Russell Downing (born 23 August 1978) is an English former professional cyclist, who rode competitively between 1999 and 2019 for numerous teams, such as and . He is the younger brother of fellow cyclist

Dean Downing Dean "Deano" Downing (born 24 January 1975) is an English retired bicycle racer, specialising in road cycling who last rode for NFTO Pro Cycling. Downing was educated at Wales High School and Sheffield Hallam University, where he graduated in ...

, and both brothers competed largely on the UCI Continental Tour and in British

Premier Calendar The British Cycling Premier Calendar Road Race Series is a season-long competition run by British Cycling. It comprises a series of road bicycle races for the country's top domestic road riders. Organisation and events In 2010 points were awar ...

races.

Career

Downing was born into a bike racing family: as well as his older brother, his father was also a bicycle racer. He was also a talented football player, playing with

Rotherham United F.C. Rotherham United Football Club, nicknamed The Millers, is a professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . The club's colours were initially yellow and black, but changed to red and white around 1 ...

's under-16s team, but Downing was convinced to become a professional cyclist by

Milk Race The Tour of Britain is a multi-stage cycling race, conducted on British roads, in which participants race across Great Britain to complete the race in the fastest time. The event dates back to the first British stage races held just after the S ...

winner Chris Walker, who Downing trained with during his late teens. He was the winner of the

British National Road Race Championships The British National Road Race Championships cover different categories of British road bicycle racing events, normally held annually. History Between 1943 and 1958, two separate bodies – the British League of Racing Cyclists (BLRC) and t ...

in 2005. In addition to his national championships, he was also successful in some multi-stage races. His biggest victories came in the 2010

Tour de Wallonie The Tour de Wallonie is a stage race cycling race on the UCI Europe Tour. It runs in Wallonia, the French-speaking part of Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northw ...

, a

2.HC The UCI 1.HC and UCI 2.HC are the second tier classification of road cycling races by the UCI, after the UCI World Tour (or its predecessor, the UCI ProTour). The races are part of the various UCI Continental Circuits. The 1.HC events are one-day ...

class event, as well as the

2009 Tour of Ireland The 2009 Tour of Ireland was the 35th running of the Tour of Ireland stage race. The event was held from 21–23 August. It consisted of three stages, and was rated as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. Participating teams The 16 teams that part ...

. For 2010 he signed a one-year contract with the new British Professional Team, , and became the first Briton to win a stage for the team, picking up a win in the

Critérium International The Critérium International was a two-day bicycle stage race held in France every spring from 1932 until 2016, typically the last weekend of March. It was formerly known as the Critérium National de la Route, first run in 1932. For many years ...

. His contract was renewed for a further year, for the 2011 season. In November 2011 it was announced that his contract was not being renewed for a third year and he would join the British Continental Team . Following the merger of Endura with Team NetApp Downing joined the squad for 2013. In September 2013 it was announced that Russell and Dean Downing would join the new team for 2014. Russell Downing signed for the team for the 2015 season, but returned to Britain with for the 2016 season.

Major results

Road

;1997 : 2nd Road race, National Under-23 Road Championships ;1998 :

Tour du Maroc Tour du Maroc is the most important road bicycle race in the African state of Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterrane ...

::1st Stages 7 & 9 ;1999 : 3rd Road race, National Road Championships ;2002 : 1st Buggenhout Kermesse : 1st Boekhout Kermesse : Tour de Brandenburge ::1st Jersey green

Points classification ::1st Stage 1 : 1st Stage 2

Circuit des Mines The Circuit de Lorraine is a multi-stage road bicycle racing event held annually in Lorraine, France. Since 2005, it has been organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing compet ...

: 5th Archer Grand Prix ;2004 : 1st Overall Credit Union Ras Mumhan ::1st Stages 2, 4 & 5 : 1st Havant International : 1st Colne Grand Prix : 1st Warwick Town Centre Circuit Race : 1st East Yorkshire Classic : 1st Stage 4

: 1st Stage 1 Circuit des Plages Vendéennes : 8th Archer Grand Prix ;2005 : 1st MaillotReinoUnido

Road race, National Road Championships : 1st Havant International : 1st

Lincoln Grand Prix The Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix (formerly the Witham-Valley Grand Prix) is a road bicycle race that starts and finishes in Lincoln, England, Lincoln. The 2021 version was 166 km long. The race is characterised by its ascent of Michaelgate, an ico ...

