britain
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Dowsett (centre) in the leading group of the 2015 Vattenfall Cyclassics
See also
In Spanish: Alex Dowsett para niños
