Jonathan Tiernan-Locke

Jonathan Tiernan-Locke

Tiernan-Locke at the 2011 Tour of Britain
Personal information
Full name	Jonathan Tiernan-Locke
Nickname	JTL
Born	(1984-12-26) 26 December 1984 (age 39) Plymouth, Devon, England
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Team information
Current team	Retired
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Rider type	Puncheur
Amateur teams
2003	U.V. Aube
2004	British U-23 National team
2004	CC Étupes
2016	Saint Piran
Professional teams
2009	Plowman Craven-Madison
2010–2011	Rapha Condor–Sharp
2012	Endura Racing
2013–2014	Team Sky
Major wins
Stage races Tour Méditerranéen (2012) Tour du Haut Var (2012)

Jonathan Tiernan-Locke (born 26 December 1984) is a British former professional road racing cyclist who last raced for UCI ProTeam Team Sky in 2013.^[1] Tiernan-Locke's major breakthrough came from winning four stage races during the 2012 UCI Europe Tour, including the Tour of Britain, while riding for Endura Racing. In 2014, his 2012 Tour of Britain win was stripped following the identification of anomalies in his biological passport data from around the time of that race, and he was banned from competition until the end of 2015.^[2]

Amateur career

Tiernan-Locke started mountain bike racing at the age of 15 before taking up road racing in 2003 when he was 18.^[3] He progressed rapidly from 4th Category to 1st Category in a matter of months and for 2004 was offered the chance to ride for the French Amateur team U.V. Aube. Within 18 months he was selected for the British U23 National team, competing in the Under-23 road race at the 2004 UCI Road World Championships in Verona, Italy,^[4] and joined the French team CC Étupes for 2005. His impact was immediate, with a win in GP de Rocheville, and podiums on all ten of his first ten races.

Months later his health deteriorated and he was diagnosed with Epstein–Barr virus. Forced to stop racing altogether, he spent the next three years studying for a degree in product design at the University of the West of England, but did not graduate. After recovering his health he started racing again in 2008 but his season was once more disrupted after he was knocked off his bike by a horse while competing in a Surrey League race and suffered injuries including a broken collarbone and nose.^[5] In 2009 he finally got the chance to return to the pro ranks with the Plowman Craven-Madison team, but once again misfortune struck as the team folded mid season and Jonathan returned to working in a bike shop.^[6]

Professional career

2011: Rapha Condor-Sharp

In 2010 he was offered the opportunity to ride with Rapha Condor–Sharp for the 2011 season. He won the mountains classification and finished fifth in the general classification in the Tour of Britain.^[7][8]

2012: Endura Racing

Tiernan-Locke in the leader's jersey at the 2012 Tour of Britain. He was later stripped of the title over bio-passport irregularities

Tiernan-Locke moved to Endura Racing for the 2012 season. At the start of the year he won the Tour Méditerranéen,^[9] and the Tour du Haut Var,^[10] with those results gaining him the lead of the UCI Europe Tour.^[11] Tiernan-Locke later placed second to Movistar Team's Nairo Quintana in the Vuelta a Murcia.^[12] He suffered a fractured collarbone at the Lincoln Grand Prix in May,^[13] but returned to cycling at June's Route du Sud, finishing 22nd overall. In July he won the Tour Alsace overall as well as two stages during the event.^[14] Tiernan-Locke led Endura at his home race, the Tour of Britain. He finished second on stage six, to Caerphilly mountain, to take the lead of the race. He held the lead until the end of the race, becoming the first British rider to win a British cycling tour since 1993.^[15][16]

Tiernan-Locke represented Great Britain at the road world championships finishing 19th. He further enhanced his reputation by staying in contention with the world class field until the final climb.^[17][18]

On 4 October 2012, it was announced that Tiernan-Locke would join UCI ProTeam Team Sky on a two-year contract from the 2013 season onwards.^[1]

2013–2014: Team Sky

Tiernan-Locke riding for Team Sky at the 2013 Paris–Nice

Tiernan-Locke withdrew from the road world championships on 29 September 2013 because of a potential discrepancy in his biological passport data.^[19] He was suspended from racing for Team Sky or taking part in any training activities until he had faced an anti-doping hearing.^[20] In July 2014, his ban was announced by the UCI, banning him until 31 December 2015 and stripping his 2012 Tour of Britain and World Championship results.^[21] Team Sky immediately terminated his contract.^[22] In August 2014, UK Anti-Doping upheld the ban, accepting Tiernan-Locke's claim that he had indulged in binge drinking two days before the positive test but rejecting his contention that he had not rehydrated by the time of the test, given that he was tested on the eve of the 2012 World Championship road race, where he finished 19th.^[23] Tiernan-Locke subsequently expressed an interest in returning to professional cycling after the end of his ban.^[24]

2016: return to competition

In January 2016, following the end of his ban, Tiernan-Locke indicated that he would return to racing as an independent, rather than with a team.^[25] He subsequently expressed dissatisfaction with being awarded a second-category racing licence for his return to competition, after having raced with an elite-level licence from 2003 until his ban.^[26] Tiernan-Locke later confirmed that he would ride for the Saint Piran team, which he had co-founded.^[27] He finished second on his return to racing in the Primavera Road Race in February 2016,^[28] and subsequently won the Modbury Spring Road Race in March.^[29] In April 2016, he told Cycling Weekly that "I'm realistic that it's a hobby these days, I'm getting by on 10 hours a week training. Realistically, I'm riding at a good level and I'm happy with that".^[30]

Major results

2005

1st GP de Rocheville

3rd Des Boucles Catalanes

2008

1st Overall Totnes–Vire

1st Stage 3

2009

6th Severn Bridge Road Race^[31]