: 1st Clitheroe Town Centre Grand Prix : 1st Stage 5

Giro del Capo The Giro del Capo was a road cycling stage race held in the vicinity of Cape Town, South Africa. The 2009 edition was held in the form of four challenges. The last edition, held in 2010, was ranked as 2.2 by the UCI and was part of the UCI Afri ...

: 2nd Overall Circuit des Plages Vendéennes ::1st Stage 1 : 3rd Overall Ruban Granitier Breton ::1st Stages 1, 3 & 6 ;2006 : 1st Overall

Triptyque Ardennais The Triptyque Ardennais is a multi-day road cycling race held annually in Belgium since 1959. No cyclist has won the race more than once. Winners References {{DEFAULTSORT:Triptyque Ardennais Cycle races in Belgium Recurring sporting ev ...

: 1st

Druivenkoers Overijse Druivenkoers Overijse is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in August in Overijse, Belgium. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing Road ...

: 1st Stage 5

Tour de Beauce Tour de Beauce is a men's elite professional road bicycle racing multi-day event held each June in the Beauce region of Quebec, Canada since 1986. It is the oldest stage-race in North America, and is a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)-rated 2. ...

: 7th

Omloop der Kempen Omloop der Kempen is an elite men's and women's professional road bicycle racing event held annually in Veldhoven, Netherlands. Since 1995, the men's event is UCI 1.2 rated and is part of the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a s ...

: 9th Overall

Tour of Britain The Tour of Britain is a multi-stage cycling race, conducted on British roads, in which participants race across Great Britain to complete the race in the fastest time. The event dates back to the first British stage races held just after the S ...

;2007 : 1st Richmond Grand Prix : 2nd Merco Credit Union Cycling Classic : 3rd

;2008 : 1st Overall

: 1st Overall Girvan 3-Day ::1st Stages 1 & 2 : 1st Overall

Tour of the Reservoir The Tour of the Reservoir is a two-day road bicycle race around the Derwent Reservoir, Northumberland in the north of England, part of the British Premier Calendar The British Cycling Premier Calendar Road Race Series is a season-long compe ...

: 1st Overall

Chas Messenger Charles William Messenger (January–March 1914 – 26 July 2008) was a British cyclist, a former Milk Race organiser and British road team manager. Messenger was born in London. He began cycling in the King's Cross area, and despite being a ...

Stage Race : 1st Robert Price International Grand Prix of Wales : 1st Tour of Blackpool : 1st East Yorkshire Classic : 1st Richmond Grand Prix : 1st

: 2nd Overall

Tour of Ireland The Tour of Ireland (Irish: Turas na hÉireann, known from 1985 to 1992 as the Nissan Classic) was a bicycle stage race held in August, which ran for 35 editions over a 56-year period. Irish rider Seán Kelly recorded the most wins, four. Th ...

::1st

Points classification ::1st Stage 4 : 4th Rogaland GP : 5th East Midlands International CiCLE Classic : 8th Overall

Cinturón a Mallorca Cinturón a Mallorca was a road bicycle race held annually on the island of Mallorca, Spain. Between 2005 and 2011, it was classified as a 2.2 event on the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing Road b ...

::1st Stages 2, 3 & 4 : 10th Overall

;2009 : 1st Overall

: 1st

Overall

::1st

Points classification ::1st Stage 1 : 1st

: 1st Smithfield Nocturne : 1st Ryedale Grand Prix : 1st Colne Grand Prix : 1st East Yorkshire Classic Circuit Race : 2nd

Beaumont Trophy The Beaumont Trophy is a cycle road race first run in 1952. The Trophy was presented to the Gosforth Road Club by Rex Beaumont who was a local cycle wholesaler on Tyneside. The Gosforth Road Club had been created in July 1951 as an offshoot of ...

: 5th Overall

: 5th Overall Girvan Three Day ::1st Stages 3 & 4 : 7th Overall Rás Tailteann : 8th East Midlands International CiCLE Classic : 9th Overall

::1st Stage 3 ;2010 : 1st Jersey yellow

Overall

::1st Stage 5 : 1st Monsal Hill Climb : 1st Stage 2

: 1st Stage 1 ( TTT)

Tour of Qatar The Tour of Qatar was an annual professional cycling stage race held in Qatar. First organized in 2002, the event was part of the UCI Asia Tour until 2016. The 2017 edition was to have seen the event upgraded to the UCI World Tour for the firs ...

: 4th Overall

Tour de Picardie The Tour de Picardie was a professional multi-stage cycle road race that was held between 1936 and 2016 in Picardy, France. In its last twelve editions, it was organised as a 2.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a s ...

