Chris Opie Explained

Chris Opie
Fullname:Christopher Ryan Opie
Birth Date:1987 7, df=yes
Birth Place:Truro, Cornwall, England[1]
Height:1.78 m
Weight:73 kg
Discipline:Road
Role:Rider
Ridertype:Sprinter[2]
Amateuryears1:1998–2005
Amateurteam1:www.cyclelogic.co.uk
Amateuryears2:2006
Amateurteam2:UC Aubenas
Amateuryears3:2007
Amateurteam3:One and All Cycling
Amateuryears4:2010–2011
Amateurteam4:Pendragon–Le Col–Colnago
Amateuryears5:2020
Amateurteam5:[3]
Proyears1:2012–2013
Proyears2:2014
Proyears3:2015–2016
Proyears4:2017–2018
Proyears5:2021–

Christopher Ryan Opie (born 22 July 1987) is a British cyclist and a contributor to the Global Cycling Network.[4]

Career

Born in Truro, Cornwall, Opie grew up on a small beef and dairy farm. He attended Kea Primary and Penair Secondary Schools in Truro.[5] He began cycling competitively at the age of 10 and progressed to lead the British National Junior RR Series in 2005.

In 2006, Opie raced in France for UC Aubenas and he battled with a slight eating disorder and, in 2007, with Glandular Fever, but returned to racing in 2008, when he was based in the Netherlands and Belgium. He returned from the Netherlands to ride for Pendragon Sports/Le Col/Colnago in 2010,[6] and when the team wound up at the end of the 2011 season[7] he was signed by Nigel Mansell's .[8]

After Mansell decided to end his financial support of Team UK Youth, Opie signed for for the 2014 season.[9] After one season with the team he was announced as part of the inaugural squad for the team for the 2015 season.[10] Opie announced his retirement from competition in May 2018 immediately before his final race, the last round of that year's Tour Series in Salisbury.[11] Opie's retirement was a financial decision, following the bankruptcy of one of the team sponsors which led to a halving of riders' salaries.[12]

In January 2019, Opie joined Global Cycling Network as a presenter.[13] However the transition away from racing was not without difficulty and as Opie described himself, led to a minor breakdown suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Opie decided to make a return to racing in 2020, with the team, despite there being no races held during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic.[14]

Personal life

Opie and his wife Meike have two children together. He is the brother-in-law of Dutch former racing cyclist Remco van der Ven.[15]

Major results

2010
  • 1st GP Al Fatah
  • Tour of Libya[16]
  • 1st Stages 4 & 5
    2012
  • 6th Ster van Zwolle
    2013
  • Tour Series
  • 1st Round 8 – Canary Wharf[17] & Round 10 – Aylsham
  • 2nd Overall Tour of the Reservoir[18]
  • 1st Stage 1
    2014
  • 2nd National Circuit Race Championships[19]
  • 2nd Circuit of the Fens[20]
  • 2nd Ipswich and Coastal Grand Prix[21]
  • 3rd Otley Grand Prix[22]
  • 3rd Wales Open Criterium[23]
  • 4th Eddie Soens Memorial[24]
  • 4th Grand Prix des Marbriers
  • 5th Colne Grand Prix[25]
    2015
  • 1st Stockton Grand Prix
  • 2nd Perfs Pedal Race[26]
  • 2nd Rutland–Melton International CiCLE Classic[27]
  • 3rd Overall Totnes-Vire Stage Race
  • 1st Stage 2[28]
  • 3rd Chepstow Grand Prix[29]
  • 7th Overall Ronde van Midden-Nederland
    2016
  • 1st Overall Ronde van Midden-Nederland
  • 1st Stages 1 (TTT) & 2
  • 1st Stage 2 Tour de Korea
  • 2nd Arnhem–Veenendaal Classic
  • 8th Grand Prix de Denain
    2017
  • 7th Ronde van Drenthe
    2018
  • 8th PWZ Zuidenveld Tour

