Colin Lewis
Encyclopedia
Colin Lewis is an ex-professional racing cyclist. He started racing at 19 and rode the Milk Race
in 1960, finishing 7th.
and the world championships at San Sebastian
. He came 25th, the best British rider, in the Olympic Games
road race in Tokyo
in 1964.
After racing in France he received offers to join the AC Boulogne-Billancourt in Paris
, often a stepping stone to professional teams and especially to Peugeot
or to ride for a smaller British team, Mackeson-Condor. The sponsors were a brewing company and a London
bicycle shop. He turned pro for £4 per week. Average weekly pay in Britain at the time was about £25. In 1967 he finished the Tour de France 84th and won the national road championship. Mackeson-Condor doubled his pay. In 1968 he won the road championship again, the only rider to win in successive years. He moved to another team, Holdsworth
-Campagnolo
, in 1969 and stayed there until he retired from professional racing in 1975.
In the 1967 Tour de France, Lewis rode with and shared a room with Tom Simpson
, who died during the race while climbing Mont Ventoux
. Lewis said:
The biggest lesson he learned on the Tour was that the ability to suffer for prolonged periods, Lewis said that this was the difference between British and Continental professionals at the time.
In 1966, Lewis said he had not joined a continental professional team because he wanted nothing to do with drugs. Lewis was the last Welshman to ride the Tour de France
in 1968 until Geraint Thomas
in 2007.
He said British professional racing scene was good but there were too few hard races and too much "chasing round straw bales all the time", a reference to races held up and down straight roads, often on seafronts. Lewis said the promise of development exited with compainies such as Yellow Pages
, V&G Insurance and Redifusion sponsoring races, although the deals never lasted long, frequently sending them back to square one looking for new sponsors.
Lewis had 250 victories, 38 professional, including the Golden Wheel Trophy and the Linz am Rhine.
He opened a cycle shop in 1976. He was manager of Eastway Cycle Circuit in Hackney
, London, and spent seven years as training director at the South East Centre of Excellence.
Lewis lives in Devon
. His wife, Pam, died in August 2010. Colin is president of Mid-Devon Cycling Club.
1966
1967
1968
?
Tour of Britain
The Tour of Britain is a cycle race, conducted over several stages, in which participants race from place to place across parts of Great Britain....
in 1960, finishing 7th.
Biography
Lewis represented Britain in the Tour de l'AvenirTour de l'Avenir
Tour de l'Avenir is a French road bicycle racing stage race, which started in 1961 as a race similar to the Tour de France and over much of the same course but for amateurs and for semi-professionals known as independents. Riders competed in national teams...
and the world championships at San Sebastian
San Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
. He came 25th, the best British rider, in the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
road race in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
in 1964.
After racing in France he received offers to join the AC Boulogne-Billancourt in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, often a stepping stone to professional teams and especially to Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
or to ride for a smaller British team, Mackeson-Condor. The sponsors were a brewing company and a London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
bicycle shop. He turned pro for £4 per week. Average weekly pay in Britain at the time was about £25. In 1967 he finished the Tour de France 84th and won the national road championship. Mackeson-Condor doubled his pay. In 1968 he won the road championship again, the only rider to win in successive years. He moved to another team, Holdsworth
Holdsworth
Holdsworth was a bicycle manufacturer in London, United Kingdom. It was created by William Frank Holdsworth, known as Sandy. -Beginnings:...
-Campagnolo
Campagnolo
Campagnolo is an Italian manufacturer of high-end bicycle components with headquarters in Vicenza, Italy. The components are organised as groupsets and are a near-complete collection of a bicycle's mechanical parts. Campagnolo's flagship components are the Super Record, Record, and Chorus...
, in 1969 and stayed there until he retired from professional racing in 1975.
In the 1967 Tour de France, Lewis rode with and shared a room with Tom Simpson
Tom Simpson
Tom Simpson was the most successful English road racing cyclist of the post-war years. He infamously died of exhaustion on the slopes of Mont Ventoux during the 13th stage of the Tour de France in 1967...
, who died during the race while climbing Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some 20 km northeast of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north side, the mountain borders the Drôme département. It is the largest mountain in the region and has been nicknamed the "Giant of Provence", or "The Bald...
. Lewis said:
The biggest lesson he learned on the Tour was that the ability to suffer for prolonged periods, Lewis said that this was the difference between British and Continental professionals at the time.
In 1966, Lewis said he had not joined a continental professional team because he wanted nothing to do with drugs. Lewis was the last Welshman to ride the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
in 1968 until Geraint Thomas
Geraint Thomas
Geraint Howell Thomas, MBE is a Welsh professional racing cyclist who rides for the UCI ProTour team . A track cycling world champion and Olympic gold medalist in the team pursuit, Thomas has also enjoyed success on the road, winning the Junior Paris-Roubaix in 2004, the British National...
in 2007.
He said British professional racing scene was good but there were too few hard races and too much "chasing round straw bales all the time", a reference to races held up and down straight roads, often on seafronts. Lewis said the promise of development exited with compainies such as Yellow Pages
Yellow Pages
Yellow Pages refers to a telephone directory of businesses, organized by category, rather than alphabetically by business name and in which advertising is sold. As the name suggests, such directories were originally printed on yellow paper, as opposed to white pages for non-commercial listings...
, V&G Insurance and Redifusion sponsoring races, although the deals never lasted long, frequently sending them back to square one looking for new sponsors.
Lewis had 250 victories, 38 professional, including the Golden Wheel Trophy and the Linz am Rhine.
He opened a cycle shop in 1976. He was manager of Eastway Cycle Circuit in Hackney
London Borough of Hackney
The London Borough of Hackney is a London borough of North/North East London, and forms part of inner London. The local authority is Hackney London Borough Council....
, London, and spent seven years as training director at the South East Centre of Excellence.
Lewis lives in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
. His wife, Pam, died in August 2010. Colin is president of Mid-Devon Cycling Club.
Palmarès
1960- 7th Milk RaceTour of BritainThe Tour of Britain is a cycle race, conducted over several stages, in which participants race from place to place across parts of Great Britain....
1966
- 25th Individual road race, Commonwealth GamesCommonwealth GamesThe Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
1967
- 1st
British National Road Race ChampionshipsBritish National Road Race ChampionshipsThe British National Road Race Championships cover different categories of British road bicycle racing events, normally held annually.-History:...
1968
- 1st British National Road Race ChampionshipsBritish National Road Race ChampionshipsThe British National Road Race Championships cover different categories of British road bicycle racing events, normally held annually.-History:...
- Linz am Rhine
?
- Golden Wheel Trophy Herne HillHerne Hill VelodromeThe Herne Hill Velodrome is a velodrome or track cycling venue in south London. It is one of the oldest cycling tracks in the world, having been built in 1891. It hosted the track cycling events in the 1948 Summer Olympics and was briefly the home of Crystal Palace F.C...