Taylor Phinney: Why He Rocks: Or Keeping it in the Family

Taylor Phinney is competing right now in the Men's Individual Pursuit at the Velodrome in Beijing. This kid is only 18 years old, but he seriously rocks.  Although he didn't medal (bummer); keep your ears and eyes open for this kid in future major cycling events, including the Tour de France.
News on the net says that Taylor is spending A LOT of time hanging with the US Gymnasts (the girls of course.) Go Taylor! Just stay away from those underage Chinese Gymnasts.
Note: How the heck can your date of birth change? Apparently it's possible in China. Those 77 pound bodies can do a lot more spinning and twisting than our big fat 105 pound American Gymnasts. NOT! Go Shawn and Nastia!
Can you say Gold and Silver??!!
OK- I got off topic. The Chinese Gymnasts scandal just makes my blood boil!

Back to Taylor Phinney. Taylor comes from a family of Olympic Medalists. His Dad, Davis Phinney is awesome. When he retired from pro cycling in 1993 he had achieved more wins (328 in all) than any other US cyclist. He is in the same league as Armstrong and LeMond in that he won multiple stages in the Tour de France. Davis won an Olympic Bronze in 1984.
In 2007, Taylor became the junior world time trial champion at the UCI Junior World Road and Track Championships held in Mexico. Go Taylor! He was only 17-years-old at the time.

Davis Phinney suffers from Parkinson's Disease. Please visit his foundation to learn more about him, his awesomeness, and how he has overcome his disability.



Taylor's mom, Connie Carpenter-Phinney, is a multiple Olympic Medalist. She won the Gold in the Women's Road Race in the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. She was also a speed skater who medaled in the Olympics. Connie is a member of the Cycling Hall of Fame, and the Olympics Hall of Fame.
Taylor Phinney is a kid we all need to keep an eye on. He is definitely an up and comer. I see him being a big player in the Grand Tours in the years to come!