Beginning his professional cycling career as part of the Credit Agricole team, it wasn’t long before Chris set a record of the fastest time to cycle around the 37.73 mile Snaefell Mountain Course, this was a record that stood undefeated for a staggering 22 years. Shortly after this, Boardman set another time record during the prologue of the 1994 Tour de France, it was this achievement that bought him to national fame along with his performance in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics which was Britains first cycling Gold medal in 72 years.
Throughout his years of participating in Tour de France, Boardman experienced many obstacles which hindered him from reaching his goals. He faced a few crashes that gave him no option but to quit a few races as well as being diagnosed with osteopenia. The treatment needed in order to relieve the symptoms of his condition required him to take testosterone, a procedure not allowed by the Union Cycliste Internationale. With extreme drive and determination, Chris made the decision to not retire and continue competing for a further two years with the hope that he could finish his career on a high note at the 2000 Olympic Games.
One of his final achievements as a professional cyclist was breaking the hour record set by Eddy Merckx in 1972. He rode 49.441km which was 10 metres further than the original record. He came 11th in the time trial of the 2000 Olympic Games as he had previously been suffering from sinus issues which forced him to miss the 2000 Tour de France.
Chris Boardman retired at the age of 32 and later admitted that the final two years of his sporting career were the most difficult. Even though he was suffering from his condition as well as personal issues behind closed doors, he “managed to stretch and mould his ability that he has, and find a niche for himself.”
Since retirement, Chris has established his own brand of bikes and accessories branded Boardman Bikes. He was also appointed equipment and technical manager for the Team GB cycling team during the 2008 Bejing Olympics and commentated at the London 2012 Olympic Games alongside Hugh Porter. On top of all his accomplishments, Boardman was most impressively inducted into the British Cycling Hall of Fame in 2010.
As the first to become commissioner for walking and cycling in Greater Manchester, Chris promotes only positive, inspirational messages with a drive that is highly sought-after by many. With an abundance of moving yet motivating stories, Boardman is the perfect addition to any event or conference.
