Graeme Obree

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Graeme Obree (born 11 September 1965), nicknamed "the Flying Scotsman", after the famous steam locomotive, is a Scottish racing cyclist who twice broke the world hour record, in July 1993 and April 1994, and was the individual pursuit world champion in 1993 and 1995. He was known for his unusual riding positions and for the Old Faithful bicycle he built which included bearings from a washing machine. He joined a professional team in France but was fired before his first race. He also competed in the men's individual pursuit at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Obree created some radical innovations in bicycle design and cycling positions, but had problems when the cycling authorities banned the riding positions his designs required. Obree is very open about living with bipolar disorder and depression, and the fact that he has attempted suicide three times. He used his experiences as a means of encouraging other sportspeople to talk about their own mental health. His life and exploits have been...

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