# Your Favourite Cyclist



## Rockn Robin (12 Oct 2018)

I'm interested to know who is your favorite cyclist? Now, if anyone out there says Lance Bleedin' Armstrong, I'm coming out there and give you 50 lashes with a wet noodle, HAHAHAHA!!

Me, my vote goes to the brilliant Italian cyclist, Marco Pantani. A bull on the mountains, and the first to win the Giro of Italia and the Tour de France the same year.

So, who is your favorite from the past, and why?


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## Mrs M (12 Oct 2018)

Thomas Voeckler 
Very entertaining with his gurning expressions!
Also a fantastic effort in the 2011 Tour de France.


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## Smokin Joe (12 Oct 2018)

King Kelly -


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## Threevok (12 Oct 2018)

Steve Peat - because (apart from porn films) he's the only plumber that never turned up late


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## HLaB (12 Oct 2018)

Gino Bartali






http://www.italyandtheholocaust.org/dont-talk-about-it-Gino-Bartali.aspx

Gino Bartali was a famous cyclist who won the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France. After Italy was occupied by Nazi Germany on September 8, 1943, Bartali was asked by Cardinal Della Costa of Florence to assist a clandestine effort that would help Jews escape capture and deportation. He was asked to be a courier of fake documents.

Gino hid the documents in his bicycle frame and delivered them to various destinations, including Assisi. He also sheltered the Goldenberg family in the basement of his home, risking his life and the lives of his family.

The story of Gino Bartali’s courageous actions is just one example of the many stories of so many individual Italians who made the choice to help Jews in danger. He was not indifferent and his actions made a difference. In addition to being a sports hero, Bartali was a true hero who saved many lives.

“Gino Bartali was risking his life all during the war.”


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## slowmotion (12 Oct 2018)

Albert.


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## MartinQ (12 Oct 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> Me, my vote goes to the brilliant Italian cyclist, Marco Pantani. A bull on the mountains, and the first to win the Giro of Italia and the Tour de France the same year.



The cannibal may be after you (twice) :-)


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## Rockn Robin (12 Oct 2018)

HLaB said:


> Gino Bartali
> 
> View attachment 433760
> 
> ...



Maybe I’m wrong, but wasn’t there a movie or documentary about him?


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## HLaB (12 Oct 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> Maybe I’m wrong, but wasn’t there a movie or documentary about him?




https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3233904/


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## rogerzilla (12 Oct 2018)

Eros Poli. Best stage win ever.


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## Phaeton (12 Oct 2018)

Me


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## Rockn Robin (12 Oct 2018)

MartinQ said:


> The cannibal may be after you (twice) :-)



The Pirate will be fine.


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## Rockn Robin (12 Oct 2018)

HLaB said:


> https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3233904/




Thank you. I knew I heard something about it. I just added it to my Watchlist on Amazon Prime. Lovely jubley.


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## Rockn Robin (12 Oct 2018)

Phaeton said:


> Me



Good reply.


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## Drago (12 Oct 2018)

Carol.


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## Rockn Robin (12 Oct 2018)

Drago said:


> Carol.
> 
> View attachment 433766



I can see why. Girlfriend, wife? Very pretty.


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## Drago (12 Oct 2018)

I wish she was! Shes a uk tv celebrity whom I have a teensy weensy crush on.


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## Ian H (12 Oct 2018)

Well... Eddie Merckx won more grand tours than anyone else (even if you don't disqualify Armstrong), won all the jerseys in the TDF one year, and overall won more than anyone else.
But Fausto Coppi was cycling poetry, whose career was interrupted by the war; Sean Kelly was a ferocious hard-rider and still managed to be a nice, generous bloke. Pantani could almost be the Coppi of his generation.

Andy Wilkinson, Lynne Biddulph and Gethin Butler have carved out their own niches in domestic long-distance competition. Alf Engers cocked a snook at authority in the shorter distances.

I could mention loads more.


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## Milzy (12 Oct 2018)

David Miller. Pure style and the only doper to ever find true complete redemption.


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## Rockn Robin (12 Oct 2018)

Ian H said:


> Well... Eddie Merckx won more grand tours than anyone else (even if you don't disqualify Armstrong), won all the jerseys in the TDF one year, and overall won more than anyone else.
> But Fausto Coppi was cycling poetry, whose career was interrupted by the war; Sean Kelly was a ferocious hard-rider and still managed to be a nice, generous bloke. Pantani could almost be the Coppi of his generation.
> 
> Andy Wilkinson, Lynne Biddulph and Gethin Butler have carved out their own niches in domestic long-distance competition. Alf Engers cocked a snook at authority in the shorter distances.
> ...



For sure, as the list is long. So I take it EM is your fav. He was, without a doubt, an awesome rider. 

I agree, Pantani could have been the Coppi of his time, but wasn’t he, at least, on the team that bared Coppi’s name at one point in his early career.


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## MikeG (12 Oct 2018)

Peter Sagan. He can park a bike like no other.


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## sheddy (12 Oct 2018)

Vicky P
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/llansley/vicky/


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## slowmotion (12 Oct 2018)

Mario Cipollini. A certain swagger.


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## Rockn Robin (12 Oct 2018)

MikeG said:


> Peter Sagan. He can park a bike like other.




That was awesome! So, who’s your fav from the past, other than Peter from the present?


