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LondonHolyhead1951-400Britain’s Longest Single-day Cycle Race

Work has started on expanding the online material available about this historic sporting fixture. Despite not being held for over 40 years it is still remembered ...

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Race Summary

Held a total of nine times from 1951 to 1978 -

9-Jun-1951 427km 1. Les Scales in 12:25:10; 2. Geoff Clark; 3. Fred Nicholls
27-May-1961 420km 1. Albert Hitchen in 12:15:54; 2. Pete Ryalls; 3. George O’Brien
Race Report
1962 432km 1. Dennis Tarr in 12:41:55; 2. Albert Hitchen; 3. Doug Collins
1963 424km 1. Alan Jacob in 11:50:00; 2. Dave Bedwell: 3. John Perks
3-Jun-1964 446km 1. Albert Hitchen in 11:47:06; 2. Billy Holmes: 3. Tony Mills
22-May-1965 424km 1. Tom Simpson in 10:49:04; 2. Shay Elliott; 3. Albert Hitchen
Race Report
1970 424km 1. Sid Barras in 10:51:37; 2. Brian Jolly; 3. Dave Mitchell
1977 424km 1. Sid Barras in 11:32:15; 2. Keith Lambert; 3. Phil Corley
21-Jun-1978 432km 1. Eddy Vanhaerens in 12:01:29; 2. Keith Lambert; 3. Phil Corley

The few detailed reports follow ...

1961 Race Report

IMAGINE 262 miles of road racing in one stage - something like 3.75 million pedal revs on an 80in. gear. That was the task set for the field in the London to Holyhead last Saturday. The first such event was promoted 10 years ago. The 1961 finish to this Corona-sponsored event took place along the crowd-lined esplanade, where Viking independent Albert Hitchen fought out the sprint finish with Peter Ryalls (a rival independent). So ended a race that could have been boring but which was packed, in fact, with interest throughout.

Marble Arch, London, at 5.15 a.m. saw the departure in bright sunshine of the 36 starters. Non-starters included D. Bedwell: who rode 'in the 1951 event, R. Wilkings, injured, and O. Blower. The course followed the A5 throughout and the first five miles were neutralized. Several riders started in track suit tops, divesting themselves en route as the sun came up. One of the last to strip was Geoff Bye (independent) who acrobatically removed his tracksuit trousers without getting off his machine, after 35 miles had been covered! Despite the 16 m.p.h. average speed of the neutralized section 29 miles were covered in the first 1.5 hours. One mile later the first important break took place, B. Haskell, Hitchen, J. Preston, S. Jones, A. Bladon, A. Huntington, Ryalls, and G. Clements opening up a 1min. 25sec. lead in seven miles. At 45 miles the bunch were 45sec. away, at 50 miles the gap was 1min. 15sec. and at 64 miles back to 25sec. again. The first feed came at Kilsby (76 miles) and the eight-strong break was 1min. 5sec. up. J. Kirby (London Area "B") dropped a little, stopped, chased, got back and then became the first retirement.

Bernard Burns and John Perks began a chase to get up to the leaders who were then 1min. up but the bunch caught up at 91 miles. Only three miles elapsed before Jones, J. Rae and J. Pound were away and the 100 miles went in 4.5 hours. Passing through Atherstone (101m.) the leaders had been joined by Oldfield and Ryalls, and were 1.5 min. ahead. On the hill through Hinst, D. Duffield suffered the first of several attacks of cramp and dropped behind. Bladon retired hereabouts. At Weeford a group of riders went away, only to be caught again a few miles further on. Just after Wall, Roger Sumner started a break with Pound and the two stayed away for several miles. At 138 miles Bufton stopped for a change of rear wheel, the first of several mishaps that eventually pushed him well back down the field. Just outside Shrewsbury (approx. 150 miles) B. Keogh, B. Wiltcher, K. Fairhead and Ryalls were leading Haskell, Hitchens and Burns by 1-15, Perks by 1-20, with the bunch at 1-30. On the hill up to Chirk, Ryalls escaped from the regrouped leaders (now numbering 15) to take the prime, followed by Preston and O'Brien, with Oldfield and M. Smith leading the field at 1-10. On the long climb out of Llangollen (190) Duffield was dropped for the second time, but fought back. Just 5 miles up the road six riders broke away, including the seemingly irrepressible 38-year-old Jones, but the Cerrig-y-Druidion feeding at station he was well down and " I did too much hard work retired. this morning," he said, " and was unable to eat for the first 185 miles."

