Stephen Stanley Bate MBE (born 24 August 1977) is a New Zealand–British Paralympic cyclist who competes in tandem races as an athlete with a visual impairment.[1] Since 2014, Bate has been piloted by Adam Duggleby. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, the pair won gold in the men's individual pursuit B[2] and men's road time trial B,[3] and bronze in the men's road race B.[3]

Stephen Bate
Personal information
NationalityNew Zealand, British
Born (1977-08-24) 24 August 1977 (age 46)
New Zealand
Websitewww.stevebatembe.com
Sport
Country Great Britain
SportCycling

In 2018 Bate and Duggleby won the UCI World Para-cycling Tandem B Individual Pursuit and the UCI World Para-cycling Tandem B Individual Time Trial to become double World Champions.[4][5] The pair are current World Tandem B Time Trial champions, after winning the title in 2021 at the UCI Paracycling World Championships in Cascais, Portugal.[6]

Cycling career edit

Bate was introduced to the ideas of para-cycling by friend and Great Britain team member Karen Darke; both of whom have conquered El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Bate has climbed the rock face 3 times including a solo ascent of Zodiac, becoming the first visually impaired person to achieve this.[1] In 2013 he was accepted onto British Cycling’s Paralympic Development Programme and, was teamed up with sight piloted Adam Duggleby. In December 2014, after became the British road and time trial national champion, Bate was advanced from the development programme to the Paralympic Podium Programme, for athletes who British Cycling believe have medal potential at Paralympic level. The next year he made his World Championship debut, competing at the 2015 Championships in Apeldoorn.[1]

In 2015 Bate and Duggleby won their first World Cup medals together. At Maniago in Italy they took silver in the road race and a bronze in the time trial; and followed this with a gold medal in the time trial at the Pietermaritzburg World Cup in South Africa.[1] In July 2016, Bate was named in the Great Britain team to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio.

Bate was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to cycling.[7][8]

At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, Duggleby and Bate won silver in the men's individual pursuit B.[9]

Personal history edit

Bate was born (in 1977) and brought up in New Zealand and attended Mount Albert Grammar School, from 1991-1994, before moving to Moray in Scotland in adulthood. He has Retinitis Pigmentosa which has left him with a 10% field of vision.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e "Steve Bate". britishcycling.org.uk. Archived from the original on 26 November 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  2. ^ "Event Overview - Men's B 4000m Individual Pursuit - Medals and Final Ranking". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Rio 2016 Paralympic Games Cycling Road Results Book" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  4. ^ "UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships - Maniago (Road)". Archived from the original on 24 November 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  5. ^ "UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships - Rio de Janeiro (Track)". Archived from the original on 24 November 2018. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  6. ^ "UCI 2021 Para-Cycling Road World Championships - Men's B Time Trial" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  7. ^ "No. 61803". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2016. p. N15.
  8. ^ "New Year's Honours List 2017" (PDF). gov.uk. Government Digital Service. 30 December 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 December 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  9. ^ "Cycling Track – Men's B 4000m Individual Pursuit – Finals – Results" (PDF). Tokyo 2020 Paralympics. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. 25 August 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2022.