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## Rockn Robin (12 Oct 2018)

slowmotion said:


> Mario Cipollini. A certain swagger.
> 
> View attachment 433768



Smoking while riding?


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## slowmotion (12 Oct 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> Smoking while riding?


Yes.


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## Drago (12 Oct 2018)

I'm also a fan of Sid..






Riding a Raleigh Chopper in moccasins while smoking a pipe. Only Sid was cool enough to carry that off.


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## gavroche (12 Oct 2018)

Jacques Anquetil. He was the first to win five Tour de France.


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## slowmotion (12 Oct 2018)

Full marks to this lot. They knew how to party while rehydrating.


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## Richard A Thackeray (12 Oct 2018)

Nicole Cooke

Britains answer, to Marianne Vos

Most of her titles (UK & World) were won with little official help

*EDIT @ 00:21 Saturday*

*Eg;*
2001
1st 

 World Junior Road Race Championships
1st 

 World Junior Time Trial Championships,
1st 

 World Junior Cross Country MTB Championships
1st 

 National Road Race Championships
1st 

 National Mountainbike Championships
1st 

 National Cyclo-cross Championships

2003
1st 

 National Road Race Championships
1st 

 Overall UCI Women's Road World Cup 
1st Amstel Gold Race (women) Amstel Gold
1st La Flèche Wallonne Féminine
World Road-Race Championships Bronze


2008
Olympic Road-Race Gold
World Road-Race Gold
National Road-Race 1st


http://nicolecooke.com/palmares/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicole_Cooke


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## Rockn Robin (12 Oct 2018)

Drago said:


> I'm also a fan of Sid..
> 
> View attachment 433769
> 
> ...



Now I know of him. One of the funniest men in English comedy.


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## Rockn Robin (12 Oct 2018)

slowmotion said:


> Full marks to this lot. They knew how to party while rehydrating.
> View attachment 433771



I loved the early Tour riders. They carried their own spares, and ran into pubs to get a bottle of ale. Things are sooo different now.


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## midlife (13 Oct 2018)

No contest... The Staffordshire Engine

Phil Bayton







...... And Billy Holmes


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## Rockn Robin (13 Oct 2018)

midlife said:


> No contest... The Staffordshire Engine
> 
> Phil Bayton
> 
> ...



Absolutely!!!


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## Richard A Thackeray (13 Oct 2018)

Richard A Thackeray said:


> Nicole Cooke
> 
> Britains answer, to Marianne Vos
> 
> ...




Also have a read of her retirement statement (on her website)


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## Richard A Thackeray (13 Oct 2018)

Wayne Randle...………

A 'manimal'

Try the Boggle Hole. stories, & he's a 'Vet 40' at those! (possibly a V45)
https://www.planetx.co.uk/news/events/q/date/2016/03/


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## Rockn Robin (13 Oct 2018)

Some excellent cyclist you have all included.

Has anyone heard of Marshall ‘Major’ Taylor? This guy was a rocket.


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## cyberknight (13 Oct 2018)




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## matiz (13 Oct 2018)

Raymond Poulidor "Pou Pou" despite having to cope with Anquetil and Merckz he never gave up, three seconds and five third places in the TDF the last when he was forty , still going strong at 82 and well loved by the French fans.


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## MikeG (13 Oct 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> That was awesome! So, who’s your fav from the past, other than Peter from the present?



Andy Wilkinson, an amateur who has held every long distance world record, still holds at least one of the Lejog records, and has only recently lost the world 24 hour record. Here he is on that record ride:



Watch at 4.20, where he can't even climb off the bike at the end.


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## Aravis (13 Oct 2018)

José Manuel Fuente:






A subjective view of course, but for sheer style no-one else has ever come close. Check out videos from the early 70s if you don't know him.

Honourable mentions to Freddy Maertens, Stephen Roche, Nicole Cooke, Cadel Evans and Laurent Fignon.

Actually my favourite when I first started watching racing was Joop Zoetemelk, but what I've read since I think I was probably wrong. I found that Hinault was far easier to appreciate once he'd gone. Will we ever see his like again?


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## raleighnut (13 Oct 2018)

Shanaze Reade


View: https://youtu.be/mfNAWrV_ZbM


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## Cycleops (13 Oct 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> Smoking while riding?


Ask @Smokin Joe he perfected the art.


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## Deleted member 23692 (13 Oct 2018)

Hans Rey (former World Champion, pioneer of Trails and Freeride, Mountain Bike Hall of Famer, founder of 'wheels 4life' charity and currently mountain bike adventurer) has done probably more the shape and progress mountain biking than any other person... across all its varied disciplines.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNhHKjhyTd0


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## chappers1983 (13 Oct 2018)

I was always a huge fan of Djamolidine Abdujaparov - it was watching his monster crash at the end of the ‘91 (?) tour and subsequent stagger across the finish line that inspired me to get into cycling.

And for him to have the audacity to dope himself up to the eyeballs to the extent that he won a mountain stage. In for a penny and all that........


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## Drago (13 Oct 2018)

Lets not forget Schwarzenegger. A keen champion of cycling, and he does his bit as a personal passion to promote the pastime. He makes a point of being seen cycling wherever he goes over the last 45 years, even flouting the helmet laws in Australia while doing so. In many of his books he discusses cycling as a good form of exercise, and an effective means of simply getting around. Not all of our heroes are as obvious as they might be.


