Friday, March 29, 2024

Roy Cox – Six Times British Champion; a Career Behind the Big Motors

-

HomeInterviewsRoy Cox - Six Times British Champion; a Career Behind the Big...

Perhaps you’ve seen them on TV when Eurosport used to cover the Berlin Six Days – or maybe you remember them at Leicester, ‘back in the day?’

The ‘Big Motors.’

When the sport of bicycle racing on the track was developing, one hundred years and more ago, promoters were always seeking ways of making the racing faster, more spectacular (and dangerous) for the punters.

Paced races were the answer, where the riders tucked in behind tandems, triplets, quads – or even more multi-rider machines I don’t know the names of – to achieve big speeds.

Roy Cox
Roy ‘at speed’ behind the big bike. Photo©supplied

Then someone hit on the idea of using motor bikes and the seeds of the ‘Big Motor’ racing were sown.

As a world championship event it was last run as an ‘open’ pro/am championship in 1994; the pay-offs, bribes and scamming between the pace drivers which had become endemic in the championships by then had become too much, even for the UCI.

But the sport remains popular in Germany and the Berlin Six Day crowd still love being deafened by those big BMW’s – whilst no summer German outdoor track meet is complete without it’s ‘stayer’ race.

It’s on these big old outdoor concrete tracks where the roller which keeps the rider at a set distance behind his pacer is pulled in tighter to give more shelter that the speeds get really crazy.

Germany, along with The Netherland were always ‘Heartland’ for the sport but in Britain back in the early 70’s we had one of the best in the world in Roy Cox.

Cox was six times British Champion, won big on the German ‘stayer’ circuit, rode four World Championships and made the Worlds final in his home Worlds in 1970 – the first British amateur to do so in 70 years.

VeloVeritas recently caught up with him to discuss his career behind the big bikes.

Roy Cox
Motor pacing was a very specialised event. Photo©supplied

How did you get into motor pacing, Roy?

“I rode all sorts of races from the criteriums to hill climbs but I liked the track best – I rode a motor paced race at Herne Hill with Ron Webb as my pacer. Ian Alsop won with me second and the World Champion, Piet de Wit (Netherlands) third (World Amateur Motor Paced Champion 1966 and ’67, ed.)

“That got me a bit of ‘name’ behind the motors and I got invites to East Germany where I was second at one meeting and won the other, in Leipzig, beating the Dutch World Champion Bertus Boom (World Amateur Motor Paced Champion in 1969 and bronze medallist in 1971, ed)) who was paced by the legendary Bruno Walrave (the Dutch master pacer guided his riders to 15 world titles; nine amateur, five professional and one ‘open,’ ed.) – and breaking the track record.

“Then I won the British Champs at Manchester by 10 laps, paced by Jim Patterson.

“The rides in Germany got me invites to go back and race the winter tracks and I was back to Leipzig and Berlin over the winter for the next three or four years.”

Roy Cox
Roy won the British Championships six times. Photo©supplied

Ron Webb was your mentor?

“Yes, he was an Australian who moved to England; he was promoter of the London Six Days back then but had actually been a motor paced rider himself, taking a bronze in the Worlds.

“Ron taught me everything about the game – but not just about cycling, about life, he was like a father to me.

“I wouldn’t have achieved what I did if he wasn’t for Ron, the four Worlds I rode he was there with me, he’s still a close friend to this day.”

Roy Cox
British Champion from 1970 – 1976. Photo©supplied

Six consecutive times British Champion?

“Yes, from 1970 onwards with Jim Patterson, that year; Bertus de Graf paced me to one in 1971 and Jack Collins to the other four titles.

“The first one was at Manchester, the rest on the Leicester track.”

Those pace following bikes are highly specialist.

“Yes, Ron got Geoffrey Butler Cycles to build me a frame, a replica of the bike he took to third in the Worlds and I managed to get all the kit together, big chainrings and special wide nosed saddle.

“Ron used to ‘bandage on’ the tyres for me, stuck over the sidewall and rim and back up to the other sidewall to take the stresses of the high speed on the bankings – we always used Continental tubulars which Ron got for me in The Netherlands.

“We’d do that in his office in London then go down the Kings Road to look at the girls!”

Roy Cox
The motor paced world was pretty tricky, with background deals and agreements aplenty. Photo©supplied

The ’70 Worlds, you made the final, not easy with all the double-dealings.

“I honestly believe I was worth a medal that year, I got into the final by winning the repechage; but prior to the final I’d loaned my back wheel to a another British rider for his ride and he’d changed the sprocket without telling me.

“As a result I was 10 inches overgeared in the race – with the benefit of hindsight I think it was deliberate, in order to mess up my chances.”

Was the Machiavellian stuff as bad as we’ve heard? 

“Yes. In 1971 I’m pretty sure the pacers were paid to fix me up – there was a lot of money changing hands.

“The sport was big for the Dutch and German riders with big bonuses paid for world titles.

“I could win at the highest level – in ‘73/’74 I’d beaten all of the medallists – but the Worlds were different.”

Roy Cox
Derny-paced racing was big, and remains a staple of the Six Days today. Photo©supplied

Just how important is the pacer?

“It’s 50/50, rider/pacer so he’s very important, but it was difficult if you weren’t Dutch or German with the UCI bringing in a rule that you had to have a pacer of the same nationality as yourself.

(Aussie’s Danny Clark won two Worlds behind the big motors but circumvented this rule because it didn’t apply to riders from ‘Lesser Cycling Nations’ – as Australia was classed back then, ed)

“My German pacer Herbert Schondorf who took me to my first big win Leipzig said that if I had been born German, I could have won the Worlds.

