Personal information | |
---|---|
Full name | Rachel Elisabeth Heal |
Born | Bebington, Wirral, Cheshire[1] | 1 April 1973
Team information | |
Current team | EF Education–Tibco–SVB |
Disciplines |
|
Role |
|
Amateur teams | |
1997–1999 | Birkenhead Northend Cycling Club |
2000 | Letchworth Velo |
2007 | Rapha Condor |
Professional teams | |
2004 | Farm Frites |
2005 | Team Cambridge |
2006 | Team Victory Brewing |
2007 | Team Webcor |
2008 | Team Tibco |
2009 | Colavita–Sutter Home |
Managerial teams | |
2010–2011 | Colavita/Baci |
2012–2013 | Optum Pro Cycling |
2014–2018 | UnitedHealthcare (women) |
2014–2018 | UnitedHealthcare (men) |
2019– | Tibco–Silicon Valley Bank[2] |
Rachel Elisabeth Heal (born 1 April 1973) is an English former racing cyclist, who currently works a directeur sportif for UCI Women's Continental Team EF Education–Tibco–SVB.[3]
Career
Professional career
Heal originally took up cycling when she was at Birmingham University as a means of transportation.[4] She joined British Cycling's World Class Performance Plan in 2001[4] to become a full-time cyclist. She turned professional and rode for the Farm Frites team after obtaining a degree in chemical engineering. She has competed in world championships, Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games. Heal is also a British Cycling level 2 coach, and a qualified personal trainer.
Management career
Heal switched to management when she became co-director of the Colavita/Baci team in 2010 alongside team-mate Tina Pic, replacing Iona Wynter.[4][5] After the Colavita team disbanded at the end of 2011, Heal became director of the new Optum Pro Cycling team for 2012.[6] Heal left the team at the end of 2013 to join UnitedHealthcare,[7] where she made history in 2014 as the first British woman to direct a men's team at a world tour event.
Major results
- 2001
- 2nd Points race, British National Track Championships
- 4th Road race, National Road Championships
- 2002
- 1st Stage 5 Gracia–Orlová
- National Road Championships
- 2nd Road race
- 3rd Time trial
- 2nd WCRA 2 day, Leicestershire
- 3rd Road race, Commonwealth Games
- 2003
- 2nd Road race, National Road Championships
- National Track Championships
- 2nd Points race
- 3rd Individual pursuit
- 3rd Ronde van Drenthe
- 2004
- 1st Stage 7 Tour de l'Aude Féminin
- 1st Stage 1b (TTT) Holland Ladies Tour
- 2nd Road race, National Road Championships
- 3rd National Cyclo-cross Championships
- 3rd Points race, National Track Championships
- 7th Australia World Cup
- 2005
- 1st Omnium, Aztec Track Meet
- National Road Championships
- 2nd Road race
- 2nd Time trial
- National Track Championships
- 2nd Scratch
- 2nd Individual pursuit
- 2006
- 1st Tri Peaks Stage Race
- 1st Tour of Elk Grove Crit
- 4th Overall Tour of the Gila
- Commonwealth Games
- 5th Road race
- 5th Time trial
- 2007
- 1st Stage 1 (TTT) Tour de Toona
- 2nd Road race, National Road Championships
- 2nd Overall Tour of the Gila
- 1st Stage 1 (ITT)
- 7th Women's Cycling Criteriums
- 2008
- 1st Stage 4 Tour of the Gila
- 3rd Sea Otter Classic
- 2009
- 7th Sea Otter Circuit Race
References
- ^ "Profile". BBC.
- ^ Frattini, Kirsten (27 February 2019). "Tibco-SVB unite in California for pre-season training camp - Gallery". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
The team have also hired former pro Rachel Heal as the head director for the 2019 season.
- ^ "Team Tibco - Silicon Valley Bank". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
- ^ a b c Holtzman, Whitney (17 August 2011). "Rachel Heal is Leader". EspnW. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
- ^ Frattini, Kirsten (19 August 2009). "Pic to direct Colavita-Sutter Home women's team in 2010". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
- ^ Weislo, Laura (31 January 2012). "Colavita riders find reprieve in Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
- ^ "UnitedHealthcare names directors for 2014 squad". VeloNews. 30 October 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
External links
- Official website
- Rachel Heal at ProCyclingStats
- Results on British Cycling website
- 1973 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Bebington
- Cyclists at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Olympic cyclists for Great Britain
- Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for England
- Cyclists at the 2002 Commonwealth Games
- English female cyclists
- Alumni of the University of Birmingham
- Commonwealth Games medallists in cycling
- Medallists at the 2002 Commonwealth Games