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## Dave 123 (13 Oct 2018)

@Mrs M beat me to Tommy Voeckler.

I’d like to mention this fella


View: https://youtu.be/K_7k3fnxPq0


Watching his stuff puts a smile on my face, it’s a cross between ballet and wizardry.


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## Supersuperleeds (13 Oct 2018)

@tallliman is my favourite cyclist, he knows where all the best cafes are


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## Deleted member 23692 (13 Oct 2018)

Brandon Semenuk is worthy of a mention for simply being so at one with the bike.

100 seconds of pure steeze


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74fhD_DNGQY


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## snorri (13 Oct 2018)

Chris Boardman, I didn't follow his sporting career but am a big fan since he has become involved in the promotion of utility cycling.


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## simon the viking (13 Oct 2018)

Reg Harris....






Fascinating bloke maybe a bit controversial in his day... But made a comeback aged 54 in the seventies to win a British title


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## tallliman (13 Oct 2018)

Supersuperleeds said:


> @tallliman is my favourite cyclist, he knows where all the best cafes are



Best not give away my secrets then!


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## Smokin Joe (13 Oct 2018)

simon the viking said:


> Reg Harris....
> View attachment 433805
> 
> 
> Fascinating bloke maybe a bit controversial in his day... But made a comeback aged 54 in the seventies to win a British title


A former pro told me that Harris bought that title. He entered again the following year and failed to win because a price could not be agreed.


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## simon the viking (13 Oct 2018)

Smokin Joe said:


> A former pro told me that Harris bought that title. He entered again the following year and failed to win because a price could not be agreed.



I can believe it. Quite a lot of bribery etc at the time as well illicit substances... 

As i said controversial bloke but an interesting subject. I read a biography about him a while back


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## Pale Rider (13 Oct 2018)




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## Rockn Robin (13 Oct 2018)

cyberknight said:


> View attachment 433792



Bernard Ninault, affectionately know as "The Badger." Greg LeMond knows him all too well.


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## Deleted member 23692 (13 Oct 2018)

Chris Akrigg - if I had 10% of his bike skills I'd be happy . 

To me he's THE true allrounder being able to jump on any bike you give him and just make it look effortless


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3DOV-bjJcU


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## Rockn Robin (13 Oct 2018)

Aravis said:


> José Manuel Fuente:
> 
> View attachment 433799
> 
> ...



Good honorable mentions. Hinault, will we ever see his like again, as you say? Perhaps ask Greg LeMond. BH was his nemesis, so to speak. Yes,I think we will see the likes of him again. I hope so in my life time. We have a lot of classy riders today. 

By the way, love the photo. Two greats together, and as they say in Newfoundland, "side by each."


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## Rockn Robin (13 Oct 2018)

Pale Rider said:


> View attachment 433819



Yes, I suppose we can give some accolades to the daily commuter.


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## Rockn Robin (13 Oct 2018)

MikeG said:


> Andy Wilkinson, an amateur who has held every long distance world record, still holds at least one of the Lejog records, and has only recently lost the world 24 hour record. Here he is on that record ride:
> 
> 
> 
> Watch at 4.20, where he can't even climb off the bike at the end.




I'm blown away with that. 541 miles in 24 hours!! He could barely get off his bike after. I don't mean to sound ignorant, but I never heard of this event before. I can imagine it took quite a while to recover. He has good support from his wife, assuming that she is. Thanks for posting this. I subscribed to the channel on YouTube.


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## Rockn Robin (13 Oct 2018)

Dogtrousers said:


> Surely Bernard Ninault would be affectionately known as "The Nadger"?


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## Pale Rider (13 Oct 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> Yes, I suppose we can give some accolades to the daily commuter.



UK political reference.

The 'commuter' is Boris Johnson MP, our best-known politician and someone who divides opinion - a bit like your Mr Trump.


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## MikeG (13 Oct 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> I'm blown away with that. 541 miles in 24 hours!! He could barely get off his bike after. I don't mean to sound ignorant, but I never heard of this event before. I can imagine it took quite a while to recover. He has good support from his wife, assuming that she is. Thanks for posting this. I subscribed to the channel on YouTube.



That's only a part of the video made of the day, the rest of which I can't find at the moment. Hours later there was an award ceremony, and he had to be half-carried in as his legs still wouldn't support him. When footballers talk about "leaving it all on the pitch" they ought to be forcibly sat down and made to watch that clip.

Yes, it's his wife. She is a decent triathlete, apparently.

What I like most about Wilkinson is that he is just like one of us. He's a club cyclist. Goes out on the Sunday morning club run with all his mates. Works full time (in a bike shop). Fits in his rides when he can. He must be 50+ by now, but obviously still takes his cycling enormously seriously. And when I say he is just like us.........many people here would quietly think to themselves "if I could just get the time to do all the training, then maybe I could just beat that (PB, club record, whatever)". Wilkinson found the time, despite his job, and broke the records. And he did it without sponsorship, dieticians, trainers, coaches, full time physios, sports scientists, and so on, and in doing so, gives hope to a whole generation of amateurs that they too might be capable of something special. I was tickled pink that the guy who took the Lejog record a month or two back was a maths teacher from Harlow or somewhere near......not a train-at-altitude full time pro. I'm sure Wilko would approve.


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## Rockn Robin (13 Oct 2018)

Dogtrousers said:


> At the moment dunno. Alaphilippe? Sagan? Ever .. Obree? Cav?



