By Hedwig Kröner
A junior world champion and world record holder in the individual pursuit, Brad McGee collected his first Olympic medal in Atlanta in 1996, two years before turning professional. In 1998, French team La Française des Jeux put its money on him and wasn't let down; the track specialist was also a gifted road racer, which he displayed with stage wins at the Tour de France and the Dauphiné Libéré during his breakthrough year, 2002.
He scaled even greater heights by winning the prologues of two Grand Tours (France in 2003 and Italy in 2004, only narrowly missing one in Spain in 2005). Nevertheless, he had worn the overall leader's jerseys of all three of the world's most prestigious national tours.
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