Connie-Carpenter

Connie Carpenter (Phinney)

Connie Carpenter was born on February 26, 1957 in Madison Wisconsin. Connie was a multi-talented athlete at 5' 10", 130 lbs. who excelled at speed skating, rowing and cycling. After an ankle injury, and the urging of another skater Sheila Young, she started cycling competitive and winning in the late 70's.

Connie won the national road championships 4 times, an amazing feat, and holds 12 U.S. national championships plus 4 world titles, as well as winning the first women's cycling event in Olympic history. She was national champion, she was world champion, and she was an Olympic champion, a tremendously gifted cyclist, and arguably the greatest woman cyclist in U.S. history.

Connie took up rowing at University of California at Berkeley after suffering a concussion in a fall. She graduated in 1981 and returned to cycling winning both the road race and the time trial at the nationals. Connie took both 2nd and 3rd in the World Road Championships before winning it in 1984 at Barcelona. Connie also set a world record in 1983 during the pursuit with a time of 3:49.53 during the World Championships.

In 1977 Connie dominated racing by winning 11 straight races and the Red Zinger winning all three stages and of course the final GC. Connie also won 4 stages in the Tour of Colorado in 1984, as well as winning five of the nine stages in the famous Coors Classic, and taking the final GC. In 1984, Connie won the Olympic road race at Los Angeles in a showdown with Rebbecca Twigg which she won in the final meters by thrusting her bike over the line winning by a mere 8 inches! The huge crowd of nearly a quarter of a million people who lined the streets on a broiling Sunday afternoon certainly helped the Americans to win that day.

At age 25, Connie had already won nine national titles and two medals at the worlds. After she won the road race at the Olympics in Los Angeles, she retired from competition on July 30, 1984. She was inducted into both the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. Connie has also written books with her husband Davis and the pair have conducted many training camps. Connie met Davis Phinny at a race in Arizona in 1978, and was married to the famous well-known America champion.

They have two children and live in Boulder Colorado, and are involved in a variety of businesses including bike shops and training camps. Davis is credited with giving Connie the focus and direction turning her into one of the greatest American women champions in the history of America cycling.

Highlights

1976 - 1st place in National Track Championships, USA (3km Pursuit).
1976 - 1st place in National Road Championships, USA.
1977 - 1st place in Fitchburg Longsjo Classic, USA.
1977 - 1st place in Red Zinger, USA.
1977 - 1st place in National Road Championships, USA.
1977 - 1st place in National Track Championships, USA (3km Pursuit).
1979 - 1st place in National Road Championships, USA.
1979 - 1st place in National Track Championships, USA (3km Pursuit).
1980 - 1st place in Colorado Classic, USA.
1981 - 1st place in Self Magazine Cycling Circuit, USA.
1981 - 1st place in Colorado Classic, USA.
1981 - 1st place in National Time Trial Championships, USA.
1981 - 1st place in National Road Championships, USA.
1982 - 1st place in Coors Classic, USA.
1983 - 1st place in World Track Championships, Switzerland (3km Pursuit).
1984 - 1st place in World Road Championships, Spain.
1984 - 1st place in Olympic Games, Road Race, USA.

Links to articles about Connie Carpenter (Phinney).

Photo finish of Connie Carpenter as she thusts her bike forward just 8 inches ahead of Rebbeca Twigg in the 1984 Olympic road race in Los Angeles. Connie Carpenter, photo finish and the 1984 Olympic bike

(Video of the finish!)

Photo of Connie Carpenter

Photo of Connie Carpenter and Rebbeca Twigg

Pushing Their Pedals to the Medals, Time Magazine

Palmares
Country: USA

Connie Carpenter

Palmares
1st - 3rd
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1976
August 3-4, 1976 - National Track Championships, USA - 1st place in 3,000 Meter Individual Pursuit, Northbrook Illinois.
August 14-15, 1976 - National Road Championships, USA - 1st place, Louisville Kentucky.

1977
1977 - Fitchburg Longsjo Classic, stage race in USA - 1st place.
July 19-24, 1977 - Red Zinger, stage race in USA - 1st place on the final GC.
July 27, 1977 - National Time Trial Championships, USA - 3rd place, Seattle Washington.
July 31, 1977 - National Road Championships, USA - 1st place, Seattle Washington.
August 2-6, 1977 - National Track Championships, USA - 1st place in 3,000 Meter Individual Pursuit, Marymoor Velodrome, Redmond Washington.
August 2-6, 1977 - National Track Championships, USA - 3rd place in Match Sprint (200 Meters), Marymoor Velodrome, Redmond Washington.
September 3, 1977 - World Road Championships, Venezuela - 2nd place, San Cristobal.