Obree, "The Flying Scotsman." Yes, I would put him up there with the greats. Cav? Great sprinter, but a shame he was disqualified in this years Tour.


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## Rockn Robin (13 Oct 2018)

Pale Rider said:


> UK political reference.
> 
> The 'commuter' is Boris Johnson MP, our best-known politician and someone who divides opinion - a bit like your Mr Trump.



Sorry, I recognize him now. I remember watching a short video clip of him riding around London. A bit like Trump? It has to be only a very little bit. Nobody is quite like that #@$%$#@!!

I made up a Cockney Rhyme about him. Going for a crap is also referred to as a dump. Dump . . . Trump. "I'm going for a Donald." HAHAHAHA!!! That about sums him up for what he's worth.


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## Beebo (13 Oct 2018)

Not sure whether this one will translate well in Arizona.


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## Rockn Robin (13 Oct 2018)

Beebo said:


> View attachment 433845
> 
> 
> Not sure whether this one will translate well in Arizona.



Actually, for me it does. Dang my dilly dally brain, as I can't remember the name of the TV show. Perhaps you don't know, but I'm a long displaced Brit.


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## simon the viking (13 Oct 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> Sorry, I recognize him now. I remember watching a short video clip of him riding around London. A bit like Trump? It has to be only a very little bit. Nobody is quite like that #@$%$#@!!
> 
> 
> 
> I made up a Cockney Rhyme about him. Going for a crap is also referred to as a dump. Dump . . . Trump. "I'm going for a Donald." HAHAHAHA!!! That about sums him up for what he's worth.



Actually if you wanted the cyclist in the picture as president you can have him!

He was born in the USA so would just have to move there for 14 years before launching his bid....


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## Rockn Robin (13 Oct 2018)

MikeG said:


> That's only a part of the video made of the day, the rest of which I can't find at the moment. Hours later there was an award ceremony, and he had to be half-carried in as his legs still wouldn't support him. When footballers talk about "leaving it all on the pitch" they ought to be forcibly sat down and made to watch that clip.
> 
> Yes, it's his wife. She is a decent triathlete, apparently.
> 
> What I like most about Wilkinson is that he is just like one of us. He's a club cyclist. Goes out on the Sunday morning club run with all his mates. Works full time (in a bike shop). Fits in his rides when he can. He must be 50+ by now, but obviously still takes his cycling enormously seriously. And when I say he is just like us.........many people here would quietly think to themselves "if I could just get the time to do all the training, then maybe I could just beat that (PB, club record, whatever)". Wilkinson found the time, despite his job, and broke the records. And he did it without sponsorship, dieticians, trainers, coaches, full time physios, sports scientists, and so on, and in doing so, gives hope to a whole generation of amateurs that they too might be capable of something special. I was tickled pink that the guy who took the Lejog record a month or two back was a maths teacher from Harlow or somewhere near......not a train-at-altitude full time pro. I'm sure Wilko would approve.



Nicely said, Mike. Cyclists are a bread apart from the rest. Athletes here are just overpaid prima donnas. Break a finger nail and they're off to the sidelines. 

It's nice to see that even us regular guys have opportunities to strive for such achievements without the luxury of trainers etc that you mention. Those there that participate in such events like the, Lejog, as you refer to it as, I take my hat off in respect.


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## Rockn Robin (13 Oct 2018)

simon the viking said:


> Actually if you wanted the cyclist in the picture as president you can have him!
> 
> He was born in the USA so would just have to move there for 14 years before launching his bid....



Please, you can keep him. One Trump is more than we can handle right now.


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## Supersuperleeds (13 Oct 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> Actually, for me it does. Dang my dilly dally, as I can't remember the name of the TV show. Perhaps you don't know, but I'm a long displaced Brit.



Last of the Summer Wine


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## Rockn Robin (13 Oct 2018)

Supersuperleeds said:


> Last of the Summer Wine



That's the one. I was able to watch a few episodes of it here. They don't provide many English comedy shows, but we do get some. My wife loves, "Keeping Up Appearances." My fav from the past was, "On the Buses."


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## Alan O (13 Oct 2018)

Mine might be my granddad. He used to ride his Sturmey-Archer 3-speed bike in all weather, and would have been ashamed to have to get a bike shop to fix anything - and he was an expert at maintaining those hubs too.

I once remember him shaking his head at my "modern" 5-speed with derailleur gears, muttering (something like) "You need one gear for uphill, one for downhill, and one for the flat - what else could you need?"


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## Rockn Robin (13 Oct 2018)

Alan O said:


> Mine might be my granddad. He used to ride his Sturmey-Archer 3-speed bike in all weather, and would have been ashamed to have to get a bike shop to fix anything - and he was an expert at maintaining those hubs too.
> 
> I once remember him shaking his head at my "modern" 5-speed with derailleur gears, muttering (something like) "You need one gear for uphill, one for downhill, and one for the flat - what else could you need?"



I like that. Showing respect for your grandad. He sounds like remarkable man. A roll model to look up to.

This reminds me of my uncle, who in England rode for a cycle club. What I know is that he rode with wooden rims. I must search out his story from family. Thanks for reminding me through your story of your grandad.


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## Dec66 (13 Oct 2018)

John Geddes.

I was beguiled by both his shops.