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Team: Chris Opie. Team UK Youth. 14 June 2013. dead. https://archive.today/20130615212300/http://www.teamukyouth.co.uk/chris-opie/. 15 June 2013. dmy-all.
    2. Web site: Chris Opie retires from professional cycling. . 6 June 2018.
    3. News: Steve Lampier moves to Ribble for 2020 as Chris Opie joins Saint Piran. Saint Piran. Saint Piran Limited. 28 November 2019. 15 March 2020.
    4. Web site: Play Sports Network welcomes three new presenters . Kieran. Howells . 13 Jun 2018 . bikebiz.com.
    5. Web site: People Features: Chris Opie Diary. BBC Cornwall. 6 February 2009. 14 June 2013.
    6. Web site: Pendragon Sports/Le Col/Colnago announce 2010 team line-up. Bike Radar. 25 November 2009. 14 June 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131031173000/http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/pendragon-sportsle-colcolnago-announce-2010-team-line-up-24130/. 31 October 2013. dead.
    7. Web site: Pendragon-Le Col-Colnago to stop at end of the season. Andy McGrath. Cycling Weekly. 11 August 2011. 14 June 2013.
    8. Web site: Team UK Youth reveal 2012 kit and sponsors at Gran Canaria Camp. British Cycling. 30 January 2012.
    9. Web site: Team UK Youth: Chris Opie saddened by team's demise . Harlow . Phil . 25 October 2013 . bbc.co.uk. 29 October 2013.
    10. Web site: England wicketkeeper Matt Prior launches UCI Continental team ONE Pro Cycling . Cary . Tom . 9 December 2014 . telegraph.co.uk. 9 December 2014.
    11. Web site: Canyon Eisberg and Team Breeze crowned OVO Energy Tour Series champions. 31 May 2018 . . 6 June 2018.
    12. Web site: The Insight Series Episode 6 - Chris Opie chats racing before & after GCN & why he's coming back. 27 May 2020 . YouTube. 9 September 2020.
    13. Web site: Chris Opie: Meet the Presenters. Global Cycling Network. 26 January 2019. 9 September 2020.
    14. Web site: Team Q&A: Chris Opie at Saint Piran. 11 April 2020. VeloUK. LH Publishing. Larry. Hickmott. 9 September 2020.
    15. Web site: Chris Opie wint Ronde van Midden-Nederland. 28 August 2016 . . Dutch. Chris Opie wins Ronde van Midden-Nederland. 6 June 2018.
    16. Web site: Cornish rider Chris Opie in Tour of Libya success. BBC Sport. 7 April 2010.
    17. Web site: Chris Opie extends UK Youth lead at Canary Wharf Tour Series. Richard Abraham. Cycling Weekly. 7 June 2013.
    18. Web site: Chris Opie wins Tour of the Reservoir opener. Snowdon Sports. Cycling Weekly. 27 April 2013.
    19. Web site: 2014 British Cycling National Circuit Race Championship - Hull - July 9 2014: Men's Championship: Official Result. 9 July 2014 . British Cycling. 16 July 2014.
    20. Web site: Adam Blythe (NFTO Pro Cycling) wins the 2014 Vericool for Schools Circuit of the Fens . Whitehouse . Andy . 27 July 2014 . British Cycling. 7 August 2014.
    21. Web site: Yanto Barker takes British Cycling Elite Road Series title . Williams . Huw . 31 August 2014 . British Cycling. 6 September 2014.
    22. Web site: Blythe victorious in Property Development Otley Grand Prix . Whitehouse . Andy. 2 July 2014 . British Cycling. 17 July 2014.
    23. Web site: Graham Briggs (Rapha Condor) wins Wales Open Criterium, while Alex Blain (Team Raleigh) wins overall series . Whitehouse . Andy . 30 July 2014 . . 5 August 2014.
    24. Web site: 53rd Eddie Soens Memorial Cycle Race. . 16 June 2014.
    25. Web site: Rapha Condor JLT's Graham Briggs wins 2014 Elite Circuit Series Colne Grand Prix . Swarbrick . Guy . 16 July 2014 . . 4 August 2014.
    26. Web site: Perfs Pedal Race. . 12 February 2015.
    27. Web site: Steele Von Hoff wins CiCLE Classic without realising it. 26 April 2015 . . 27 April 2015.
    28. Web site: Totnes-Vire Stage Race. . 4 April 2015.
    29. Web site: Graham Briggs takes solo win at Chepstow Grand Prix. 6 August 2015 . . 15 August 2015.

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