Daily Cycling Facts 12.02.12

Maryline Salvetat

Maryline Salvetat, born today in 1974 in the French town of Castres, has been National Under-19 Road Race Champion on two occasions (1991, 1992), National Cyclo Cross Champion four times (2002, 2004, 2005 and 2007), World Cyclo Cross Champion (2007) and National Time Trial Champion (2007). Along the way, she's won the GP de France (1996), a Trophée des Grimpeurs (2006) and a string of important cyclo cross races as well as a silver medal at the 2005 National Mountain Bike Championship.

On this day in 2010 Clara Hughes - the only Canadian athlete to have won medals in both the Summer and Winter Olympics and one of the most successful Canadian cyclists of all time - was Canadian flag bearer at the opening of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

Geert Omloop, also born on this day in 1974, is a Belgian professional from Herentals. He was National Road Race Champion in 2003.

Brendon Cameron was born on this day in 1973 in New Zealand. He won bronze in the Team Pursuit events at the Commonwealth Games in 1994 and 1998 but has been more successful as a coach, training his partner Sarah Ulmer to a gold-winning ride and new world record in the Individual Pursuit at the 2004 Olympics.

Melinda McLeod, born on this day 1993 in Australia, is a professional BMX rider widely recognised as one of the best jump riders in the world. She has won three gold medals at the World BMX Championships, enough to make her the most successful Australian BMX rider of all time.

Other births: Vanja Vonckx (Belgium, 1973); Pablo Hernández (Colombia, 1940); Flor Marina Delgadillo (Colombia, 1972); Kurt Schweiger (Austria, 1934); Georges Paillard (France, 1904, died 1998); Pedro Rodríguez (Cuba, 1950); Kurt Einsiedel (Germany, 1907); Andrew Weaver (USA, 1959); Vilija Sereikaitė (Lithuania, 1987); Makoto Iijima (Japan, 1971); Mehrdad Zafarzadeh (Iran, 1962); Leon Richardson (Antigua and Barbuda, 1957); Helmut Wechselberger (Austria, 1954); Peter Crinion (Ireland, 1939).