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## Dec66 (13 Oct 2018)

gavroche said:


> Jacques Anquetil. He was the first to win five Tour de France.
> View attachment 433770



He did the Dauphiné and Bordeaux–Paris double, one straight after the other. With help from de Gaulle, it's said.

He also won his races after being on the lash the night before, many times.

Something of a "bon vivant", old Jacko.

He had a rather unconventional personal life, too, which was not to everybody's liking. A read of "Sex, Lies and Handlebar Tape" is recommended.


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## gavroche (13 Oct 2018)

Dec66 said:


> He did the Dauphiné and Bordeaux–Paris double, one straight after the other. With help from de Gaulle, it's said.
> 
> He also won his races after being on the lash the night before, many times.
> 
> ...


De Gaulle let him have the use of a military jet fighter plane so he could get quickly from Nice to Bordeaux for the start.


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## derrick (13 Oct 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> View attachment 433777
> 
> I'm interested to know who is your favorite cyclist? Now, if anyone out there says Lance Bleedin' Armstrong, I'm coming out there and give you 50 lashes with a wet noodle, HAHAHAHA!!
> 
> ...


Me.


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## NorthernDave (13 Oct 2018)

Honourable mentions go to
Fausto Coppi
Lizzie Deignan (Armitstead)
@blazed

But the one who inspired me to get back into cycling is Sir Bradley of Wiggins 



Drago said:


> I'm also a fan of Sid..
> 
> View attachment 433769
> 
> ...



I'll take your cool and raise you this:


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## Rockn Robin (13 Oct 2018)

[QUOTE 5409783, member: 9609"]Amanda Coker for me - 86,573 miles in a year, basically averaged 237 miles a day for a year. No body has done more.[/QUOTE]

That’s hugely impressive. My hat off to her.


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## Rockn Robin (13 Oct 2018)

NorthernDave said:


> Honourable mentions go to
> Fausto Coppi
> Lizzie Deignan (Armitstead)
> @blazed
> ...



Sir Wiggins. He’s a definite modern day pick. Amazing talent, for sure. But what about Steve and his folder. I wonder if it’s a Raleigh. They made folders back then.


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## Rockn Robin (13 Oct 2018)

Dec66 said:


> He did the Dauphiné and Bordeaux–Paris double, one straight after the other. With help from de Gaulle, it's said.
> 
> He also won his races after being on the lash the night before, many times.
> 
> ...



This thread of mine has been a good education. Some of these riders I’m not familiar with.


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## Smokin Joe (13 Oct 2018)

Paul Kimmage is worth a mention too. He doesn't come across as a very likable guy, but he was the first to blow the lid off what was really going on and he was made to suffer for it for a long time before being proved right.


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## vickster (13 Oct 2018)

Beryl Burton


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## Rockn Robin (13 Oct 2018)

Smokin Joe said:


> Paul Kimmage is worth a mention too. He doesn't come across as a very likable guy, but he was the first to blow the lid off what was really going on and he was made to suffer for it for a long time before being proved right.



Pertaining to substances like EPO? I will have to look him up.


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## Rockn Robin (13 Oct 2018)

vickster said:


> Beryl Burton



One of a few here I’m not familiar with. Boy, I have a lot of Googling to do.


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## midlife (13 Oct 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> One of a few here I’m not familiar with. Boy, I have a lot of Googling to do.



Have a read of her book.. Personal Best


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## Ian H (13 Oct 2018)

MikeG said:


> Andy Wilkinson, an amateur who has held every long distance world record, still holds at least one of the Lejog records, and has only recently lost the world 24 hour record. Here he is on that record ride:
> 
> 
> 
> Watch at 4.20, where he can't even climb off the bike at the end.




I was there supporting a friend who was also riding. I also saw George Berwick start his 56th 24 (he's done 60 now).
There was an epic battle between Wilko and John Warnock, with Wilko eventually coming out on top. Horrible course, with hills and traffic lights.


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## EltonFrog (13 Oct 2018)

NorthernDave said:


> Honourable mentions go to
> Fausto Coppi
> Lizzie Deignan (Armitstead)
> @blazed
> ...



That bike I believe is a Chiorda Safari an Italian brand, and McQueen is talking to british racing Derek Bell driver on the set of Le Mans I think.


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## Ian H (13 Oct 2018)

midlife said:


> No contest... The Staffordshire Engine
> Phil Bayton



It has to be said that 'engine' wasn't always a complimentary sobriquet.


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## Dave 123 (13 Oct 2018)

Alan O said:


> Mine might be my granddad. He used to ride his Sturmey-Archer 3-speed bike in all weather, and would have been ashamed to have to get a bike shop to fix anything - and he was an expert at maintaining those hubs too.
> 
> I once remember him shaking his head at my "modern" 5-speed with derailleur gears, muttering (something like) "You need one gear for uphill, one for downhill, and one for the flat - what else could you need?"




I was going to mention my grandad. He rode 2 miles each way daily from Rock Ferry to his allotment daily until his mid 80’s on an old postman’s bike.


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## midlife (13 Oct 2018)

Ian H said:


> It has to be said that 'engine' wasn't always a complimentary sobriquet.



He shouted at me!


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## boydj (13 Oct 2018)

vickster said:


> Beryl Burton



Perhaps the greatest of them all - it took a couple of years before a man beat her 12 Hour record.

