B.L.R.C Swansong
B.L.R.C Swansong
By Roy Avis
This forty page A4 size booklet is basically about the Wellingborough C.C open road races in the 1958 – 59 period at the time the British League of Racing Cyclists were about to enter what many even then considered to be an ill fated merger with the National Cyclists Union to form the British Cycling Federation.
The foreword takes the reader back to the formation of the BLRC in 1942 and explains how the author became a member in 1953 when his club the Kettering Friendly C.C was banned by the NCU for promoting events under BLRC rules.
A feast of over forty clear black and white photographs fill the pages and feature many of the top Independent (semi professional) riders of the era including Ron Coe with his Elswick Hopper team mates, Bob Maitland, Stan Jones, Billy Holmes, Dennis Tarr and Dave Orford plus many of the local amateur riders including Nev Crane and a very young looking Roy Cottingham who went on some twenty four years later to become one of the co-founders of The League International.
I am sure all ex BLRC riders and fans of the riders from the fifties will want to order their copy from :-
Roy Avis, 9 Elm Close, Hargrave, Northants. NN9 6BH at £4 per copy including postage. (cheques only please)
Please mention this website when ordering.
Award for TLI Cycling Chairman
John Bethell the Chairman of TLI Cycling was recently awarded a Diploma of Merit by the British League of Racing Cyclists Association.
The Diploma was presented to John by former World Age Related Champion and current BLRC Association President Dave Orford for long and distinguished service in support of Age Related competitive cycling
Falcon R.C.C - BLRC Reunion 2008
The Poachers Arms at Hope in Derbyshire was the venue for a one off reunion of Falcon R.C.C (Sheffield) members and the British League of Racing Cyclists stars of yesteryear from the region.
Older TLI Cycling members will recognise many famous faces from the past amongst the guests.
Roger St Pierre
Roger St. Pierre has been writing about all matters cycling, and especially Continental racing, since the age of 15 when he started a column in the Romford Times. That was in 1958 - a full 50 years ago. Since then, he has been a staffman at Cycling (before it became Cycling Weekly), edited Cycling Today, helped put the annual official Tour de France guide together and has written for such titles down the years as Cycle Sport, Australian Cyclist, South African Cyclist, The Bike Mag, Performance Cycling and Pro Cycling.In this, his golden jubilee year as a cycling scribe, Roger is still highly active. Each issue of the monthly Cycling + publication, which now has the UK's highest cycling magazine circulation, features two pages of retro coverage plus a one-page 'think' piece by Roger on topical cycling issues.
So, if names like Coppi, Bobet. Anquetil, Hinault and Merckx mean anything to you or you'd like to discover the fantastic world of cycling in years gone by, C+ is the mag to target.
If you are already a reader, then drop editor Rob Speeding a letter or an e-mail to encourage him to publish more of the kind of articles that TLI members will lap up.