Taylor Phinney is considered one of USA Cycling’s brightest hopes for the future and is a strong medal contender for London 2012. Taylor is a five-time World Champion and has earned nine medals at the World Championships as a Junior, U23 and Elite competitor.
Following a January ’08 World Cup win, at the March 2008 time trials in Manchester, England, Phinney landed himself a spot on the 2008 Olympic Cycling team to compete in Beijing, China.
In 2009, Taylor earned a Gold medal and set a new American record in both the UCI Track World Cup 4,000m Individual Pursuit, and in the 1k finals. He also won the Gold at both the 2009 and 2010 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. Taylor followed up his Gold medal at the 2010 World Championships with a Bronze medal in the U23 World Cycling Championships Road Race just two days later. Taylor is the youngest Elite World Champion ever (2009 in the Individual Pursuit) and the youngest U.S. Pro Champion in the Road Race Time Trial.
Affectionately known as “Mini Phinney,” racing is in his DNA. Taylor is the son of former professional cyclist Davis Phinney, the first American to win a stage of the Tour de France, Olympic bronze medalist and elite pro rider for two decades, and Connie Carpenter, one of just a handful of two-sport Olympians, having first competed at the 1972 Winter Games in speedskating, and later at the 1984 Summer Games as a cyclist where she won the gold medal during the first-ever Olympic women’s cycling event.
Taylor’s goal is to medal at the 2012 Olympics in London. He plans to determine the cycling discipline in which he will compete in late summer 2011.
Website: www.taylorphinney.com Twitter: @taylorphinney
6.3.09
VeloNews
When American Taylor Phinney won the under-23 Paris-Roubaix on May 31, it made our decision to feature him on the cover of our July issue appear prophetic.
It wasn’t, however, a tough decision to put Phinney on the cover. His elite world pursuit title in March saw the teenage phenom scratch the surface of his seemingly boundless potential.
And between our planned in-depth features on both Phinney and the USA Cycling development house in Izegem, Belgium, where Phinney sometimes lives, the choice was a no-brainer. Three years ago he was a 15-year-old newbie, now he’s the world elite pursuit champion. It seemed only natural to question what was coming next for the American phenom. Now we know the U.S. has a very likely future elite Roubaix winner on its hands. (read more)
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6.2.09
CyclingNews- By Daniel Benson, Edited by Gregor Brown
Taylor Phinney (Trek-Livestrong) won the Under 23 Paris-Roubaix race on Sunday, beating a group of 10 riders on the Roubaix velodrome. He joined Stephen Roche and Thor Hushovd in the history books of previous winners and became the first American winner in the process.
“I just found some pictures this morning as I haven’t seen any since the win. I haven’t won a road race in a few years so it’s a really nice feeling to be able to put your hands up at the end of such a hard race. I was almost in tears at the finish,” he told Cyclingnews.
Phinney had been targeting Paris-Roubaix as one of his main objectives this year along with the World Track Championships. Coming into the cobbled Classic, he knew that the course would suit his strengths. However, having raced it as a junior and having had his “butt kicked” he knew that he’d face stern competition.
“It was exciting to win, but I knew that I would be up there near the end. All my track cycling paid off.”
It had been a life-long ambition to win Paris Roubaix for Phinney – a race he grew up idolizing from his home in Boulder, Colorado. (read more)
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5.26.09
VeloNews
Trek-Livestrong’s Taylor Phinney took sixth overall at the Fleche du Sud stage race in Luxembourg on Friday. In the (read more)
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5.21.09
Velo News
Taylor Phinney (Trek-Livestrong) won the 4.2km prologue of the Fleche du Sud stage race in Luxembourg on (read more)
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5.13.09
The Denver Post
Boulder’s Taylor Phinney is cycling way to Tour de Force. At age 18, he has competed in the Olympics. Lance Armstrong has taken him under his wing. But, it appears the best is yet to come.
The lace sleeve and bandage covered Taylor Phinney’s savaged elbow like a badge of honor. It not only held a few bits of New Mexico asphalt but also some nice memories, if a nasty fall on a bike going 35 mph can make an 18-year-old fondly reminisce.
It was at Saturday’s Tour of Gila criterium and Phinney was steeling himself to gun for the win. Then an opponent sidled up to him and asked a question. It wasn’t a young European with fire in his legs and deceit in his heart.
It was the founder and owner of Phinney’s new cycling team, a veteran with a bit of knowledge about the sport of road cycling.
“Dude,” Lance Armstrong asked Phinney, “what do you need?”
Even to Phinney, already an Olympian and the son of two Olympic medalists, that’s pretty cool. You’re called The Next Lance Armstrong and the real Lance Armstrong takes you under his wing in a race? That’s one rose you stop to smell.
“Then I eventually crashed with two laps to go and that was the end of my race,” Phinney said.
Phinney smiled when he recalled the story, sitting in his house in Boulder. Life is good. His parents, Connie and Davis, were off to their bike camp in Italy. Davis continues to win his fight with Parkinson’s disease. And Taylor is a senior world track champion. His future on the road couldn’t be brighter. (read more)
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