An honourable mention must go also to Philippa York who, as Robert Millar, was the first Brit to take a major Tour jersey and was cheated out of a Vuelta win by a Spanish conspiracy.


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## The Crofted Crest (13 Oct 2018)

simon the viking said:


> Reg Harris....
> View attachment 433805
> 
> 
> Fascinating bloke maybe a bit controversial in his day... But made a comeback aged 54 in the seventies to win a British title



My dad raced against Reg many times on the track. Never came close to him. He (my dad) used to buy his bikes from Ces Duckworth at the bottom of Hyde
Lane in Hyde. When he (Ces) died the people who came to demolish his shop found that Ces had pinned all his takings for many, many years to the bottom of his counter.


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## Milzy (13 Oct 2018)

IanUK & Emma P from the GCN show.


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## Richard A Thackeray (13 Oct 2018)

vickster said:


> Beryl Burton


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## Rockn Robin (14 Oct 2018)

Dogtrousers said:


> His pro career was pre EPO. His book "Rough Ride" is definitely worth reading. It's well written and a fascinating insight.
> 
> He was also one of relatively few journalists to take on Armstrong. He also had a long running legal feud with the UCI of the McQuaid/Verbruggen regime having accused them of complicity in doping.
> 
> ...



I’m glad he was one of the few that had the courage to take on that fraud. Sounds like a good read, for sure. I’ll look it up on Amazon.

Just checked. Is this the book?


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## snorri (14 Oct 2018)

User13710 said:


> I wouldn't say he is a favourite, but one of the most interesting and intrepid was a guy called (I think) Ron Phillips, who gave a talk I went to once when he must have been in his eighties. He was part of a 1958 expedition to make the first crossing by bicycle of the inner part of Iceland from coast to coast, an epic journey that he and three other guys in their twenties underwent great hardships to achieve,.


That would have been Dick Phillips.
The CTC used to send out Fact Sheets for those planning a tour and I sent off for their Icelandic Fact Sheet. My departure date arrived before the Fact Sheet and away I went and thoroughly enjoyed a few weeks in Iceland. By the time I got home the Fact Sheet written by DP had arrived and on reading over I realised I would never have gone to Iceland had I read the Sheet before leaving home, it was frightening. Although Philips was still revered 40 years on in CTC circles for his knowledge of Iceland, his information was so dated as to be useless. It was utter mince!


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## fatjel (14 Oct 2018)

Obree who I only found out about recently is pretty awesome
Martyn Ashton would be joint hero


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## Richard A Thackeray (14 Oct 2018)

Richard A Thackeray said:


> Wayne Randle...………
> 
> A 'manimal'
> 
> ...



https://www.planetx.co.uk/news/teams-and-riders/q/date/2016/02/08/wayne-randle-non-sportive-rides





Hard-Rider
As that thread states; 
*QUOTE*
Too many tales of ultimate hardness to list but there's a scattering of bodies and former cyclists all over South Yorkshire that have been forced to rethink their cycling careers after suffering extreme bouts of Randleism. 
As Steve Farrell the former top road rider famously reported when asked who was the best ever roadie 

_ "It's got to be Randle his legs are carved out of granite and he's evil looking 
When he accelerates it's like being behind a Porsche and you know you're in for some pain"
_
*UNQUOTE*_


He's as hard as nails and he's me and my mums hero"_



Also, Andy Hampsten, for the Gavia stage, in the '88_ Giro_


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## Vantage (14 Oct 2018)

John Tomac. Absolute mountain biking god.


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## Richard A Thackeray (14 Oct 2018)

Vantage said:


> John Tomac. Absolute mountain biking god.
> 
> View attachment 433956



He did as much as LeMond did, on the road, to popularise new inventions/technology
I still remember the drop-bars (with road STI), Manitou forks, Tioga 'Disc-Drive' (floppy discs)

Just a pity about the dire tyres, like '_Farmer Johns'_


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## Vantage (14 Oct 2018)

I remember him mostly because he was the big cheese at the time when I first got into mountain biking. There was him and Hans Ray.
Huge mega stars at the time.


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## Rockn Robin (14 Oct 2018)

fatjel said:


> Obree who I only found out about recently is pretty awesome
> Martyn Ashton would be joint hero



If you get a chance, watch the movie, “The Flying Scotsman.”


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## Donger (14 Oct 2018)

OK. Prepare to be a bit weirded out by this one. By "favourite" cyclist, I take this to mean the one who has inspired you the most. As usual, couldn't actually decide between two of them. I give you ...... (1) Clare Balding and (2) Andrew Flintoff (!!!!). I shall explain.
Back in 2012, both of them appeared on the telly as rather unlikely stars of cycling programmes.
First up, our Clare:




Clare Balding's "Britain by Bike" was a tribute to Harold Briercliffe's 1950s travels on a vintage touring bike. Bits of it were more watchable than others, but it was mostly a pleasant aspirational odyssey for anyone tempted to do a bit of cycle touring to dream of replicating some time. The final episode was the one which really caught my attention, as we had recently started to enjoy holidaying around Loch Duich in Scotland, and she took on the (to me) mighty and daunting Mam Ratagan Pass from Shiel Bridge over to the Skye turntable ferry. This involved a steep and unremitting climb up to an amazing viewpoint that I already knew well, but had never even considered cycling up to. Clare's cycling was heavily edited. In the cold light of day, whether or not Clare actually rode all the way up, (and her efforts were just edited out ), the next time we were up that way in September 2012, I got my 20 stone backside on my bike and rode all the way up that mountain. She had inspired me to do what seemed the impossible, and to conquer my very first mountain.
In equal first place, our Freddie Flintoff:




As a 6'6", 20 stoner of a second row forward type, I was quite blown away by Andrew Flintoff and Lawrence Dallaglio's charity ride from Mount Olympus to the London Olympic stadium .... up and over the Alps on the way. I had religiously watched several editions of the incomparable Tour de France, where most of the sprinters seemed to habitually make hay during the first week of the tour and then bugger off home as soon as the race hit the Alps. I had never even considered the possibility of anyone my size ever cycling across the Alps, cresting some of the cols that you see in the TdF. OK, they were both former professional athletes, but still, this was mightily impressive stuff. I remember the difference between the two of them, character wise. Dallaglio the alpha male, ultra competitive, target driven type, racing off on his own at the front, and Freddie was the exact opposite. He would routinely stay with the non VIPs, checking that they were OK, and motivating them to keep going. One day he even saved the life of a fellow rider who had a heart attack, staying with him until the ambulance arrived, then trudging in to that night's hotel in darkness long after Dallaglio had sprinted in. Apparently Dallaglio wanted to bring in a fine system for those who overdid the refreshment in the evenings, and regarded Freddie as a "drinker with a cycling habit"! They both made it to the end on time though. Freddie Flintoff .... what a man. Straight after the final episode of that series, Mrs Donger and I booked our first holiday in Annecy in the Savoy Alps, and in September 2013 I rode my own bike up a category 1 climb from the recent 100th edition of the Tour de France .... non-stop up the Col de l'Epine.
I have since gone on to ride bigger and tougher mountains in the Highlands, Alps and Vosges, but I can honestly say it would all have been pie in the sky if it hadn't been for my cycling inspirations, Clare Balding and Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff. Odd but true.


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## Rockn Robin (14 Oct 2018)

Donger said:


> OK. Prepare to be a bit weirded out by this one. By "favourite" cyclist, I take this to mean the one who has inspired you the most. As usual, couldn't actually decide between two of them. I give you ...... (1) Clare Balding and (2) Andrew Flintoff (!!!!). I shall explain.
> Back in 2012, both of them appeared on the telly as rather unlikely stars of cycling programmes.
> First up, our Clare:
> View attachment 433986
> ...



Very interesting. I would agree that ones favorites would be those that inspire, and it looks like, according to your achievements, you were very much inspired. A perfect vacation when you can go and accomplish something like what you did. Well done!! For me, I don't think at my age and present physical condition I could climb any of the mountains you managed to get up. Ride down, yes, but not up. I have a hard enough time climbing a category -10 slope in the roads here.


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## Paulus (14 Oct 2018)

NorthernDave said:


> Honourable mentions go to
> Fausto Coppi
> Lizzie Deignan (Armitstead)
> @blazed
> ...


I'll raise again---


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## Paulus (14 Oct 2018)

On a more serious note, my favourite cyclist, possibly would be Alf Engers. As a teenager I saw him many times around Barnet and Finchley out training. Quite a fantastic TT rider from 1958 to the late 70's.


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## Rockn Robin (14 Oct 2018)

Paulus said:


> I'll raise again---
> View attachment 434020



Isn't that Audrey Hepburn?


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## Paulus (14 Oct 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> Isn't that Audrey Hepburn?


It is indeed.


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## snorri (14 Oct 2018)

User13710 said:


> Was your tour in the 1950s though? ..........He also lived in Iceland for the latter part of his life so it's surprising that he didn't update info given out in his name.


Not in the 1950s, but in 1999!
I would not want to take anything away from his feat in 1958, but for information from that tour to be included in a Fact Sheet as current for tourists in 1999 was clearly likely to be less than helpful. Perhaps he was regarded as a legend and no one dared archive his ancient writings to a locked safe somewhere. I think CTC were as much to blame as DP for continuing to circulate outdated information.
I will be forever grateful to whoever delayed posting his writings to me.


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## Rockn Robin (14 Oct 2018)

Paulus said:


> It is indeed.



A beautiful person inside and out.


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## Milzy (14 Oct 2018)

These two are my favourite cyclists.


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## Rockn Robin (14 Oct 2018)

Milzy said:


> View attachment 434047
> These two are my favourite cyclists.



Wow! Cav with Miller. Cav was just a mere lad in the first photo.


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## Rockn Robin (14 Oct 2018)

Dogtrousers said:


> You'll note that Cav has hardly grown at all between the two photos. He's just put a big hat on.



Indeed!!


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## Milzy (14 Oct 2018)

Rockn Robin said:


> Wow! Cav with Miller. Cav was just a mere lad in the first photo.





Rockn Robin said:


> Wow! Cav with Miller. Cav was just a mere lad in the first photo.


when cav started winning all his medals he knocked on Millars hotel room door & presented him with the photograph framed with his autograph.
Although he hasn’t grown much he’s still, 5’9” shows you how lanky David is.


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## Rockn Robin (14 Oct 2018)

Milzy said:


> when cav started winning all his medals he knocked on Millars hotel room door & presented him with the photograph framed with his autograph.
> Although he hasn’t grown much he’s still, 5’9” shows you how lanky David is.



Had no idea Miller was that tall.


