Contact us today to book your next cycling experience with Steve Bauer Bike Tours // A Passion for Biking™

Steve Bauer

Go to Career Highlights

Steve Bauer was born in St. Catharines and raised in the hamlet of Fenwick, Ontario. Like many other young Canadians, Steve grew up playing hockey, but also practiced many other sports during his young years playing baseball, basketball, soccer and gymnastics.  Steve would ride his bike to get around whether to go to baseball practice or to meet friends.  One summer at the age of 16 years, his mom Frances suggested he check out the St.Catharines Cycling Club as she had read in the Standard newspaper some racing accolades of Gord Singleton and Karen Strong.  In the spring of 1977 as a junior, Bauer joined the Canadian national track cycling team and raced in the Track World Cycling Championships in Vienna, Austria as a junior and also with the senior men's team in San Cristobal, Venezuela.  The Canadian senior men’s team of Lovell, Walton, Hayman and Bauer qualified in the team pursuit before being eliminated by East Germany.  This would be a moment in Steve’s life when he realized that he should pursue a career in bike racing.

Front 1981 to 1984 Steve road with GS Mangonie where founder Fred Mengonie mentored Steve and encouraged him to train like a pro.  Fred set-up contact and training partnership with Greg Lemond.  In the winter of 1983-84, Steve would log more endurance road miles then ever before.  Steve transitioned to his professional career after winning a silver medal at 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games Road Race.  Following the games, Steve immediately transferred to Europe and after only one month as a pro, won bronze at the Professional Road World Championship in Barcelona, Spain.  This moment was the beginning of a 12 year journey amongst cycling’s greatest road athletes and historic competitions.  As a first year pro in 1985 Steve rode the Tour de France with the La Vie Claire Team. Steve would lead the Tour wearing the white “rookie” jersey for almost the entire race before dropping behind the Columbian Fabio Parra.  As a teammate of both Greg Lemond and Bernard Hinault, Steve would be the lieutenant for both mean as they battled for the Yellow Jersey and overall victory in both the 1985 and 1986 Tours. After changing team’s to Weinmann - La Suisse in 1988, Bauer raced his personal best Tour de France, winning a stage, leading the race for 5 days in yellow and completing the overall general classification at 4th place in Paris.  Two years later in 1990 under new direction of the American 7-Eleven team, Steve jumped out in the lead on stage one and raced in the yellow jersey for nine consecutive stages.  Over his career, In total, Steve participated into eleven Tours from 1985 to 1995.

In 1994 Bauer was awarded the Canadian Governor General's Meritorious Service Medal and received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws at Brock University.  After retiring in 1996, Steve co-founded Steve Bauer Bike Tours. Based in St. Catharines, the company specializes in high quality, international bicycle tours and events for cycling enthusiasts.

In 2005 Stave Bauer was inducted to the Canadian Olympic Sport Hall of Fame and as well the Canadian Sport Hall of Fame.  Steve Bauer cofounded Cycle Sport Management with Josee Larocque and built Canada’s first ever Continental Professional road mens’ cycling team from 2008 to 2012.  The Canadian athlete focused team raced internationally reaching its peak in 2012 racing on the world tour at the Tour de Suisse.  Cycle Sport Management provided opportunity for Canadian men and launched several into the Pro Tour ranks. 

Currently, Steve heads the direction of the Milton Cycling Academy at the recently opened Mattamy National Cycling Centre in Milton, On.  It seems the cycling passion has never dwindled for Bauer in all his pursuits.

Steve Bauer brought recognition to Canada on the international cycling stage, has become one of the “legends” of Canadian cycling, and set a humble example of the way a small town Canadian hockey player can pave the way for future Canadian cyclists to achieve great things.

BORN: June 12 1959, St. Catharines, ON, CANADA

CYCLING CAREER

  • 1977-1984: Canadian National Team member until turning professional
  • 1984-1996: Professional career (12 years)

POST CYCLING CAREER

  • 1997 until present: Steve Bauer Bike Tours Inc.
  • 2007 -... Cycle Sport Management Inc.
  • 2014 - ... Head Coach, Mattamy National Cycling Center.  

