John Atkins is a British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 former racing cyclist specialising in cyclo-cross

Cyclo-cross

Cyclo-cross is a form of bicycle racing. Races typically take place in the autumn and winter , and consists of many laps of a short course featuring pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and...

, and 12 times national cyclo-cross champion. He was a professional cyclist between 1968 and 1979.

Biography

Atkins was born in Coventry

Coventry

Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...

, the son of Edith

Edith Atkins

Edith Atkins was a racing cyclist and a prolific breaker of long-distance records in the 1950s. She completed 12 different record-breaking journeys. The records included Land's End to John o' Groats; Land's End to London; Holyhead to London; London to York, London to Edinburgh; and London to Great...

 and Roland (Ron) Atkins. His mother was a prolific breaker of long-distance records in the 1950s.

John Atkins began cycling on the cleared areas and bomb sites that followed intensive bombing of Coventry

Coventry

Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...

 in the Second World War

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. He started racing at 17.

He won his first national cyclo-cross championship in 1961 when he was 19. He was in a group of four and passed them by taking a longer route to the right around bushes where the others had ridden to the left. It gave him a few seconds' lead that he held to the finish.

He won again in 1962 but was handicapped until 1966 by a stomach ulcer. He dominated cyclo-cross in Britain for the next 10 years.

He came fifth in the 1968 world championship, then turned professional for a sausage-maker, Mash & Baxter. A year later he moved to Carlton Cycles for five years.
He rode for Viscount-Shimano from 1975 to 1978 and then for Harry Quinn

Harry Quinn

Harry Quinn Cycles were a family owned high-end English bicycle manufacturer located in Liverpool, England.The business began in 1890 as Coronet Cycles, and Harry Quinn was the son of the founder. Initially, the company was based on Walton Road, Liverpool. Harry worked in the Walton Road premises...

 Cycles. He retired in 1979.

Atkins founded John Atkins Cycles in Coventry

Coventry

Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...

, now known as Coventry Cycle Centre. After retiring from professional cycling, Atkins ran a cycle and toy shop in Pwllheli

Pwllheli

Pwllheli is a community and the main market town of the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, north-western Wales. It has a population of 3,861, of which a large proportion, 81 per cent, are Welsh speaking. Pwllheli is the place where Plaid Cymru was founded. It is the birthplace of Albert Evans-Jones -...

 on the Llŷn Peninsula

Llŷn Peninsula

The Llŷn Peninsula extends into the Irish Sea from north west Wales, south west of the Isle of Anglesey. It is part of the modern county and historic region of Gwynedd. The name is thought to be of Irish origin, and to have the same root Laigin in Irish as the word Leinster...

.

Palmarès

1961

1st   British National Cyclo-cross Championships

British National Cyclo-cross Championships

The British National Cyclo-cross Championships are held annually. The winners of each event are awarded with a symbolic white cycling jersey featuring blue and red stripes, which can be worn by the rider at other cyclo-cross events in the country to show their status as national champion...

1962

1st   British National Cyclo-cross Championships

British National Cyclo-cross Championships

The British National Cyclo-cross Championships are held annually. The winners of each event are awarded with a symbolic white cycling jersey featuring blue and red stripes, which can be worn by the rider at other cyclo-cross events in the country to show their status as national champion...

1963

2nd British National Cyclo-cross Championships

British National Cyclo-cross Championships

The British National Cyclo-cross Championships are held annually. The winners of each event are awarded with a symbolic white cycling jersey featuring blue and red stripes, which can be worn by the rider at other cyclo-cross events in the country to show their status as national champion...

1966

1st   British National Cyclo-cross Championships

British National Cyclo-cross Championships

The British National Cyclo-cross Championships are held annually. The winners of each event are awarded with a symbolic white cycling jersey featuring blue and red stripes, which can be worn by the rider at other cyclo-cross events in the country to show their status as national champion...

1967

1st   British National Cyclo-cross Championships

British National Cyclo-cross Championships

The British National Cyclo-cross Championships are held annually. The winners of each event are awarded with a symbolic white cycling jersey featuring blue and red stripes, which can be worn by the rider at other cyclo-cross events in the country to show their status as national champion...

1968

1st   British National Cyclo-cross Championships

British National Cyclo-cross Championships

The British National Cyclo-cross Championships are held annually. The winners of each event are awarded with a symbolic white cycling jersey featuring blue and red stripes, which can be worn by the rider at other cyclo-cross events in the country to show their status as national champion...

1969

1st   British National Cyclo-cross Championships

British National Cyclo-cross Championships

The British National Cyclo-cross Championships are held annually. The winners of each event are awarded with a symbolic white cycling jersey featuring blue and red stripes, which can be worn by the rider at other cyclo-cross events in the country to show their status as national champion...

1st Three Peaks Cyclo-Cross

1970

1st   British National Cyclo-cross Championships

British National Cyclo-cross Championships

The British National Cyclo-cross Championships are held annually. The winners of each event are awarded with a symbolic white cycling jersey featuring blue and red stripes, which can be worn by the rider at other cyclo-cross events in the country to show their status as national champion...

1st Three Peaks Cyclo-Cross

1971

1st   British National Cyclo-cross Championships

British National Cyclo-cross Championships

The British National Cyclo-cross Championships are held annually. The winners of each event are awarded with a symbolic white cycling jersey featuring blue and red stripes, which can be worn by the rider at other cyclo-cross events in the country to show their status as national champion...

1972

1st   British National Cyclo-cross Championships

British National Cyclo-cross Championships

The British National Cyclo-cross Championships are held annually. The winners of each event are awarded with a symbolic white cycling jersey featuring blue and red stripes, which can be worn by the rider at other cyclo-cross events in the country to show their status as national champion...

1973

1st   British National Cyclo-cross Championships

British National Cyclo-cross Championships

The British National Cyclo-cross Championships are held annually. The winners of each event are awarded with a symbolic white cycling jersey featuring blue and red stripes, which can be worn by the rider at other cyclo-cross events in the country to show their status as national champion...

1974

1st   British National Cyclo-cross Championships

British National Cyclo-cross Championships

The British National Cyclo-cross Championships are held annually. The winners of each event are awarded with a symbolic white cycling jersey featuring blue and red stripes, which can be worn by the rider at other cyclo-cross events in the country to show their status as national champion...

1975

2nd British National Cyclo-cross Championships

British National Cyclo-cross Championships

The British National Cyclo-cross Championships are held annually. The winners of each event are awarded with a symbolic white cycling jersey featuring blue and red stripes, which can be worn by the rider at other cyclo-cross events in the country to show their status as national champion...

1976

2nd British National Cyclo-cross Championships

British National Cyclo-cross Championships

The British National Cyclo-cross Championships are held annually. The winners of each event are awarded with a symbolic white cycling jersey featuring blue and red stripes, which can be worn by the rider at other cyclo-cross events in the country to show their status as national champion...

1st Three Peaks Cyclo-Cross

1977

1st   British National Cyclo-cross Championships

British National Cyclo-cross Championships

The British National Cyclo-cross Championships are held annually. The winners of each event are awarded with a symbolic white cycling jersey featuring blue and red stripes, which can be worn by the rider at other cyclo-cross events in the country to show their status as national champion...

1978

2nd British National Cyclo-cross Championships

British National Cyclo-cross Championships

The British National Cyclo-cross Championships are held annually. The winners of each event are awarded with a symbolic white cycling jersey featuring blue and red stripes, which can be worn by the rider at other cyclo-cross events in the country to show their status as national champion...