The weather in Wales was gloriously sunny, but the cool north easterly wind persisted. Sweeping into Pentre Foelas (212 miles) four riders slipped into the lead — Hitchen, Fairhead, Morris and Ryalls. The road descended to Betws-y-Coed through beautiful, wooded mountains, On the long climb up the Nant Francon Pass Duffield dropped back for the fourth and last time. Perks began a long, unsuccessful chase. Hitchen took the Capel Curig prime and passing Lake Ogwen, Perks was at 56 seconds with the main bunch at 1min. 12sec. Holiday makers sunning themselves on the roadside walks shouted encouragement as the riders dropped through Bethesda and on to Bangor. The caravan crossed the Menai Bridge and on to Anglesey.

On the first drag Roberts and Fairhead escaped — Pound, Ryalls and then Hitchen chasing. With 16 miles to go Pound and Ryalls had been replaced by A. Huntington. Roberts apparently jubilant flung his musette high in the air, but three miles later, Perks, Burns and Ryalls had caught up,- and Roberts was off the back! Oldfield closed the gap on his own, but with 12 miles to go, Huntington attacked and drew away with Hitchen and Burns. Ryalls moved up to join team-mate Huntington Only five miles remained when Huntington cried enough. Oldfield had been chasing on his own for several miles and made contact several miles from the finish — all in vain, as he was dropped 400 yards later. Three miles to go, three riders in the lead and Hitchen made a short attack on a small climb. Result — Burns was dropped and only Ryalls was left to approach Hitchen, whose recent Prague-Berlin-Warsaw trip was obviously paying dividends. A left turn and a short climb brought the two riders on to the promenade. Ryalls sprinted with 200 yards to go but proved no match for the Viking rider. Race results were soon announced and Mrs. Bessie Braddock bestowed the victory laurel wreath over the head of the proud and deserving winner.

Marshalling was carried out by a scooter club, feeding was arranged by the Rugby Velo and Wolverhampton Wh. and the police of numerous counties provided help. Viking Cycles provided the winner in Hitchen, George O'Brien (third), and Brian Haskell (fourth). They won the independent team race and altogether claimed £138 in prizes.

1961 Results

1. Albert Hitchen (Viking Cycles) 262 miles in 12:15:54
2. Pete Ryalls at 4 lengths
3. George O’Brien (Viking Cycles) at 2:18
4. Brian Haskell (Viking Cycles)
5. John Perks
6. Geoff Bye
7. Brian Wiltcher
8. J Pound (Concorde RC)
9. J Preston
10. J Parkinson (Rykneld RC)

Team-Independents 1. Viking Cycles
Team-Amateurs 1. London Area A Composite

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1965 Race Report

LondonHolyhead1965-Prog400Simpson Comes Home For A Classic Win

Independents give as good as they get in A5 battle with pros.

LONDON-HOLYHEAD marked a turning point for British road racing, when our independents showed that they can, at last, match the Continental professionals. It is true that, in the end, all but two of the "Continentals" were home-born, but they are Continental in both domicile and outlook — speaking together in French at the finish as though it were their native tongue.

Certainly two of them got to the line first in the Corona-sponsored classic — Tom Simpson, Peugeot-BP, winning in a record average 25.7 mph from Shay Elliott, Ford-Gitane — but Albert Hitchen, Falcon Cycles, doing the ride of his life, came near to beating them both.

Two other indes, Peter Gordon, Viking-Trumann's Steel, and Bill Bradley, Falcon, were in the decisive break, and both did their fair share of the work along with Simpson, Elliott, Hitchen, Barry Hoban, Mercier-BP, Vin Denson, Ford-Gitane, and Belgium's Rene Van Meenen, Wiel's Groene-Leeuw. The eight had gone clear at the last feed, in the shadow of the mighty Welsh mountains.

Never haye I seen a break develop itself with such authority, the bunch just split to shreds. Men like Billy Holmes and Bob Addy, Falcon; Tony Mills, Ryall-Raxar; and Bernard Burns, Falcon, fought as never before, then just cracked. Yet Vin Denson had the class to change bikes twice, taking the Capel Curig prime while moving forward for the second ! All the home riders had risen to the occasion. Three years ago such a race would haye been a sorry tale, with home riders dropping from the bunch in rapid succession right from the early stages. But here, despite the speed, we saw them not just content to hang on to the pros, but attacking them. The early attacks were certainly serious, and Tom Simpson worked like a Trojan, going with them or fighting to bring them back.