RACING TEAMS

  • 1975- Present: Lifetime honorary member of the St. Catharines Cycling Club
  • 1978–1979: sponsored by a local bike shop in Hamilton
  • 1980: AMF Racing Team
  • 1981-1984: GS Mengoni Team
  • 1985: La Vie Claire (began pro career)
  • 1986-1987: Toshiba/ La Vie Claire
  • 1988: Weinmann / La Suisse
  • 1989: Helvetia / La Suisse
  • 1990: 7-Eleven
  • 1991-1995: Motorola
  • 1996: Saturn
  • 2008 - 2009:  (Owner & Head Director) Team R.A.C.E. Pro - Planet Energy
  • 2010 - 2012: (Owner & Head Director) Team SpiderTech powered by Planet Energy / C10

TEAM MATES
Raced with the following champions and team-mates of high class or achievement

  • 1985-1986: Greg Lemond, Bernard Hinault, Andy Hampsten
  • 1988-1989: Pascal Richard
  • 1990: Davis Phinney, Andy Hampsten, Bob Roll
  • 1992-1995: Lance Armstrong, Fabio Casartelli, Phil Anderson, George Hincapie, Frankie Andreu, Axel Merkcx

RACING HIGHLIGHTS

CANADIANS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • 1978: 1st National Criterium, Lachine, QC
  • 1981: 1st road race and track points race, Vancouver, BC
  • 1982: 1st road race and track points race, Edmonton, AB
  • 1983: 1st road race, Thunder Bay, ON
  • 1996: 1st Canadian Olympic Trials Road Race, St.Sauveur, QC
  • 2014: 1st track individual pursuit, 500m TT and scratch race, Milton, ON

COMMONWEALTH GAMES

  • 1982: 2nd road race, 4th 10 mile track & 4th team pursuit, Brisbane, Australia

OLYMPIC GAMES

  • 1980: Canadian Olympic Team pursuit team (Moscow boycott)
  • 1984: Silver medal road race, Los Angeles, USA
  • 1996: 41st (best Canadian) road race, Atlanta, USA

WORLDS CHAMPIONSHIPS

  • 1977: 7th junior team pursuit / 13th Individual Pursuit; Vienna AUS
  • 1977: 8th Men’s team pursuit, San Cristobal, VEN
  • 1980: 13th points race, Besancon FRA
  • 1982: 4th points race, Bruno, Czech Republic
  • 1984: 3rd professional road race, Barcelona, ESP
  • 1987: 13th professional road race, Villach, AUS
  • 1988: 2nd professional road race, Ronse, BEL
  • 1989: 13th professional road race, Chambery, FRA 2003: Course designer, Hamilton, CAN

TOUR DE FRANCE

  • 1985: 10th Overall, wore White jersey for most of the entire race
  • 1985: 6th Fastest in the individual time trials
  • 1986: 23rd Overall
  • 1988: 4th Overall and 1st stage one / 5 days in Yellow jersey
  • 1989: 15th Overall 1990: Led the Tour / Yellow jersey for 9 consecutive days; 27th Overall
  • 1985-1995: 11 consecutive participations
    Total: 14 days in Yellow jersey

GIRO D’ITALIA

  • 1987: 10TH Overall / 2nd Prologue Stage

CLASSIC & WORLD CUP

  • 1985: 9th Milan San Remo ITA
  • 1985: 8th G.P Frankfurt / Heninnger Turm GER
  • 1985: 3rd Championship of Zurich
  • 1986: 2nd Championship of Zurich
  • 1986: 2nd G.P. Frankfurt / Henninger Turm GER
  • 1986: 4th Tour of Flanders BEL
  • 1987: 4th Tour of Flanders BEL
  • 1987: 11th Milan San Remo ITA
  • 1988: 6th Gent Wevelgem BEL
  • 1988: 8th Paris Roubaix, FRA
  • 1989: 10th Tour of Flanders BEL
  • 1986-1990: 2nd & 6th, Henninger Turm, Frankfurt, GER
  • 1988-1989: 6th & 3rd, Amstel Gold Race, Holland
  • 1989: 4th, Paris Roubaix, FRA
  • 1989: 1st Championship of Zurich
  • 1990: 2nd, Paris Roubaix, FRA
  • 1990: 6th Classica San Sebastian SPA
  • 1990: 9th Gent Wevelgem BEL
  • 1991: 4th, Paris Roubaix FRA
  • 1994: 6th Paris Tours