1978
July 8-15, 1978 - Red Zinger, stage race in USA - 3rd place on the final GC.
July 26-30, 1978 - National Road Championships, USA - 3rd place, Milwaukee Wisconsin.

1979
August 1-2, 1979 - National Time Trial Championships, USA - 2nd place, Wautoma Wisconsin.
August 1-5, 1979 - National Road Championships, USA - 1st place, Milwaukee Wisconsin.
August 7-12, 1979 - National Track Championships, USA - 1st place in 3,000 Meter Individual Pursuit, Northbrook Illinois.

1980
1980 - Colorado Classic, stage race in USA - 1st place on the final GC.

1981
1981 - Self Magazine Cycling Circuit, USA - 1st place.
June 26-July 5, 1981 - Colorado Classic, stage race in USA - 1st place on the final GC.
August 3-5, 1981 - National Time Trial Championships, USA - 1st place, Bear Mountain New York.
August 3-9, 1981 - National Road Championships, USA - 1st place, Bear Mountain New York.
August 11-16, 1981 - National Track Championships, USA - 2nd place in 3,000 Meter Individual Pursuit, Trexlertown Pennsylvania.
August 11-16, 1981 - National Track Championships, USA - 1st place in Points Race, Trexlertown Pennsylvania.
1981 - World Road Championships, Czechoslovakia - 3rd place, Prague.

1982
1982 - National Track Championships, USA - 2nd place in 3,000 Meter Individual Pursuit, Kenosha Wisconsin.
1982 - National Track Championships, USA - 1st place in Points Race, Kenosha Wisconsin.
1982 - World Track Championships, Great Britain - 2nd place in 3,000 Meter Individual Pursuit, Leicester.
1982 - Coors Classic, stage race in the USA - 1st place in stage 3.
1982 - Coors Classic, stage race in the USA - 1st place on the final GC.

1983
1983 - World Track Championships, Switzerland - 1st place in 3,000 Meter Individual Pursuit, Zurich.
1983 - Omloop Van De Loiret, France - 3rd place.

1984
May 26, 1984 - East Coast Cycling Circuit, USA - 1st place, Allentown.
May 1984 - Tour of Nutley, USA - 1st place.
May 1984 - Central Park Circuit, USA - 3rd place, New York City.
June 1984 - Lowenbrau Pepsi Grand Prix, USA - 1st place.
June 1984 - U.S. Olympic Road Trials, USA - 2nd place in road race, Spokane Washington.
June 1984 - U.S. Olympic Road Trials, USA - 2nd place time trial, Spokane Washington.
July 11, 1984 - World Road Championships, Spain - 1st place, Barcelona.
July 13, 1984 - Tour of Colorado, stage race in USA - 3rd place in prologue, Flaggstaff Mountain.
July 14, 1984 - Tour of Colorado, stage race in USA - 1st place in stage 1, Rocky Mountain National Park.
July 15, 1984 - Tour of Colorado, stage race in USA - 1st place in stage 2, Vail Village Criterium.
July 17, 1984 - Tour of Colorado, stage race in USA - 1st place in stage 4, Grand Junction Colorado National Monument.
July 20, 1984 - Tour of Colorado, stage race in USA - 1st place in stage 7, Morgul to Bismark.

July 29, 1984 - Olympic Games, USA - 1st place in the road race, Los Angeles.

Articles are written in my own words, researched from a variety of sources from Europe and the United States, including seeing things first hand at races, researching race videos, books, magazines, libraries etc. Stats and career highlights, palmares were confirmed as much as possible from several sources worldwide so that they can be as accurate as possible. In some instances the riders have contributed to the quality of the articles, and photos were taken at various races worldwide. Photos provided by a number of sources, from the riders to professional journalists, and courtesy of donors. Thanks to Cyclingnews for the quality of their archives approximately since the year 2000 helps to validate other sources worldwide. Special thanks to Alfred North for his tremendous contribution to the women's cycling over the last 30 years, which his archives dating from 1984 to the present day has been an overwhelming contribution to women's cycling worldwide. This is the first time that in depth compilation of the women rider's palmares have been well researched and posted to the Internet for the whole cycling world to see. They are comprehensive and cover several decades. If you use my work, please give credit.

Article Written by Bruce Johnston.