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## GuyBoden (16 Oct 2018)




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## colly (16 Oct 2018)

vickster said:


> Beryl Burton


I think that's the best call of all.
She has a string of records and achievements as long as your arm. A true amature, day job was working as a farm labourer. When quite young she was diagnosed with a heart problem but she carried on doing what she loved all her life. On the way to breaking the 24 hour record for women she surpassed the mens record which was set on the same day. Even over-taking the guy setting the record. (pushed for time now so I can't google his name. He was a star in his own right)

An unsung sporting great. Were she doing this in todays world she would be headline news every day. Check her out on Wiki.


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## Smokin Joe (16 Oct 2018)

colly said:


> I think that's the best call of all.
> She has a string of records and achievements as long as your arm. A true amature, day job was working as a farm labourer. When quite young she was diagnosed with a heart problem but she carried on doing what she loved all her life. On the way to breaking the 24 hour record for women she surpassed the mens record which was set on the same day. Even over-taking the guy setting the record. (pushed for time now so I can't google his name. He was a star in his own right)
> 
> An unsung sporting great. Were she doing this in todays world she would be headline news every day. Check her out on Wiki.


Not forgetting of course that 12 hour time trials were not contested by the top amateurs and back then hadn't been for a number of years. Most of the fields were made up of vets, the top roadmen never went near them.

A great rider nonetheless, but let's not get carried away on the strength of one ride.


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## colly (16 Oct 2018)

Smokin Joe said:


> let's not get carried away on the strength of one ride.



I think we have been here before. Hardly on the strength of ONE ride:

*12 Hour Record Holder:* in 1959, Beryl covered 250.37 miles in a Twelve Hour Time Trial... That was astonishing, especially considering the road surfaces and the the equipment she was using; it was also remarkably close to the men's record. It was in 1967 that she took the big leap she knew she could do... She set off two minutes behind the men's national champion, catching him around the ten hour mark: she offered him some liquorice and went on to cover 277.25 miles/ 443.6 km in the twelve hours... beating the men's existing record by over 5.75 miles/9km.

*World Pursuit Champion* in 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963 and 1966 (silver in 1961, 1964 and 1968, bronze in 1967, 1970 and 1973)

*World Road Champion* in 1960 and 1967 (silver in 1961)

*National Road Champion* in 1959, 1960, 1963, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1974

*National Pursuit Champion *in 1960, 1961, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974

*National 25 Champion *in 1958, 59, 60, 61, 62, 62, 64, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77

*National 50 Champion* in 1958, 59, 60, 61, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77

*National 100 Champion* in 1958, 59, 60, 61, 62, 64, 66, 67, 68, 70, 71, 73, 74, 75

*British Best All Rounder* in every year from 1959 to 1977 (19 victories)

I'm sure it will be pointed out that womens cycling wasn't the sport it is now etc etc and so on and so on but the fact is you can only beat those in front of you and she did that hands down.

Her records and achievements are international in their scope.


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## Aravis (16 Oct 2018)

GuyBoden said:


> View attachment 434249



Ah, yes. Joey McLoughlin. Good call.

I wouldn't say he was a favourite of mine at the time, but he sure was exciting. And the stage on the 1987 Kelloggs Tour - 171 miles over Fleet Moss et al, finishing in near darkness in Manchester is one of my all-time favourites. Because I'd watched it on television I knew exactly what was coming on Fleet Moss a couple of years later, and made it to the top with full panniers. Couldn't do it now.

He had knee problems, caused IIRC by a tumour, which meant his career was short. A shame - I'd've loved to have seen him in the Tour.


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## GravityFighter (17 Oct 2018)

vickster said:


> Beryl Burton



Correct answer.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryl_Burton


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## rugby bloke (17 Oct 2018)

In terms of track cycling, either of these gentlemen, but I would tend towards Jason Kenney. His ability to go from bloke next door to Superman is incredible.


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## Aravis (24 Oct 2018)

Today I was remembering a Dutch speed skater called Harm Kuipers, who appeared on European Superstars in the mid-1970s. He seemed a thoroughly nice chap as well as an excellent cyclist. The cycling was usually a track sprint event, either in a velodrome or (gulp) on a cinder athletics track - remember Kevin Keegan! Anyway, Mr Kuipers (not to be confused with a prominent pro cyclist of the time with a similar name) used to remove all chance by riding at full speed from the start and winning very easily.

Having looked him up on Wikipedia, he does indeed seem like a good egg, and was also a "successful amateur bicycle racer" between 1971 and 1976. He could well be my new favourite.

Continental professional cyclists used to appear on Superstars quite often, and were notably unsuccessful. It would be interesting to know who they were, and even better find some video, but I've yet to locate anything.


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## Smokin Joe (24 Oct 2018)

Aravis said:


> T
> 
> Continental professional cyclists used to appear on Superstars quite often, and were notably unsuccessful. It would be interesting to know who they were, and even better find some video, but I've yet to locate anything.


Dutch TdF winner Joop Zotemelk was described by presenter David Vine as the worst competitor they ever had on the program. He was totally uncoordinated and finished last or nearly last in everything.


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## Drago (25 Oct 2018)

Another unlikely cycling hero.


View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eH7EyPs_Va8&t=105s


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## confusedcyclist (25 Oct 2018)

Drago said:


> I wish she was! Shes a uk tv celebrity whom I have a teensy weensy crush on.


That 'adds' up.


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