Ian Stannard

Ian Dexter Stannard (born 25 May 1987) is a British former professional track and road racing cyclist, who rode professionally in 2006 and from 2008 to 2020 for the Van Vliet–EBH Advocaten, Landbouwkrediet–Tönissteiner, ISD and Ineos Grenadiers teams, before retiring after being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. He now works as a directeur sportif for UCI WorldTeam Ineos Grenadiers, having previously held the same role for UCI Continental team Trinity Racing.

During his professional career, Stannard took seven victories including two consecutive wins in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad one-day race (2014 and 2015), two stage victories at the Tour of Britain (2016 and 2018), and the 2012 British National Road Race Championships. As a domestique, Stannard was also a part of multiple Grand Tour general classification successes by Chris Froome.

Born in Chelmsford, Stannard grew up in Milton Keynes. He initially focused on both road and track cycling, winning a gold medal in the time trial at the 2004 Commonwealth Youth Games, and a gold in the Under-23 Team Pursuit at the 2006 UEC European Track Championships, alongside future Sky teammate Geraint Thomas. Stannard made his professional road debut in August 2007 joining T-Mobile Team as a trainee. He rode for Landbouwkrediet–Tönissteiner in 2008 and came third overall in the Tour of Britain riding for the Great Britain team. In 2009 he joined the new ISD team, and was selected to ride the Giro d'Italia, aged just 21. Stannard finished 160th at the Giro.

Stannard joined the new British Pro Tour team Team Sky on an initial two-year contract for the start of the 2010 season, and focused more on the Classics and one day races. He took a third place in freezing conditions in Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne, and completed a Team Sky 1–2–3 at the British National Road Race Championships behind teammates Geraint Thomas and Peter Kennaugh.

Stannard almost took victory in the 2011 Gent–Wevelgem, after breaking away on the final climb, the Monteberg [nl]. He was part of a move with Peter Sagan, Maciej Bodnar (both from Liquigas–Cannondale) and Sylvain Chavanel (Quick-Step) with 34 kilometres (21 miles) to cover until the finish. The quartet kept clear of the chasing peloton until Stannard broke free and crossed the flamme rouge alone. He was passed by the field with some 500 metres (1,600 ft) to go, as Tom Boonen sprinted to victory. He obtained his first professional win at the Tour of Austria, winning stage 5 of the race, where he got the better of a group of five escapees in the sprint. Stannard was part of the Great Britain team that helped Mark Cavendish win the road race at the UCI Road World Championships, with a vital pull in the closing stages to keep Cavendish towards the front of the peloton. Stannard also featured in a 14-rider lead group at the end of season Paris–Tours race, finishing fourth. One of the hardest working domestiques in the peloton, Stannard rode a total of 14,713 kilometres (9,142 miles) during 93 race days in 2011.

In 2012, Stannard won the London Nocturne by lapping the field. He also won the British National Road Race Championships, winning ahead of Sky teammate Alex Dowsett. Stannard was selected as part of the Great Britain team for the Olympic road race, alongside David Millar, Chris Froome, Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish. With the team aiming to lead Cavendish to a sprint victory on The Mall, and despite the best efforts of Stannard, Team GB were unable to pull back a large breakaway group on the run in to London, with the gold medal going to Alexander Vinokourov. Stannard again represented Britain at the UCI World Road Race Championships and was active in a breakaway with Andrew Talansky on the penultimate lap, eventually finishing in the main group.

In freezing conditions at March's Milan–San Remo, Stannard initially rode at the front of the race in support of Geraint Thomas, but attacked with Sylvain Chavanel after Thomas crashed. Stannard led over the Poggio di San Remo, only to be caught on the descent by a chase group of five riders. Stannard made a final move in the final 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) but was chased down by Peter Sagan, and he finished sixth in the sprint. He took top-ten overall finishes at Dwars door Vlaanderen and the Bayern Rundfahrt, finishing ninth and eighth respectively, before taking a second-place finish at the British National Road Race Championships in Glasgow, being outsprinted by Mark Cavendish at the finish. Stannard was selected to ride the Tour de France for the first time, and played a key role as a domestique for Chris Froome, who went on to win the race overall. Following the Tour de France, Stannard took two second-place stage finishes at the Eneco Tour, and the Tour of Britain – the latter result coming in an individual time trial – with a seventh-place overall finish in the Tour of Britain.

Stannard began 2014 in good form, finishing fourth overall in the Tour of Qatar in February. Stannard won Omloop Het Nieuwsblad  – the opening race of the Flanders Classics – after he out-sprinted his breakaway companion Greg Van Avermaet, thereby becoming the first British rider to win the race. In Gent–Wevelgem, Stannard crashed heavily into a roadside ditch and was taken to hospital. He was diagnosed with fractured vertebrae, ruling him out of the rest of the classics season. Stannard made his comeback to the road, riding for the English team in the men's road race event at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. A clearly uncomfortable Stannard withdrew early on in the race, which took place in treacherous rainy conditions – only 12 riders finished out of 140 starters – and which was eventually won by his Team Sky teammate Geraint Thomas. Stannard attempted another comeback, riding for Team Sky in the RideLondon–Surrey Classic. Stannard was noted for his hard work in successfully placing teammate Ben Swift in the eventually victorious breakaway group. Stannard was selected to ride the Tour of Britain, but broke his wrist in a crash on the first stage, putting an end to an injury plagued season.