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Rider Profile

Danny Pate is widely considered as one of the hardest-working riders in the peloton and played a pivotal role during his first season at Team Sky in 2012. The American helped seal victories at Paris-Nice, Tour de Romandie, Bayern-Rundfahrt and the Criterium du Dauphine before making his sixth Grand Tour appearance at the Vuelta a Espana.

Pate turned professional at the turn of the millennium and hit the ground running by winning the World Under-23 Time Trial Championship in 2001. After joining the European race scene in 2006, he won the time trial at the Tour de Beauce and followed that up in 2007 with a stage win at the Tour of Missouri.

In the two years that followed, Pate earned top-three stage finishes at the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France, and in 2011 was part of the HTC-Highroad lead-out train which saw Mark Cavendish win the green jersey at the Tour before making his move to Team Sky.

Q & A

Who inspired you to start cycling?
My father. It was something that we spent time doing together.
First bike:
I had a Trek carbon mountain bike. Back then it was the cat's pyjamas.
First cycling club:
Rainbow Racing in Colorado.
Childhood heroes:
I grew up watching basketball so I was really into Michael Jordan. Also Denver Broncos quarter-back John Elway.
Funniest team-mate:
Geraint Thomas and Richie Porte, and Edvald Boasson Hagen for his Norwegian sense of humour.
Favourite place to ride?
A great mountain bike ride in the fall is what I enjoy the most.
What has cycling taught you?
I've spent my whole life cycling so all the experiences I've had, I've had through cycling.

Previous teams:
2000 Saeco - Valli & Valli; 2001-03 Prime Alliance Cycling Team; 2004 Health Net Pro Cycling; 2005 Jelly Belly - Pool Gel; 2006 Team TIAA - CREF; 2007-10 Slipstream Sports (Garmin); 2011 HTC-Highroad
Favourite race:
The Tour de France. Everything about the sport is bigger there.
Interests away from cycling:
Being outside, most notably snowshoeing or snowboarding.
If you weren't a rider, what would you be?
Maybe I'd have gone back to school.
Favourite film:
It's hard to pick just one. I like comedy films the most.
Favourite music:
Anything from Nirvana to hip-hop.