Phil Gaimon facts for kids
Gaimon at the 2014 Tour of Alberta
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Phillip Gaimon | ||
| Nickname | Cookie Monster | ||
| Born | January 28, 1986 Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
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| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Weight | 67 kg (148 lb) | ||
| Team information | |||
| Current team | Jukebox Cycling | ||
| Discipline | Road | ||
| Role | Rider | ||
| Rider type | All-rounder/climber | ||
| Major wins | |||
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Phillip Gaimon (born January 28, 1986) is an American former professional road racing cyclist. He rode his bike in professional races from 2009 to 2016. Today, he is part of Jukebox Cycling, a team that competes in different types of bike races.
Phil started racing while he was a student at the University of Florida. He competed in college races with the University's Cycling Club. As a professional, Phil rode for several teams. He is also a well-known blogger and writer. He has shared his thoughts on cycling for VeloNews, Bicycling, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated.
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Phil Gaimon's Cycling Journey
Phil Gaimon was born in Columbus, Ohio, in the United States. He grew up in Atlanta. As of 2014, Phil lives in Los Angeles, California.
After racing for five seasons with American teams, Phil joined the Garmin-Sharp team in 2014. He won his very first race with this new team. It was Stage 1 of the 2014 Tour de San Luis. He finished second overall in that race. The winner was Nairo Quintana.
In 2015, Phil returned to racing in America. He rode for the Optum–Kelly Benefit Strategies team. After that, he went back to the top level of cycling, called the World Tour. He joined the Cannondale team for the 2016 season. Phil announced that he would stop professional racing at the end of 2016.
In June 2019, Phil was training for the 2020 Olympics. He had a serious crash during his training. He broke his collarbone, shoulder blade, and five ribs. He also had a partially collapsed lung.
Phil's Life Beyond Racing
Phil Gaimon started writing books while he was still a professional cyclist. His first book, Pro Cycling on $10 a Day: From Fat Kid to Euro Pro, came out in 2014. After he retired from racing, he kept writing. He released Ask a Pro: Deep Thoughts and Unreliable Advice from America's Foremost Cycling Sage in 2017. Another book, Draft Animals: Living the Pro Cycling Dream (Once in a While), was published later.
Phil also hosts a weekly podcast called The Peloton Brief. He organizes a yearly charity bike ride in Simi Valley, California. This event is called Phil's Cookie Fondo.
Phil is very open about believing in fair play in sports. He got a tattoo of a bar of soap with the word "CLEAN" on his right arm. This tattoo shows his commitment to racing without any special help.
Since retiring from professional racing, Phil has become popular on social media. He tries to beat "king-of-the-mountain" (KOM) records on the digital app Strava. These are records for the fastest times up certain hills. He also makes a video series about his KOM attempts on YouTube. He calls it "Worst Retirement Ever."
In 2022, Phil Gaimon joined the new Jukebox Cycling team.
Phil Gaimon's Top Achievements
Here are some of Phil Gaimon's best results in cycling races:
- 2006
* 8th Overall Tour of the Bahamas
- 2007
* 7th Univest Grand Prix ** 1st Youth classification (best young rider)
- 2008
* 1st Mount Washington Hillclimb
- 2009
* 1st Mount Washington Hillclimb
- 2010
* 2nd Overall Tour de Taiwan
- 2011
* 6th Overall Tour de Beauce * 8th Overall Cascade Cycling Classic
- 2012
* 1st Overall Redlands Bicycle Classic ** 1st Stage 1 (Individual Time Trial) * 4th Overall Cascade Cycling Classic
- 2013
* 2nd Overall Tour of the Gila * 6th Overall Cascade Cycling Classic ** 1st Stage 1
- 2014
* 2nd Overall Tour de San Luis ** 1st Stage 1
- 2015
* 1st Overall Redlands Bicycle Classic
- 2017
* 1st USA Cycling Hill Climb National Championship * 1st Mount Washington Hillclimb
- 2022
* 1st Overall Mount Washington Hillclimb (with a new record time of 50 minutes and 38 seconds)
See also
In Spanish: Phillip Gaimon para niños
