Joseph Michael "Joe" Papp is a former professional American road racing cyclist and US National cycling team member, author, and convicted doper and drug distributor. A dual Irish–American citizen, Papp was born in Ohio and raised in Western Pennsylvania, where he attended high school and university. Early in his career, Papp was a member of the Pittsburgh Power, a professional team in the National Cycle League owned by Franco Harris. He also rode as a stagiare with Montgomery-Bell, but finished his career in 2006 riding for the Italian teams Partizan-Whistle and Team Bianchi-Cinghiale, after starting the year with Hong Kong–based Champion System.

Jeannie Longo is a French racing cyclist, 60-time French champion and 13-time world champion. Longo began racing in 1975 and was active in cycling through 2012. She was once widely considered the best female cyclist of all time, although that reputation is now clouded by suspicion of doping throughout her career. She is famous for her competitive nature and her longevity in the sport — when she was selected to compete for France in the 2008 Olympics, it was her seventh Olympic Games; some of Longo's competitors that year had not yet been born when she took part in her first Olympics in 1984. She had stated that 2008 would be her final participation in the Olympics. In the Women's road race, she finished 24th, 33 seconds behind winner Nicole Cooke, who was one year old when Longo first rode in the Olympics. At the same Olympics, she finished 4th in the road time trial, just two seconds shy of securing a bronze medal. She is currently number two on the all-time list of French female summer or winter Olympic medal winners, with a total of four medals including one in gold, which is one less than the total number won by the fencer Laura Flessel-Colovic.