Grant Rice

Grant Rice, the amiable owner of Richmond Cyclery, dreamed of becoming a professional footballer, practising and playing every spare moment as a kid in Launciston, Tasmania. Instead, a single-speed bicycle under the Christmas tree at age nine set the course of his sporting career and shaped his life.

“Back in those days you weren’t allowed to use gears until you were 14,” said Grant. Tagging along with his three-years-older brother Dean, already a keen competitive cyclist, Grant began turning up every week at racing events.

The typically Australian year was split into two – a track season and a road season. Grant had talent to burn, but it was only after completing a carpentry apprenticeship at age 19 in 1989 – in fact the very week he qualified – that he got onto a plane to Swizerland to seek his fortune as a cyclist. “I had a contact and a place to stay for two weeks,” he said. In the end he stayed for two years, riding for two separate elite amateur teams.

Back in Australia in 1991, he was picked up by the legendary Heiko Salzwedel, got selected for the Australian Institute of Sport team and won the Tour of Tasmania in the process. Because of Grant’s size Salzwedel put him in the time trial team. “It held me back on the road,” he admits. But he still ended up placing 5th in the 100km team time trial in the World Championships in Norway in 1993, the third of three representations at the Worlds. Along the way, he collected a number of state titles, track and road wins and from 1991 to 1995 was the national road team captain for the AIS.

In Barcelona in 1992, Grant was an Olympian in the same team as Robert Crowe, coming 10th in the 190km road race. In the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Canada he placed fourth in the 190km road race and in the same year won stage 6 of the Sun Tour, coming sixth on GC.

In 1995 Grant decided, “it was time to stop”, and with his knowledge and contacts went into the cycling industry, today running a popular outlet in Bridge Road, Richmond. www.richmondcyclery.com.au

1989 – 90 Based in Switzerland racing elite amateur

1991 Winner Tour of Tasmania

2nd ,3rd, 4th, 5th ,6th placing national titles

State titles wins… heaps track and road

1991-95 National road team captain Australian Institute of Sport

Team member at 3 world champs, highest placing 5th Norway ’93 100km Team TT

1992 Barcelona Olympian 10th 190km road race

1994 Com. Games Canada 4th 190km road race

1994 Sun Tour winner Stage 6, 4th GC

2009 31/03/2009 BP Sprint winner {true}

1989 – 90 Based in Switzerland racing elite amateur 

1991 Winner Tour of Tasmania 2nd ,3rd, 4th, 5th ,6th placing national titles 

State titles wins… heaps track and road 1991-95

National road team captain Australian Institute of Sport 

Team member at 3 world champs, highest placing 5th Norway ’93 100km Team TT 

1992 Barcelona Olympian 10th 190km road race 

1994 Com. Games Canada 4th 190km road race 

1994 Sun Tour winner Stage 6, 4th GC 

2009 31/03/2009 BP Sprint winner {true}