Peter Robert KennaughMBE (born 15 June 1989) is aManx former professionalracing cyclist,[2] who rode professionally between 2010 and 2019 forTeam Sky andBora–Hansgrohe.[3] In 2012 he won thegold medal as part of the Great Britain Team Pursuit team at the2012 Summer Olympics, becoming the first Manxman in 100 years to win gold.[4] On 5 April 2019, he announced that he was taking an indefinite break from professional cycling to focus on his mental health.[5]
Born inDouglas, Isle of Man, Peter's younger brotherTim, and their father are also cyclists. Peter's mother Jackie also cycled and formerly held the Isle of Man's 10-mile time trial record.[6] He began cycling competitively inBMX at the age of 6.[7] Kennaugh attended school atSt Ninian's.
He became a member ofBritish Cycling's Olympic Academy in 2008, moving with the rest of the squad to live inTuscany, Italy.[8] In 2008 he came second in the seniornational road race championships thus becoming the British under 23 champion. In February 2009 he became the Britishmadison champion partneringMark Christian.[9]
On 9 September 2009, it was announced that Kennaugh would turn professional in 2010, riding for the new British professionalTeam Sky.[10] He was described byCycling Weekly as "the most talented youngster to roll off the Isle of Man production line since his friend and star sprinterMark Cavendish".[8]
In 2010, he focused on track cycling, winning the individual pursuit and scratch race at the national track championships. He finished second to Sky teammateGeraint Thomas in the national road race championships. Kennaugh made his grand tour debut in theVuelta a España, but Sky withdrew following the death ofsoigneur Txema Gonzalez.[11]
In 2011, Kennaugh was a last minute replacement forSerge Pauwels in theGiro d'Italia,[12] and finished 86th in his first Giro. Kennaugh finished third overall in theRoute du Sud, but was not selected for the2011 Tour de France. He came in third behind teammatesBradley Wiggins and Geraint Thomas in the national road race championships.[13] In August, he finished fifth overall in theTour de Pologne.[14]
In 2012, he began focusing on track cycling. He was part of the four-man Great Britain pursuit team that set a new world record time of 3:53.295 seconds to win gold in thetrack world championships on 4 April 2012 in Melbourne.[15] That achievement however was bettered on 3 August when he formed part of theTeam GB pursuit team alongsideEd Clancy, Geraint Thomas,Steven Burke, that not only took Gold at theSummer Olympics but, with a time of 3:51.659, shattered their own world record that they had set in qualifying.[16][17] Kennaugh was the first Manxman to win an Olympic gold since 1912.
Kennaugh focused fully on the road in 2013. He played a supporting role inChris Froome's overall victory at theTour of Oman in February. Kennaugh was part of the Sky team that won the team time trial at theGiro del Trentino in April, but he was not selected to ride theGiro d'Italia. Instead, Kennaugh won the Lincoln Grand Prix before playing a key role as a mountain domestique as Froome andRichie Porte took a 1–2 overall in theCritérium du Dauphiné in June. He was selected to ride theTour de France for the first time. On Stage 8, Kennaugh played a key role inChris Froome's stage victory by helping to bring back a dangerous move byNairo Quintana on thePort de Pailhères, the subsequent descent and beginning of the final climb toAx 3 Domaines. However, on the following stage, Kennaugh was involved in a dramatic crash asRyder Hesjedal,[20] aGarmin–Sharp rider, knocked into him, sending him down aravine and into vegetation next to the road. Although Kennaugh was not badly injured, the time lost meant he was unable to follow several subsequent attacks as Froome was left completely isolated.[21]
In May 2014 Kennaugh brokeMark Cavendish's 2007 Isle of Man 10-mile time trial record by 30 seconds, setting a new record of 19m 38.982s at Ballamoar.[22] Kennaugh won theBritish National Road Race Championships on 29 June, outsprinting Sky teammateBen Swift in Abergavenny.[23] Despite his good form Kennaugh was not selected for theTour de France, instead riding theTour of Austria, where he won the first stage and held the leader's jersey for the rest of the race to take his second stage race victory of the season.[24] Kennaugh then competed for the Isle of Man at theCommonwealth Games in Glasgow, winning a silver medal in thepoints race on the track[25] and eighth in theroad race after a long solo breakaway attempt.[26] Kennaugh rode theVuelta a España, helping Chris Froome finish second overall.
Kennaugh won the opening stage of theCritérium du Dauphiné after attacking on the final climb and holding off the charging main field by two seconds on the descent into the finish inAlbertville.[27] Kennaugh lost the race lead after the team time trial on Stage 3, but then helpedChris Froome win the event overall.
In June, he won theNational Road Race Championships, distancing Mark Cavendish on the final cobbled climb[28] and becoming the first rider to successfully defend the title sinceRoger Hammond in 2004.[29] He was selected to ride the2015 Tour de France, but struggled with illness and withdrew on Stage 16.[30]
In September, Kennaugh brokeChris Boardman's time trial record for the 37.73-mile (60.72-kilometre)Isle of Man TT Mountain Course by six seconds, riding a standard racing bicycle.[31] Boardman had recorded a time of 1hr 23min 54secs in 1993,[31] a time which would prove to be the longest standing cycling record on theIsle of Man, until it was beaten by Kennaugh.[31]
Kennaugh began his season in Australia in January. After riding theTour Down Under, Kennaugh won theCadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race inGeelong after attacked from a small group on the final climb and held off the chasers for the 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) to the finish line. He finished six seconds ahead of a group of 19 riders.[32] The following week, Kennaugh rode theHerald Sun Tour. On the second stage, when he and teammateChris Froome broke away to cross the line 17 seconds ahead of the field; Kennaugh won the stage and took the lead. The following two stages ended in sprints, during which Kennaugh increased his lead. On the final stage, Froome attacked on the penultimate ascent of Arthurs Seat, then attacked again on the final climb to win the stage and take the overall victory. Kennaugh was second, 29 seconds behind.
In May, Kennaugh crashed out of Stage 3 of theTour of California, suffering a broken collarbone.[33] Kennaugh had been originally named as part of Team GB's five-man team for the2016 Summer Olympics, however, in July 2016 he withdrew, citing a lack of form, allowing Tour de France stage winnerSteve Cummings to take his place.[34]
Kennaugh was named on the startlist for theVuelta a España. Team Sky won the opening team trialteam time trial toCastrelo de Miño and as Kennaugh was the first rider to cross the line, he took the leader's Red Jersey, the first time he had led a Grand Tour in his career.[35]
In 2019, Kennaugh joinedITV4's coverage of the Tour de France as a pundit alongsideGary Imlach, following the departure ofChris Boardman the previous year.[39] Boardman returned as a pundit for the 2020 Tour, however, and Kennaugh continued his role alongside Boardman and Imlach.[40]
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Road race
Overall Keizer der Juniores
Mountains classification
OverallSettimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali
Points classification
after Stage 1
Giro d'Italia
Scratch
Team pursuit
Team pursuit,UEC European Junior Championships
Scratch
Team pursuit,Olympic Games
Points race,Commonwealth Games
