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Alexi Grewal

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Alexi Grewal
Personal information
Full nameAlexi Grewal
Born (1960-09-08) September 8, 1960 (age 64)
Aspen, Colorado, United States
Team information
Current teamRetired
DisciplineRoad
RoleRider
Professional teams
1985Panasonic–Raleigh
19867-Eleven
1987RMO–Cycles Méral–Mavic
1988Crest
1989–1993Coors Light–ADR
Medal record
Men's road cycling
Representing  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1984 Los Angeles Individual road race

Alexi Singh Grewal (born September 8, 1960) is an American Olympic gold medalist and former professional road racing cyclist. At the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Grewal became the first American man to win an Olympic gold medal in road cycling.[1] He has two brothers, Rishi and Ranjeet, who were also top American cyclists, especially in mountain bike racing.[2]

Biography

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The United States Bicycling Hall of Fame gave the following description of his Los Angeles gold medal ride: "With an estimated crowd of 300,000 lining the 190.2-kilometer route, Grewal edged Canadian Steve Bauer to claim the gold medal in the men's road race, breaking away from the field with 20 kilometers remaining and opening up a 24-second lead after 11 of 12 laps and then being caught by Bauer with 10 kilometers left, setting up a dramatic final-lap showdown. This scene, replayed many times since, is one of the most emotional Olympic victories of the Modern Games."[3]

After winning Olympic gold, Grewal turned professional and signed with the Panasonic team and later with the 7-Eleven Cycling Team. According to teammate Bob Roll, Grewal was the captain of the 1986 7-Eleven team through the spring.[4] Sometime later in 1986, he was dropped by the team after spitting on a CBS camera man who got too close.[5] He raced for the United States–based Coors Light pro team from 1989 to 1993. He became well known in the cycling community as an extraordinarily talented, but emotionally volatile rider.

After retiring from professional cycling Grewal moved to Colorado with his family. Grewal began making hand-hewn and crafted furniture and architectural features out of native hardwoods after his cycling days were over. He lost part of his fingers in an accident involving a saw.[6] A bicycle frame manufacturer in Denver, Colorado, the Clark-Kent company, made a special road racing frame, the "AX-1", to Grewal's specifications. This steel frame featured an unusual bent seat tube with unorthodox frame angles.

In 2004, Grewal was elected to the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame.

On April 3, 2008, VeloNews published an essay by Grewal on his personal use (and the overall prevalence) of doping in cycling[7] during his career, both in his amateur and professional days.

In 2009, and again 2013, Alexi unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Loveland, Colorado.[8]

On September 25, 2010, VeloNews announced that Grewal would be making a comeback at age 50,[9] targeting the Quiznos Pro Challenge in Colorado in 2011. However, he was not on the start list and did not complete this race.[10] He instead turned his focus to non-professional gravel and gran fondo rides, such as the Snowmass-Aspen Gran Fondo Italia, finishing fourth out of 125 riders in one race.[11]

Major results

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1981
1st Mt. Evans Hill Climb (1:57:36)
2nd Overall Vuelta Ciclista de Chile
1982
1st Overall Cascade Cycling Classic
2nd Overall Vuelta Ciclista de Chile
1st Stages 7 & 8
1983
1st Stage 8a Tour de l'Avenir
1st Stage 6a GP Tell
1st Stage 8 Coors Classic
1st Stage 10 Red Zinger Classic
1984
1st Road race, Summer Olympics
1st Mt. Evans Hill Climb (1:47:51)
1st Stage 8 Tour of Texas
1985
5th Overall Étoile de Bessèges
1986
3rd Overall Tour de l'Avenir
1st Stage 12
1987
1st Overall Vulcan Tour
1st Prologue
1988
1st Overall Redlands Bicycle Classic
1st Stages 3 & 4 (TTT)
1st Overall Mammoth Classic
1st Stage 2
1989
3rd Road race, National Road Championships
1990
1st Mt. Evans Hill Climb (1:46:29 – former record)
1st Overall Casper Classic
1st Stage 2
1st Stage 4 Cascade Classic
1991
4th Overall Tour DuPont
1992
1st Overall Tour de Bisbee
1st Stage 1
1st Stage 10 Tour DuPont
1993
1st Nevada City Classic
1st Stage 5 Casper Classic

References

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  1. ^ "Alexi Grewal Olympic Results". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on April 18, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  2. ^ Emily V. Driscoll. "Pedaling Glory", Little India Archived 2010-02-01 at the Wayback Machine (Sep. 15, 2008). Retrieved 5-22-2010
  3. ^ U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame 2004 Inductees Archived 2010-05-19 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed 5.22.2010
  4. ^ Roll, Bob (2003). Bobke II. Boulder, Colo.: VeloPress. ISBN 978-1-931382-28-1. OCLC 53097074.
  5. ^ "SPORTS PEOPLE; 7-Eleven Drops Grewal". The New York Times. August 9, 1986. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 3, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  6. ^ Hansen, Matt (February 16, 2004). "Alexi Grewal Pedal Exclusive: From Cyclist to Addict, Philosopher and Back". Pedal Magazine. Archived from the original on November 7, 2006. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  7. ^ Grewal, Alexi (April 3, 2008). "An essay by 1984 Olympic gold medalist Alexi Grewal". VeloNews. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  8. ^ "Alexi Grewal in 3-way race for Loveland mayor". Retrieved September 26, 2018.
  9. ^ Wilcockson, John (September 24, 2010). "Inside Cycling with John Wilcockson: Alexi Grewal is deadly serious about comeback". VeloNews. Retrieved September 25, 2010.[dead link]
  10. ^ Wilcockson, John (August 6, 2014). "Grewal's big comeback adventure is over | VeloNews.com". VeloNews. Archived from the original on July 29, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  11. ^ "Alexi Grewal to ride Gran Fondo Italia Aspen-Snowmass – VeloNews.com". VeloNews. August 6, 2014. Archived from the original on September 26, 2018. Retrieved September 26, 2018.
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