Luke Rowe
Nationality: British
Date of birth: March 10, 1990
Height: 185cm
Weight: 72kg
Team: Team Ineos
Twitter: @LukeRowe1990
Luke Rowe has proven himself a loyal and tactically astute domestique over the years, helping Chris Froome to his Tour de France victories in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Moreover, Rowe has developed into the squad's team captain which means he'll be making many of the crucial mid-race decisions for the team.
A fellow product of the British Cycling academy along with team-mates Geraint Thomas, Peter Kennaugh and Ian Stannard, Rowe's career has yet to produce a flourish of personal success that might have been expected by a rider of his talent after eight years with Team Sky.
But he's shown his potential to grow into one of Britain's most successful Classics riders. In 2016, he headed the Sky team at Monuments Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix alongside Stannard, recording a fifth place at Flanders to add to an eighth place finish at Roubaix he achieved in 2015.
Rowe started 2017 strongly, taking his first win since 2012 on stage two of the Herald Sun Tour. This was followed by a solid show on the opening weekend of the cobbled classics, with sixth in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and third in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. He also gained the noble title of 'lanterne rouge', given to the last finishing rider at the Tour de France. Luckily, teammate Froome finished in polar opposite first position.
Ill fortune struck late in the season when he fractured his tibia and fibula whilst whitewater rafting at his brothers stag party. Disproving doctors expectations, he returned to cycling in February of 2018. However, another two seasons of average classics performances awaited. The Welshman still believes the form is there, so only time will tell.
Another notable moment occurred in the 2019 TdF, when Luke Rowe and Tony Martin were expelled from the race on stage 17 due to Martin swerving in-front of Rowe, followed by Rowe placing his hands on the German.
Alongside his commitments as a professional riders, Rowe wrote a weekly column for Cycling Weekly magazine, hosts a podcast with Geraint Thomas and enjoys watching ice hockey in his spare time.
Latest
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Luke Rowe to leave Ineos Grenadiers, joins Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale as a sports director
The Welsh rider spent 13 years with the British squad
By Adam Becket Published
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'You can't sugarcoat it' - Luke Rowe says Ineos Grenadiers are 'underperforming'
British squad's experienced road captain believes his team has been "overtaken" by others
By Tom Davidson Published
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Luke Rowe set to retire at end of 2024, as Geraint Thomas '95%' certain to retire in 2025
The Welsh pair will likely both have left professional cycling by 2026
By Adam Becket Published
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'I thought I was more in the door than I was' - Luke Rowe bares all on Vuelta a España snub
Welshman will not race a Grand Tour this year after he missed out on selection by Ineos Grenadiers
By Tom Davidson Published
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Fred Wright anticipating tough battle in elite men's road race at World Championships
Luke Rowe on racing Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert: 'If you wait and try to race them man on man in the final, I think you’re just waiting with a loaded gun to your head'
By Tom Thewlis Published
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'If you sent me a message you are nuts': Luke Rowe hits back at critics after Paris-Roubaix crash with Mads Pedersen
The Brit challenges anyone who criticised him to try riding through the Arenberg forest with a front wheel puncture themselves
By Jonny Long Published
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Luke Rowe explains why he was handed fine on Tour de France stage three
The British rider was fined by commissaries for 'assault, intimidation, insults, threats, improper conduct'
By Cycling Weekly Published
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Luke Rowe and Tony Martin kicked out of Tour de France after altercation on stage 17
Luke Rowe and Tony Martin have both been kicked off the Tour de France after an altercation on stage 17.
By Alex Ballinger Published
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Luke Rowe: Team Sky’s formidable road captain
The Welshman Luke Rowe talks about his journey from carefree youngster to Sky’s formidable road captain
By Richard Abraham Published