Chris Opie

Christopher Ryan Opie (born 22 July 1987) is an English cyclist, who currently rides for British amateur team Saint Piran.[3] Outside of racing, Opie has been a contributor and presenter for the Global Cycling Network.[4]

Chris Opie
Opie in 2015
Personal information
Full nameChristopher Ryan Opie
Born (1987-07-22) 22 July 1987
Truro, Cornwall, England[1]
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Weight73 kg (161 lb)[1]
Team information
Current teamSaint Piran
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Rider typeSprinter[2]
Amateur teams
1998–2005www.cyclelogic.co.uk
2006UC Aubenas
2007One and All Cycling
2010–2011Pendragon–Le Col–Colnago
2020–Saint Piran
Professional teams
2012–2013Team UK Youth
2014Rapha Condor–JLT
2015–2016ONE Pro Cycling
2017–2018Bike Channel–Canyon[2]

Life and career
Opie at the 2014 Tour of Britain.

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.[5]

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.[5] 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 Team UK Youth.[8]

After Mansell decided to end his financial support of Team UK Youth, Opie signed for Rapha Condor–JLT for the 2014 season.[9] After one season with the team he was announced as part of the inaugural squad for the ONE Pro Cycling 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.[2][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 PTSD.[12] Opie decided to make a return to racing in 2020, with Saint Piran Elite cycling 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.[12] 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 British 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

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