“He’d paced Heinz Wahl (German Democratic Republic) to a Worlds silver in 1958 during his career and reckoned that I was stronger rider.

“Hindsight is a great thing but perhaps I should have gone to live in The Netherlands or Germany – but I got married after the Worlds in 1970 so it would have been difficult.”

How did you train for the motor paced?

“I rode a lot on the road, I won some decent road races and that gave me stamina but I’d fancied myself as a sprinter and used to train for that discipline on Salford Park track.

“I was also four times in the team which won the British Team Pursuit Championship – I was on the short list for the 1968 Mexico Olympics for that event – in the British I rode with the late Trevor Bull, Fred Booker, Grant Thomas and John Patston.

“I actually rode an amateur Six Day with Grant in Germany and John and I won a two-up time trial at Brentwood, together.

“So I had the stamina from the road and the speed from the track; and whilst my first love was the track, I rode everything, grass track, criteriums – I won the Horseshoe Pass Hill Climb three years running!”

Roy Cox
Roy qualified for the final at the World Championships in 1970.

Your best ride?

“That first big win in Leipzig is one I’m proud of and getting into the Worlds final was an achievement.

“I won the British six times but at the Worlds it was different with all the bonus money that was floating around – that was the reason I quit, I was disillusioned with that aspect of it.

“Winning at the highest levels in Britain was one thing – but the World Championships was another…”

I actually pushed Roy off in a ‘stayer’ race at Fallowfield, Manchester back in the ‘70’s. I was down with my club mate, sprinter Andy Henderson and was enlisted to give Roy ‘a hell of a shove’ at the start.

I can still remember those big bikes – Nortons, if I remember rightly – hurtling around the big bankings. And Roy winning, of course.

With thanks to Roy for his time and the use of his images.

Ed Hood
Ed Hood
Ed's been involved in cycling for over 50 years. In that time he's been a successful time triallist, a team manager and a sponsor of several teams and clubs. He's also a respected and successful coach and during the winter months was often working in the cabins at the Six Days for some of the world's top riders. Ed remains a massive fan of the sport and couples his extensive contacts with an inexhaustible enthusiasm for the minutiae and the history of our sport. In February 2023 however, our dear friend and beloved colleague Ed suffered a devastating stroke and faces an uncertain future; Ed has lost his ability to speak, to read, and has lost movement on the right side of his body. He's working with speech and physical therapists on rehabilitation, but all strokes are different and each patient responds differently, so unfortunately recovery is one day at a time. Ed ran his own business installing windows, and will probably not be able to work again. Please consider joining us to make a contribution to Ed's GoFundMe page to help stabilise and secure his future.

Related Articles

Russell Downing – Cult’s New Signing; “I much prefer stage racing and classic racing”

The ride of the Commonwealth Games for me? Russ Downing's fourth place in the road race - 'grinta' is the man's middle name. As the World Tour stars headed into the pits, Russ just kept riding through the wind and rain - the man is dogged. His name featured in a recent press release we received from the Luxembourg/Danish Continental squad Cult, they're going Pro Continental for 2015 and yes, Mr. Downing is on board.

Dave Clarke – Drummond Trophy 2014 Winner

VeloVeritas didn’t make it to the recent Drummond Trophy, for which we offer our apologies to Mr, Norrie Drummond, one of the sport’s staunchest supporters and a former competitor himself – you can read of his Flemish exploits ‘back in the day'. It would be rude of us to let ‘The Drummond’ pass without a mention, so with the aid of ex-Cervelo and Raleigh professional, not to mention friend of VV, Dan Fleeman we got in touch with the 2014 Drummond’s winner – English professional Dave Clarke (KTM Cycling Team).

Scott Auld – “if you are a good bike rider you can do well in Belgium”

When friends of VeloVeritas Dave and Vik – both devotees of Belgian palmarès websites tell me there’s a young British guy I should be speaking to then I take notice! Scott Auld is the man, with an ever-growing list of podium finishes in the Flatlands. We caught up with him recently...

Michael Mørkøv – “My goal is to be a strong helper for Kristoff”

The unluckiest man in Paris-Roubaix? Trek's Suisse legend Fabian Cancellara with that nasty crash? But how about Katusha’s former Danish Elite Road Champion Michael Mørkøv, puncturing out of the break from which Matt Hayman went on to win the race...

At Random

Roger St. Pierre – One of Cycling’s Premier Historians and Archivists

Roger St. Pierre... Interviews – I’ve done hundreds. Some are easy – Jamesie McCallum for example, will 'talk 'til the cows come home' and always give good quotes. Liquigas and Lotto ex-pro and now Sky’s PR, Dario Cioni used to fill me with dread – but I learned that after five minutes of ‘yes’s, no’s and aahhh’s’ he’d loosen up and you would get some of the most insightful answers about pro bike racing that you could ever wish for.

A Weekend in the Flatlands; Het Nieuwsblad 2013 and a Cancelled KBK

VeloVeritas and chums were over at the Belgian season opening Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne Brussels Kuurne semi-classics. Unfortunately the latter was cancelled but we still snapped away – here’s a selection of our favourite images from the weekend.

Stephen Hall – the Tasmanian Christmas Carnival Series

Aussie all-rounder, Stephen Hall took part in the famous Tasmanian Christmas Carnival series with some success; he gave us this insight from the other side of the globe...

World Road Championships 2011 – Day 4, rest day

No races today, time to catch up with some old friends, the gossip and write up the Worlds Elite rr preview and fit in an interview - I have to justify my existence. We're about 20 K from the city of Copenhagen in Naerum, which is right on the course. It takes two trains to get to central Copenhagen, but they run frequently and bang on time. Our meeting this morning was with Dane, Jimmy Hansen.