It wag still dark when the 39 riders lined up at Marble Arch in front of an enthusiastic crowd and hordes ot press and TV men. There were several last-minute programme  changes with Desmet, Le Menn, Aerenhouts and Veale out: Denson. Elliott and Keith Butler, Ruberg-Viking substituting. Out of Edgware the de-neutralization flag fell riding and the young clubmen riding at the tail of the procession soon disappeared.

Before Dunstable. eight men were clear, including Simpson, Hitchen. Butler, Bernard Burns, Falcon, and Mick Coupe, BMB-Raleigh, but five miles later it looked like a repeat of last year, with Eddie White, Mottram-Ovaltine, alone on the road with a minute's lead. Viking-Trumann's Steel pair Wes Mason and Dick Goodman moved up to the Derby man along with the ever-watchful Simpson. They came back at 70 miles and, at the back Dave Hamilton, Woodrup-Ovaltine, regained the field after a puncture. This was one of the remarkable features of the race for despite the speed our Indes had little trouble getting back after punctures. Indeed, it was not until 85 miles that the first rider was shot of, Geoff Bye, Wilson-Unis Sport, while young team-mate Mick Edgworth was a minute clear at the front. Through Wilnecote, tragedy came for Sony Kari, who hit a pot-hole, bending his front forks right back, and bringing Jim Grieves down. He was just getting back on, riding a spare bike, when a car emerged from a side-road. He was still shivering with shock an hour later but fortunately there was no worse damage.

Now, as the race passed by the mighty Wrekin, the weaker began to tail off. Bill Holmes was tn the middle of a series of five bike-changes and, after having spent the first 100 miles right on the back, René van Meenen had moved to the front, never being far from it after this. John "Porkie" Perks surprised everyone by taking the winding Chirk border prime by 20 yards from Hitchen. After Llangollen, Elliott was off with broken spokes in his rear wheel but got back in no time. George Halls could not have chosen a worse place than the last feed to puncture. The Viking-Trumann's Steel man made a rapid change but as he fought back, the break went. The rest could do nothing, but Peter Gordon and Barry Hoban got up alone, being clocked at over 40 miles per hour! Keith Butler failed to make the link—" I have been off the bike for a week with tonsillitis, I was pleased just to finish." Denson came off, after a tumble and subsequent ' They gave me a spare so small bike-change my knees were round my ears," he said: but he was soon back, then at the front to take the Capel Curig prime and get his own machine back. Simpson and Hitchen, the two Yorkshiremen, were fighting a fantastic battle. As they ung over the Menai Bridge and turned left the day-long tail wind changed to the side and we looked for a lone bid. But the leaders -were so evenly matched that they did not even try. Their only concern was with the pursuers : How far up are we?' yelled Simpson. They need not have worried, the nearest group was nearly 20 minutes back Hoban led out the sprint, but too early and as the dense crowd of holiday-makers craned forward, Simpson and Elliott were' side-by-side with Hitchen coming up fast but choosing the wrong line, trying to go through the middle. However he took the Les Sport cup for the best home-based rider. Tom was overjoyed at winning, upset at losing his bike after the finish (but only temporarily) and a little unnerved by the congested traffic conditions. 'The Indes have improved beyond all recognition. I was worried by them all," said Tom. More compliments came from Denson — Bradley and Holmes should have gone abroad — they could easily have made the grade." Van Meenen too had good things to say : "The racing here is up to Continental standards, I shall be back." So for Simpson it was a happy return home, for the sponsors a successful venture and for Britain's cycle sport, the biggest boost in years.

ROGER ST. PIERRE

1965 Results

1. Tom Simpson (Peugeot-BP) in 10:49:04
2. Shay Elliott (Ford-Gitane) s.t.
3. Albert Hitchen (Falcon Cycles) s.t.
4. Vin Denson (Ford-Gitane) s.t.
5. Barry Hoban (Mercier-BP) at 1sec
6. Rene Van Meenen (Wiels-Groene Leeuw)
7. Bill Bradley (Falcon Cycles) at 2sec
8. Pete Gordon (Viking-Truemanns Steel)
9. Bob Addy (Falcon Cycles) at 18:31
10. Tony Woodcock (Ryall-Raxar) at 18:32

21 Finishers

Team 1. Falcon Cycles

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