2010

5th Overall FBD Insurance Ras

1st Stage 5

2011

2nd Overall Vuelta Ciclista a León

1st Mountains classification^[32]

1st Stage 4

1st Ryedale Grand Prix^[33]

2nd Jock Wadley Memorial^[34]

4th Overall Tour de Korea

5th Overall Tour of Britain

1st Mountains classification

8th Overall Tour of South Africa

8th East Yorkshire Classic^[35]

2012

1st Overall Tour Alsace

1st Points classification

1st Mountains classification

1st Stages 2 & 4

1st Overall Tour Méditerranéen

1st Points classification

1st Stages 1 & 4

1st Overall Tour du Haut Var

1st Points classification

1st Stage 2

Voided Result.^[21]

1st Overall Tour of Britain

2nd Overall Vuelta a Murcia

3rd Overall UCI Europe Tour

6th Overall Vuelta Ciclista a León

Personal life

On 24 April 2015 Tiernan-Locke was arrested and charged for drunk driving. Analysis of a blood sample found 204 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. He was sentenced at a magistrates court to a 17-month driving ban.^[36]

References

1. Wynn, Nigel (4 October 2012). "Team Sky signs Tiernan-Locke for 2013". Cycling Weekly. IPC Media Limited. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
2. "Tiernan-Locke retires from cycling". 17 February 2017.
3. Sidwells, Chris (3 October 2008). "South Devon with Jonathan Tiernan-Locke". Cycling World. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
4. "Brits in the Under-23 World Road Race 1998-2007". Cycling Weekly. 23 September 2008. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
5. MacMichael, Simon (16 January 2013). "Jonathan Tiernan-Locke video interview part 1: Sky's new signing looks back on outstanding 2012". road.cc.
6. "Tuesdays with Wilcockson : John Teirnan Locke". Red Kite Prayer. 20 February 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
7. Fotheringham, William (18 September 2011). "Mark Cavendish warms up for Worlds with Tour of Britain stage win". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
8. "Tour of Britain: Boom in gold after Cavendish win". BBC Sport. 18 September 2011. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
9. "Tiernan-Locke wins Tour Méditerranéen". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. 12 February 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
10. "Tiernan-Locke wins final Haut Var stage". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. 19 February 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
11. "Tiernan-Locke leads UCI Europe Tour". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. 28 February 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
12. "Quintana secures overall Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia victory". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. 4 March 2012. Retrieved 4 March 2012.
13. Abraham, Richard (16 May 2012). "Tiernan-Locke out with fractured collarbone". Cycling Weekly. IPC Media Limited. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
14. Wynn, Nigel (29 July 2012). "Tiernan-Locke wins Tour Alsace". Cycling Weekly. IPC Media Limited. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
15. "Jonathan Tiernan-Locke wins race". BBC Sport. BBC. 16 September 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
16. "Tiernan-Locke takes the overall win in the Tour of Britain". British Cycling. British Cycling Federation. 16 September 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
17. Wynn, Nigel (14 September 2012). "British team for World Championships confirmed". Cycling Weekly. IPC Media Limited. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
18. Report: Tiernan Locke Impresses on Worlds Debut. Britishcycling.org.uk (23 September 2012). Retrieved on 13 August 2013.
19. "Jonathan Tiernan-Locke: Team Sky cyclist in UCI inquiry". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 October 2013.
20. "Team Sky's Jonathan Tiernan-Locke to face anti-doping hearing". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
21. "UCI statement on Jonathan Tiernan-Locke". UCI. 17 July 2014. Archived from the original on 25 July 2014.
22. Farrelly, Tony (17 July 2014). "Team Sky's Jonathan Tiernan Locke gets 2-year ban for biological passport irregularities". road.cc.
23. "Former Team Sky rider Jonathan Tiernan-Locke's two-year ban upheld". theguardian.com. 18 August 2014. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
24. Windsor, Richard (27 October 2014). "Jonathan Tiernan-Locke: "I have no respect for the doping sanction"". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 27 October 2014.
25. Wynn, Nigel (6 January 2016). "Jonathan Tiernan-Locke to return to racing in February as doping ban expires". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
26. Wynn, Nigel (28 January 2016). "Jonathan Tiernan-Locke unhappy after being given second category race licence". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
27. "Jonathan Tiernan-Locke hoping for chance to clear name as he nears comeback". BT Sport. 22 February 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
28. Thomas, David (28 February 2016). "CYCLING: Jonathon Tiernan-Locke second to Liam Bromiley in Devon rider's Primavera comeback". Torquay Herald Express. Retrieved 6 March 2016.^{[permanent dead link]}
29. "Result: Mens Modbury Spring Road Race". VeloUK. 15 March 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
30. Marshall-Bell, Chris (15 April 2016). "Jonathan Tiernan-Locke: 'Cycling's just a hobby now'". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
31. "Marcin edges home in a thrilling finish". Bristol Post. 4 March 2009. Retrieved 8 March 2016.^{[permanent dead link]}
32. "Goos wins Vuelta Ciclista a Leon". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. 6 August 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
33. "Ryedale Grand Prix". British Cycling. 5 June 2011. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
34. Bull, Nick (17 March 2016). "Bialoblocki wins 'fastest ever' Jock Wadley Memorial". Cycling News. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
35. Hunt, Andy (1 August 2011). "Hunt triumphs at East Yorkshire Classic". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
36. Clarke, Stuart (8 July 2015). "Jonathan Tiernan-Locke handed driving ban". Cycling Weekly. Retrieved 18 April 2016.

External links

• Jonathan Tiernan-Locke at Cycling Archives (archived)