;2012 : 1st

Grand Prix de la Ville de Lillers Grand Prix de la Ville de Lillers is a road bicycle race held annually near Lillers, a commune in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France. The editions 1964-1995 were reserved to amateurs. Since 2005, it is rated 1.2 on the UCI Europe Tour Th ...

: 1st

: 1st Eddie Soens Memorial Road Race : 1st

: 1st Stage 5

Tour of Norway The Tour of Norway is a road bicycle race held annually in Norway. It is considered as a successor to the stage race Ringerike GP, which is now a one-day race. It was started in 2011 as a result of the heightened interest in cycling in Norway, m ...

: 2nd Overall Circuit des Ardennes ::1st Jersey green

Points classification ::1st Stage 1 : 4th

Route Adélie Route Adélie de Vitré is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in April in a circuit around Vitré, France. Between 1980 and 1995 it was called ''Tour d'Armorique''. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe T ...

;2013 : 1st MaillotReinoUnido

National Criterium Championships : 3rd Monsal Hill Climb ;2014 : 1st Stockton Grand Prix : 3rd Ryedale Grand Prix : 3rd Circuit of the Fens : 3rd Newport Nocturne : 4th Road race,

Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games, often referred to as the Friendly Games or simply the Comm Games, are a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and, with the exce ...

: 5th Rutland–Melton International CiCLE Classic : 10th RideLondon–Surrey Classic ;2015 : 4th

Gran Premio della Costa Etruschi The Gran Premio della Costa Etruschi is a one-day professional cycling race between the towns of San Vincenzo and Donoratico on the Tuscany coast in Italy. The 193 kilometre long race takes place at the beginning of February and has now taken ove ...

: 4th

Velothon Wales Velothon Wales was a single-day road bicycle race held between 2015 and 2017 in Wales, United Kingdom. It was part of the UCI Europe Tour as a 1.1 race. It was part of the UCI Velothon Majors series of races organised by Lagardère Unlimited, ...

: 8th Trofeo Playa de Palma ;2016 : 3rd Overall

Tour du Loir-et-Cher The Tour du Loir-et-Cher is a cycling stage race that takes place in the Loir-et-Cher region of France. The race traditionally starts and finishes in the capital of Blois. Since at least 2009, the final stage has consisted of a 12-lap circuit r ...

::1st Stage 2 ;2017 : 2nd

Poreč Trophy Poreč Trophy (through history held under names Trofej Plava Laguna, G. P. Istria, Trophy Riviera and G.P. Umag) is a road bicycle race held annually near the town of Poreč, in the Istrian peninsula. It is organized as a 1.2 event on the UCI ...

: 10th

Rutland–Melton CiCLE Classic The Rutland–Melton International CiCLE Classic is a road bicycle race that starts in Oakham and finishes in Melton Mowbray. The 2008 version was 158 km long. The race is characterised by its off-road sections and short, sharp climbs on n ...

Track

;1999 : National Track Championships ::1st MaillotReinoUnido

Team pursuit The team pursuit is a track cycling event similar to the individual pursuit, except that two teams, each of up to four riders, compete, starting on opposite sides of the velodrome. Race format Both men's and women's events are competed over ...

::2nd

Madison Madison may refer to: People * Madison (name), a given name and a surname * James Madison (1751–1836), fourth president of the United States Place names * Madison, Wisconsin, the state capital of Wisconsin and the largest city known by this ...

(with

Jon Clay Jonathan Clay, better known as Jonny Clay (born 26 June 1963) is a British former professional cross-country, track and road racing cyclist. A silver medalist in the individual pursuit at the 1998 Commonwealth Games, Clay was also part of the ...

) ;2002 : National Track Championships ::1st MaillotReinoUnido

Scratch ::3rd

Points race A points race is a mass start track cycling event involving large numbers of riders simultaneously on track. It was an Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 18 ...

;2003 : National Track Championships ::1st MaillotReinoUnido

::1st

(with

) ::2nd Scratch ;2004 : 1st Gold medal blank

Team pursuit, UCI Track World Cup, Sydney : 3rd Scratch, National Track Championships ;2013 : 3rd

, National Track Championships (with

Jonathan McEvoy Jonathan McEvoy (born 2 August 1989 in St Helens, Merseyside) is a British former racing cyclist. As well as an accomplished road rider he is also a specialist in cyclo-cross and those skills almost certainly helped him obtain a top 100 finish a ...

) ;2014 : 2nd

, National Track Championships

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Downing, Russell 1978 births Living people Cyclists from Yorkshire British cycling road race champions Sportspeople from Rotherham Commonwealth Games competitors for England Cyclists at the 2014 Commonwealth Games