News from Graham Webb
Graham Webb, former World Road Race Champion represents TLI Cycling on the International Cycling Federation committee
Why was Graham never honoured ?
WHEN triple Olympic gold medallist Chris Hoy returned from Beijing he had a hero’s welcome.
And the sportsman was the toast of Britain after earning a knighthood in the Queen’s New Years Honours.
But more than 40 years before his remarkable achievements, a former Birmingham factory worker first conquered the world of cycling.
Graham Webb has never been honoured in Britain – although he is a national treasure in Belgium where he has been recognised by its king.
A former worker for Birmingham Small Arms, in Small Heath, Webb won the World Amateur Road Bike Championship in 1967.
It was the end of a remarkable journey which began in post-war poverty in Sparkbrook.
“I was born and bred in a back street slum of Birmingham,” he said.
“My mother was a war widow with three boys and two girls. I was the youngest.
“I was constantly very ill and given the Last Rites twice as a child, but I’m a fighter and survived.
“At the age of eight I learnt to ride a bike and managed to buy one for 9p, and this was my saviour. I was never out of the saddle as I felt I was born for cycling and it helped me get stronger every day.”
To escape the hardships of his tough upbringing Graham found comfort in gruelling training rides, regularly making the 100-mile round trip from his Sparkbrook home to Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire.
Aged 16 he entered his first race, a time trial. “I’d got a T-shirt and cut-off jeans and tennis pumps,” recalled Graham, who went on to hold the British record for 10 miles, 25 miles and one-hour events. “I was watching my opponents get into this racing gear and got fed up with all these blokes changing and thought: ‘When’s this race going to start?’ It should have started at six and these blokes were still getting changed. I didn’t know it was every minute a bloke rides off!”When the shy youngster turned up to his next meet he was surprised to find he had WON the previous race – despite having to stop to repair his bike.
Each winter the cycling fanatic worked 16-hour shifts to finance a summer of racing.In 1967 he and his wife sold everything to fund a move to Holland, before moving to Belgium. It paid off when the cyclist rode to victory in the World Amateur Road Race – the first British winner for 45 years.Graham turned professional and joined the Mercier team. But equipment problems and injuries hampered his success.He eventually opened a bar in Belgium and had his World Champion’s rainbow jersey on display. He was later employed at a steel works in Ghent, Belgium, as a crane operator. He returned to the saddle in the 80s after a 16-year break, winning four events in his adopted homeland.
In 2005 he suffered a split aorta riding near his home in Ghent but has fought back to health and still rides. Graham may never have been honoured in Britain, yet the King of Belgium has twice marked his sporting achievements with a civilian award. Friend Jim Prichard, from Birmingham, has campaigned for years for Graham to be honoured in his home country. He said: ‘‘I know Graham is very bitter about his lack of recognition, especially when you look at the success that Chris Hoy has had. ‘‘He has offered to help train British cyclists, but was turned down
ICF Worlds - Latest news
Dear TLI friends,
I have now received the Flemish text that I’ve been asked to translate and post on the new website for the 2009 ICF world championships to be held on Sunday 2nd August. The site is now running and shortly you’ll be able to click on the ‘English’ button. http://www.memorialstannyverlooy.be/ There is also a link to the local cycling federation, the VWV, website and race calendar for those wishing to race in the area.
This year we can welcome a new federation to the ICF, the Vlaamse Wieler Federatie (VWF) the largest federation in Belgium, and they have been allocated the task of organizing the ICF championships in 2012. Next year, 2010, the championships will be staged by the French speaking ECW federation on a 10 km circuit in the town o Soumagne near Liege. In 2011 the WAOD federation will be organizing the championships in the Netherlands just over the boarder some 30 kms north of Ghent. I have informed the ICF that as police cooperation in the UK is now virtually at zero it is almost impossible for the LVRC or TLI to find a safe road circuit on which to stage a worthy ICF championship in the near future. I would hope to be proven wrong! Graham.
Attention the location for signing-on and all other formalities has been relocated to the Café Derby, Laar 5, Aartselaar. This is situated only a few metres from the start and finish of this years championships.
An important point is that to ensure a good traffic circulation there will be two separate car parks, one for the +50 & +60’s, and one for the amateurs & +40’s competitors. They will be signposted and colour tagged.
For those arriving the day before in mobile homes there will be parking, toilets and showers at the Sportcentrum in the Keistraat but you will need to reserve in advance; email to memorialstannyverlooy@gmail.com If you want to camp in a tent we need to know that too in advance. See photo and details on the website http://www.memorialstannyverlooy.be under ‘kampeerplaats’.
The start of all championships will be in the Baron van Ertbornstraat and the whole circuit will me marked out with arrows days before the event this for those that wish to reconnoitre the circuit Also on the website there are photos and a map of the whole circuit lick on ‘parcour’.
Any competitors that are +/- 4 minutes down on the leaders will be asked to pull out of the race; this is for safety reasons as on parts of the circuit traffic will be allowed through but only in the race direction. This is a very busy town near Antwerp and it’s impossible to make the whole circuit traffic free for the whole day.
All being well and if my health holds out I’ll once again be helping and advising at this years championships so I look forward to meeting you all there. I would just like to say a big thank you to all of you for supporting these championships, they wouldn’t be the same without the massive number of riders that we get from the UK each year. And of course for those that want to stay and race during the week leading up to the championships there is plenty to do.
