Phil Burt

Biography

Phil Burt was Lead Physiotherapist for the all-conquering British Cycling team over the course of three Olympics. He was a part of the famed Marginal Gains group, charged with finding innovative improvements in performance and providing him with an insight into all aspects of the team.

After qualifying, Phil worked with the Sale Sharks rugby squad that won the European Challenge Cup and the Premiership. He then moved to British Cycling and through his dynamic, world-leading approach quickly became Lead Physiotherapist to the ‘Dream Team’ that dominated the sport from the 2008 Beijing Olympics onwards.

With TeamGB Phil was directly involved in twenty-four gold medal wins. As well as working with one the world’s most successful sporting teams, he led changes in the sport’s rules from the use of cutting-edge equipment to research into injuries. His involvement in marginal gains saw him find improvements in everything from clothing and athlete health, to riding position, rehabilitation, and performance.

Phil offers a unique look at how TeamGB beat all comers, but also stayed ahead of the pack in a fiercely competitive and technical sport. From innovations in design and practices to injury treatment, he explains their relentless, analytical pursuit of new ways to go faster, longer, and better. He looks at how elite performers operate with examples from Chris Hoy, Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome and Victoria Pendleton; their different approaches, and how they were handled. He also considers the culture and leadership team of Dave Brailsford and offers a candid view on what went right and wrong at British Cycling where the desire to win started to raise serious questions.

Now involved in creating new, innovative consumer cycling products based on the advances in technology and physiology made in elite sport, Phil continues to work at the cutting edge of his field. He considers what innovation in any area means, and why it’s not always a question of money, but of understanding, support, and collaboration. The author of one of the bestselling sports books in the UK, Bike Fit, Phil has also worked with the British Special Forces on elite preparation and resilience, and with the Premier League.