Sean Kelly (cyclist)

Sean Kelly
Sean Kelly in July 2009
Personal information
Full nameJohn James Kelly
NicknameKing Kelly[1]
Born (1956-05-24) 24 May 1956 (age 68)
Waterford City, County Waterford, Ireland[2][3][4]
Height1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight77 kg (170 lb; 12 st 2 lb)
Team information
Current teamRetired
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Rider typeStarted as a sprinter
Became an all-rounder
Amateur team
1976V. C Metz-Woippy
Professional teams
1977–1978Flandria–Velda–Latina Assicurazioni
1979–1981Splendor–Euro Soap
1982–1983Sem–France Loire–Campagnolo
1984–1985Skil–Reydel–Sem–Mavic
1986–1988Kas
1989–1991PDM–Ultima–Concorde
1992–1993Lotus–Festina
1994Catavana–AS Corbeil–Essonnes–Cedico
Major wins
Grand Tours
Tour de France
Points classification (1982, 1983, 1985, 1989)
Intermediate sprints classification (1982, 1983, 1989)
5 individual stages
Vuelta a España
General classification (1988)
Points classification (1980, 1985, 1986, 1988)
Combination classification (1986, 1988)
16 individual stages

Stage races

Paris–Nice (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988)
Tour de Suisse (1983, 1990)
Tour of the Basque Country (1984, 1986, 1987)
Volta a Catalunya (1984, 1986)
Critérium International (1983, 1984, 1987)

One-day races and Classics

Milan–San Remo (1986, 1992)
Paris–Roubaix (1984, 1986)
Liège–Bastogne–Liège (1984, 1989)
Giro di Lombardia (1983, 1985, 1991)
Gent–Wevelgem (1988)
GP Ouest–France (1984)
Paris–Tours (1984)
Paris–Bourges (1984)

Other

Super Prestige Pernod International (1984–1986)
UCI Road World Cup (1989)
Grand Prix des Nations (1986)
Medal record
Representing  Ireland
Men's road bicycle racing
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1982 Goodwood Elite Men's Road Race
Bronze medal – third place 1989 Chambéry Elite Men's Road Race

John James 'Sean' Kelly (born 24 May 1956)[5] is an Irish former professional road bicycle racer, one of the most successful road cyclists of the 1980s, and one of the finest Classics riders of all time. From becoming a professional in 1977 until his retirement in 1994, he won 193 professional races, including nine Monument Classics, Paris–Nice a record seven years consecutively and the first UCI Road World Cup in 1989. Kelly won one Grand Tour, the 1988 Vuelta a España, and four green jerseys in the Tour de France. He achieved multiple victories in the Giro di Lombardia, Milan–San Remo, Paris–Roubaix and Liège–Bastogne–Liège, as well as three runners-up placings in the only Monument he failed to win, the Tour of Flanders. Other victories include the Grand Prix des Nations and stage races, the Critérium International, Tour de Suisse, Tour of the Basque Country and Volta a Catalunya.

Kelly twice won bronze medals (1982, 1989) in the Road World Championships Elite Men's Road Race and finished fifth in 1987, the year compatriot Stephen Roche won gold. When the FICP rankings became established in March 1984, Kelly was the first cyclist to be ranked World No.1, a position he held for a record five consecutive years. In the 1984 season, Kelly achieved 33 victories.

  1. ^ Kelly, Sean (9 April 2014). "Sean Kelly on Paris–Roubaix, the Hell of the North". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 10 April 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
  2. ^ Walsh 1987, p. 29.
  3. ^ Ryan 2018, p. 19.
  4. ^ Ryan, Barry (22 September 2017). The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling's Golden Generation. Hume Avenue, Park West, Dublin Twelve, Republic of Ireland: Gill Books. ISBN 978-0-7171-8026-4. Archived from the original on 31 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  5. ^ "Sean Kelly Photo Gallery". BikeRaceInfo. Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA: McGann Publishing. Archived from the original on 13 July 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2022.