In Memoriam, Palle Lykke (1)

Friday 19th April was a sad day if you’re a Six Day fan; Denmark’s best-ever Six Day rider, Palle Lykke died in Belgium at 76 years-of-age. Born in Denmark in 1936 Lykke won 21 Six Days between 1958 and 1967 – Aarhus, Amsterdam, Antwerp, Berlin, Bremen, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dortmund, Frankfurt, London, Montreal, Munster and Zürich all fell to the handsome man from Ringe.

VeloVeritas mourns his passing and wishes there were more like him on the winter boards in 2013.

Wouter Weylandt R.I.P. (0)

Wouter Weylandt tragically lost his life today, in a crash on the twisty, steep dangerous descent of the Passo del Bocco climb, about 12.4-miles from the finish of stage three of the Giro.

The briefest of pictures of the scene were shown on live TV before the broadcasting director wisely stopped showing any more, but that was enough to be able to tell that the situation was grave.

The Leopard-Trek rider quickly received emergency treatment at the scene of the accident from the race doctor, race emergency services and team doctors, where adrenaline and atropine injections were administered and cardiac massage carried out for more than half an hour but it wasn’t enough to save the 26-year-old.

Fedor Den Hertog – Amateur Colossus, Rest In Peace (0)

Less than a month after the death of Peter Post, Dutch cycling has lost another of its ‘Greats’ with the news that Fedor Den Hertog succumbed on Saturday 12th February, after a long battle with illness.

For anyone involved in cycle sport in the late 60′s and early 70′s, amateur Den Hertog’s name was as well known as any of the top professionals.

RIP Peter Post. Outstanding Road and Trackman, Six Day Star, Manager Par-Excellence (1)

With the news on Friday that Peter Post had died in Amsterdam at the age of 77 the sport lost one if it’s Colossi. Born in Amsterdam in November 1933, the son of a butcher, he had a hard childhood growing up in Nazi occupied Holland.

He turned professional in 1956 for Legendary Amsterdam bicycle makers RIH Sport; he would remain in the peloton until 1972 having ridden for some of the most famous teams in the history of cycle sport-Flandria, Faema, Solo-Superia and Willem 11.

There are three distinct aspects to Peter Post’s career, all of which are characterised by amazing versatility.

Laurent Fignon RIP. (0)

‘Unluckiest man of the race was Laurent Fignon (Renault) who escaped alone on the climb of the Cote de la Madelaine, only to crash when leading by 37 seconds with only 18 kilometres to go.’

That was how Britain’s Cycling Weekly magazine recorded my first ever memory of the man; cycling on British TV was rare back then but those producers know a good image when they see one and I must have seen that footage of the Frenchman’s bottom bracket axle breaking and catapulting him over the ‘bars to end up sitting on the tarmac a hundred times.

Scottish 10 Mile Time Trial Championship 2010 inc. the Jason MacIntyre Memorial Trophy (2)

On a lovely sunny afternoon, Arthur Doyle (Dooleys Cycles) rocketed around the Scottish Championship 10 mile course at Corpach outside Fort William to take the gold medal for the third year in a row.

Second, 33 seconds back, was Shetland Wheeler Carlos Riise, and Alistair Robinson (Leslie Bike Shop) only three seconds further adrift in the bronze medal position.

Arthur also won the fabulous Jason MacIntyre Trophy, awarded in memory of Jason who was tragically killed just over two years ago and who was the winner of ‘the 10′ himself four years back.

Richard Russell, 1930 – 2010 (0)

The death of Richard Russell leaves a large gap in the Lothians CTC.

Richard was an important figure on the Scottish cycling scene, following his father into the Cyclists’ Touring Club, the Edinburgh Road Club and the Scottish Road Records Association.

One of his earliest memories was of sitting in a small wicker seat on the back of his parents’ tandem on trips around East Lothian, an area he always loved.

Thinking about Jason (2)

It’s two years since we lost Jason MacIntyre.

We thought it might be appropriate to remember one of his greatest triumphs, here’s what he had to say to us after he won his first British ’25′ title back in June, 2006.

An Iberian Update, Alberto Contador and more (0)

It’s funny how things work out, Alberto Contador signs a contract with Specialized bikes for 700,000 euros last week. So will he be riding for one of the teams who ride on Specialized bikes; Quick-Step or Saxo Bank? Ah! Then Quick-Step announces that they will no longer be riding on Specialized, but will be on Eddy Merckx bikes.

Dimitri De Fauw (1)

It’s easy to write an obituary when one of your heroes dies – probably more so if you don’t know them well.

There’s just the legend, palmares, anecdotes and the sadness.

But I knew Dimitri De Fauw, not well, but I worked at maybe half-a-dozen six day races where he was riding.

RIP, VDB (4)

“RIP VDB” said the text from John Stollery, waiting for me, when I woke up; there were others too, from Dave and Stevie all expressing sadness – for all his faults, he was a hard man to dislike.

He was just 34, cause of death is cited as a ‘blood clot.’

Hugh McGuire (0)

Hugh McGuire, who has died suddenly of a heart attack aged 71, was the Glasgow-born Scot who became one of the top UK cyclists in the 1960s, representing both Scotland and the British Army. He took part with the best of GB riders in the Tour of Britain / Milk Race era, winning stages – and in so doing following the wheels of a slightly older top gun, Jimmy Savile. McGuire became noticed, and in 1962 and 1963, was selected to travel behind the Iron Curtain to participate in the annual Berlin-Warsaw-Prague road race, the co-called Peace Race designed by the Soviets to bring together the world’s top cyclists in reconciliation between Warsaw Pact countries and the West.

Memories of Jason MacIntyre (0)

It’s a year since Jason MacIntyre died; just like I can remember where I was when JFK was shot, I can remember receiving the call from James McCallum as I drove through Cramond.

Jason was a special rider, I loved to watch him in a time trial; to me he was poetry in motion.

I only got to know him well during the last couple of years of his life, but I felt very close to him, maybe I was partly trying to live my dreams through him?

Jocky Allen (0)

Life is strange, sometimes.

Yesterday I was talking to a friend of mine, we got round to talking about cycling, and with a far away look in his eyes, he reminisced about his first bike; “my maw pushed the boat out and bought me this beautiful red racer, it had white wall tyres and white transfers on the tubes – JB Allen.”

This morning, Gregor rang to tell me that ‘Jocky’ had died.

Grey Days (Comments Off)

It’s drizzling in Kirkcaldy at 06.15, mild, damp, depressing.

The 07.50 train to Edinburgh and no one speaks, not a word. I’d sooner be in the old Transit, with Terry Wogan prattling-on about sausages. The carriage rocks past the Forth Bridge approach road at 08.10 and like Talking Heads would say, the tailback is “same as it ever was”.

There won’t be much chat down there either. At least there’s a little daylight now, a few weeks ago at this time, it was “as black as the Earl o’ Hell’s waistcoat”, as my dad used to say.