Regards, Graham.
English version Memorial Stanny Verlooy 2009
For these last 6 years the none profit association in memory of Stanny Verlooy has organized a cycle race to commemorate the life of Stanny Verlooy who was an Aartselaar town alderman from 1996 to 2003.
On Sunday the 2nd of August this association will be organizing the 2009 International Cycling Federation (ICF) world cycling championships.
These world championships for veterans and amateurs will be held on the finishing circuit of the famous ‘Memorial Rik Van Steenbergen’ annual professional cycle race. The first of 4 championships will start at 09:00 and the last championship will finish at around 18:00. Some 600 competitors from various countries are expected to take part. Photos and a map of the race circuit can be found here
Throughout the whole of the championships the association will also be organizing various demonstrations on the ‘Laar’ from local clubs, ensuring not only a sporting but also a Flemish cultural afternoon of entertainment from 13:00 to 19:00.
Also highly recommended after the days championships at 19:00 is the association’s benefit VIP lunch in Parochiaal centrum Wolffaertshof, B. Van Ertbornstraat 7. Aartselaar. The price of this warm and cold buffet has been set at €25, excluding drinks. You can choose between the VIP lunch at 12:30 or the VIP lunch between 17:00 and 19:30. Booking and payment in advance via a form that you can download here please return to the secretariat G. Gezellestraat 29, 2630 Aartselaar, Belgium or via email memorialstannyverlooy@gmail.com
The proceeds of this day and VIP lunch will be donated to a local charity, this in cooperation with the local social workers and the ‘Social Funds Stanny Verlooy’. From the proceeds families of local children in need will be provided with clothing cheques.
2008 ICF World R.R Champs - Results
| Over 60's - TLI Categories E & F+ | Over 50's - TLI Categories C & D | |||||||||
| Pos. | No. | Name | Nat | DoB | Pos. | No. | Name | Nat | DoB | |
| 1 | 45 | Snels Luc | Belg | 1947 | 1 | 75 | Keller Freddy | Ned | 1958 | |
| 2 | 30 | Hufkens Francois | Belg | 1946 | 2 | 18 | Thimister J-Michel | BELG | 1958 | |
| 3 | 34 | Vermeylen Jozef | Belg | 1948 | 3 | 79 | Ribbers Joop | Ned | 1950 | |
| 11 | 77 | Barras Sid | G.B. | 1948 | 27 | 110 | Danaldson Andrew | G.B. | 1953 | |
| 19 | 15 | Mannakee Colin | G.B. | 1946 | 41 | 25 | Keeler Ralph | G.B. | 1952 | |
| 32 | 13 | Jones Peter | G.B. | 1946 | 49 | 26 | Murray John | G.B. | 1957 | |
| 38 | 11 | Haddon Ken | G.B. | 1939 | 51 | 22 | French John | G.B. | 1955 | |
| 39 | 20 | Watson Jack | G.B. | 1937 | 71 | 28 | Wilkins Tony | G.B. | 1954 | |
| 41 | 17 | Ryalls Pete | G.B. | 1938 | 81 | 56 | Orford (Jnr)David | G.B. | 1953 | |
| 44 | 21 | Woodcock Tony | G.B. | 1940 | 86 | 23 | Hindemarsh Jeff | G.B. | 1949 | |
| 45 | 12 | Horton Trevor | G.B. | 1944 | 90 | 24 | Holohan Ian | G.B. | 1958 | |
| 61 | 10 | Gowan James | G.B. | 1945 | 103 | 112 | Astles Dave | G.B. | 1947 | |
| 63 | 14 | Leitch John | G.B. | 1945 | ||||||
| 66 | 36 | Battersby Edward | G.B. | 1936 | Over 40's - TLI categories A & B | |||||
| 67 | 80 | Seubas Nick | G.B. | 1948 | ||||||
| 69 | 9 | Gomersal Mike | G.B. | 1941 | Pos. | No. | Name | Nat. | DoB | |
| 75 | 19 | Watson Dave | G.B. | 1947 | ||||||
| 1 | 90 | van der Horst Jack | NED | 1963 | ||||||
| 2 | 121 | Gommers Jan | Belg | 1964 | ||||||
| 3 | 83 | Maas Chris | NED | 1963 | ||||||
| 45 | 22 | Stephenson Jon | G.B. | 1962 | ||||||
| 65 | 21 | Parkinson Tony | G.B. | 1959 | ||||||
| 95 | 19 | Kirby David | G.B. | 1967 | ||||||
| 96 | 20 | Moreman Chris | G.B. | 1967 | ||||||
More photo's from the 2008 ICF Worlds
If open this link http://www.belgiancyclingselection.be/icf.html and go to 'ICF' then choose 'WK Achtmaal' then you go to "Foto's" in the pull down box
Useful Continental links
Some Useful Belgian racing sites
Some useful Belgian racing sites from Graham Webb
http://www.bvwb.be/kalender Belgian racing. view photo's from the 2007 Worlds
http://www.waod.be/ well known ICF affiliated federation.
http://www.vwv.flandersinteriors.be/ click on 'Nederlands'
http://www.ecwvelo.be/ ICF racing in the French speaking part of Belgium.
http://www.millenniumteam.be/ click on OVWF for ICF races in West Flanders.
http://www.amivelo.com/ for ICF races in France.
http://www.wielrenbond.nl/ICF2004/deelnemers.html