Ben Swift: Rider Profile

• Wednesday, 19 January 2011
• Cycling Weekly
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Ben Swift

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BEN SWIFT
Date of birth: 05/11/1987
Team: Team Sky
Previous teams: Katusha (2009); British Cycling Academy (2004-2008); stagiaire at Barloworld (2007)

Ben Swift career profile
A long-term member of the British Academy, Ben Swift showed enormous potential as a junior rider. Impressing many with his performances at the Tour of Britain, Swift earned himself a spot as a stagiaire with the Barloworld team in 2007, where he won the King of the Mountains title in his home tour. Barloworld did not sign Swift and he returned to the Academy for 2008. 2008 was Ben Swift's greatest season to date.

Riding with the British Cycling Academy in Italy, he won his first UCI-ranked race and one of the most prestigious amateur races on the calendar, the Coppa della Pace. Swift went on to represent Great Britain in the 2008 Beijing Olympics road race, where he lasted until the very last lap before succumbing to the heat, humidity and the infernal pace.

Swift's enormous potential was reflected with a fourth place at the Under-23 World Championships, after which he promptly signed a contract with the new Russian super team, Katusha, for 2009.

Swift again showed his potential at Katusha in May 2009, with a third place finish on the second stage of the Giro d'Italia. He then scored a stage win at the Tour of Britain, lead-out by team-mate Filippo Pozzato.

After one season at Katusha, Swift signed up for British-based ProTour squad Team Sky for 2010. He quickly made an impression for the squad, winning a stage and the overall of the Tour de Picardie.

Swift started his 2011 campaign strongly, with two stage wins at the Tour Down Under - the opening UCI Worldtour event of the season - and placing third overall.

Ben Swift results
2011
Tour Down Under; stage two
Tour Down Under; stage six
Vuelta a Castilla y Leon; stage five
Tour de Romandie; stage five
Tour of California; stage two

2010
Tour de Picardie; stage two
Tour de Picardie; overall

2009
Tour of Britain; stage seven

2008
Coppa della Pace
GP Coppa Romita

2007
Tour of Britain; King of the Mountains
Giro delle Regioni; Stage
Giro delle Regioni; King of the Mountains

Ben Swift photos
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Related links
Cycling Weekly's Rider Profiles: Index