INTERNATIONAL TOUR & RACE

  • 1980 & 1983: 1st, Tour of Somerville New Jersey and set speed record
  • 1985: 3rd Tour du Haut Var, FRA
  • 1986: 2nd Overall Tour of Ireland, IRE – 1 stage
  • 1987: Criterium International, FRA – 1 stage
  • 1988: 2nd Overall Tour of Switzerland, SWI– 1 stage
  • 1988: Etoile de Bésseges, FRA - 1 stage,
  • 1988: 1st Overall Tour de l‘Oise, FRA
  • 1988: Dauphiné Libèré, FRA – 1 stage
  • 1988: 1st Trophea Pantalica, ITA
  • 1988: 3rd Giro di Lazio ITA
  • 1989: 4th Overall Tour of Switzerland,
  • 1988-89 1st Two times, Canadian Tire International Professional Sprint, CAN
  • 1992: Vuelta Ciclista, Galega, SPA – 1 Stage
  • 1994: 2nd overall, W. Virginia Classic, USA
  • 1994-1995: Tour de Dupont, USA - 3 stage victories
  • 1995: 1st, Norwest Cup, USA
  • 1996: Niedersachsen Rudndfart, GER - 2 stages
  • 1996: Rhienfeld Tour, GER - 2 stages

INTERNATIONAL GRAND PRIX

  • 1985: 1st, G.P. Aix en Provence, FRA (FIRST PROFESSIONAL VICTORY)
  • 1986-1987: 1st, Carlsberg Light G.P., CAN
  • 1988: 1st, G.P. d’Amériques, Montreal, CAN
  • 1994: 2nd Atlanta, USA 1994: 8th, G.P. E3, Harelbeke, BEL
  • 1995: 1st, Deinze G.P., BEL
  • 1996: Thames Valley G.P., CAN– 1 stage
  • 1996: 1st, Roanoke Valley G.P.

NOTEABLE WORLD RANKINGS

  • 1988: 5th
  • 1990: 7th

HONORARY ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF INTEREST

  • Dedication of El Tour de Phoenix 2007
  • Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, Inducted April 2005
  • Canadian Sports Hall of Fall, induction Ceremony November 2, 2005
  • Honorary Doctorate of Laws, Brock University, Ontario 1994
  • Awarded the Governor General’s Meritorious Service Medal
  • Recreational trail named "The Steve Bauer Trails" in Pelham Ontario
  • Canadian National Film Board feature: "Steve Bauer Inside Out" 1993
PAST AND CURENT COMMUNITY & CHARITY INVOLVEMENT
  • Mattamy National Cycling Center
  • Humberview Group Ride
  • Tour de Bleu
  • The Grand Ride - Grand River Hospital Foundation
  • Supporter of Tour for Kids and Race Against Cancer Everywhere
  • Ride to Conquer Cancer of Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation
  • Tour of Courage of Alberta Cancer Foundation
  • Tour of Courage of British Columbia Cancer Foundation
Back to bio

News

2015 TDF Memories of Stage 18

Jun 9th, 2016

In the morning, from the north, under a bright sunshine, we climbed the Col de La Madeleine, a classic of the Tour since 1969 with its 25.3 km at 6.2% average for a total of 1585 m gain to culminate at 2000 m of altitude. It was a quiet day on the Madeleine. Everyone else was

Testimonials

  • Wow! The entire tour was terrific. I got much more than I expected. I have and will continue to recommend it to everyone I know. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. Your guide made sure that I learned to shift my gears properly so that I wouldn’t get too tired.
    Cheryl, Burlington, ON.
  • Words cannot describe the joy I have had at this challenge/adventure! I will be back. I hope to see you again soon! Merci
    Greg. D., New York, NY