Manchester Wheelers' Club
Encyclopedia
Formation and early history
The club was formed on 7 July 1883, as Manchester Athletic Bicycle Club, the name being changed to Manchester Wheelers' Club in 1890.The Manchester Wheelers are the most successful cycling club in Britain having produced countless international riders and several World Champions. Many consider the golden era of the club to be in the early 1980s when the level of success achieved was renowned throughout cycling.Club colours and emblem
Club racing jerseys are royal blue, red and white, with the words 'Manchester Wheelers'.
Notable riders
Reg HarrisReg Harris
Reg Harris
Reginald - 'Reg' - Hargreaves Harris OBE was a leading English track racing cyclist in the 1940s and 1950s. He won the world amateur sprint title in 1947, two Olympic silver medals in 1948, and the professional title in 1949, 1950, 1951 and 1954...
was born in Bury on March 1, 1920. He joined Manchester Wheelers as a teenager in 1939. He won five world sprint championships, one as an amateur and four as a professional, and broke world records. He became critical of British sprint cycling and made a comeback 30 years after his first national amateur championship. He won the professional title at Leicester in 1974 at the age of 54.
Other notable riders:
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Paul Curran (cyclist) Paul Curran is a former professional English racing cyclist from Thornaby, Cleveland. He rode for Great Britain in the Olympic Games, won the national road championship and won several medals at the Commonwealth Games.-Cycling career:... Emma Davies (cyclist) Emma Davies Jones is a British Olympic cyclist. She competed in the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics.-Biography:Born in Knutsford, Cheshire... Bob Downs Robert Downs is a former English professional cyclist from Basildon Essex. He won the Tour of Ireland in 1974 and competed at the 1980 Moscow Olympics in the Men's 100 kilometres Team Time Trial. At the 1982 Commonwealth Games he won a gold medal in the 100 km T.T.T... Malcolm Elliott Malcolm Elliott is an English professional cyclist, whose professional career has lasted from 1984 to 1997 when he retired and from 2003 up to the present day when he made his comeback in British domestic racing.... |
Steve Joughin Steve Joughin is a former professional Manx road racing cyclist. He was the first Manxman ever win the British professional road race title... Dave Lloyd (cyclist) Dave Lloyd , is an English former professional cyclist.Lloyd began racing in 1969 and came seventh in the Milk Race and rode in the 1972 Munich Olympics. In 1973 he turned professional with Raleigh, and over the next three years he won the national 5000m pursuit championship twice and set a... John Sibbit John Ephraim Sibbit John Ephraim Sibbit (Jack Sibbit) John Ephraim Sibbit (Jack Sibbit) (3 April 1895 – 5 August 1950 (or November) was a British track cyclist who won a silver medal at the 1928 Summer Olympics.... Jeff Williams (cyclist) Jeffrey "Jeff" Williams is an English former professional road racing cyclist from Manchester. He rode for Great Britain at the Olympic Games, and won several national championship titles.-Cycling career:... |
Tom Barlow
Tom Barlow — President of Manchester Wheelers' Club was commemorated in the Golden Book of CyclingGolden Book of Cycling
The Golden Book of Cycling was created in 1932 by Cycling, a British cycling magazine,to celebrate "the Sport and Pastime of Cycling by recording the outstanding rides, deeds and accomplishments of cyclists, officials and administrators." There exists only a single copy of this compendium of...
in the 1950s. A copy of his citation is held at the National Cycle Library in Llandrindod Wells
Llandrindod Wells
Llandrindod Wells , colloquially known locally as "Llandod", is a town and community in Powys, within the historic boundaries of Radnorshire, mid Wales, United Kingdom. It was developed as a spa town in the 19th century, with a boom in the late 20th century as a centre of local government. Before...
.
Muratti Cup
The Muratti Race, "The race of the Champions", began in 1899 when the vice-president of Manchester Wheelers , D. B. Muratti, on behalf of Messrs. B. Muratti, Sons & Co., cigarette makers, presented a cup valued at 100 guineas. The Muratti Gold Cup is presented annually to the winner of the 10-miles event and has been presented several times at the UCI World Masters track championships. The trophy was won in 2006 by Sergio Gili of Argentina.Race Meets
The Manchester Wheelers' Race Meets were held until the Fallowfield trackFallowfield Stadium
Fallowfield Stadium was an athletics stadium and velodrome in Fallowfield, Manchester, England. It opened in May 1892 as the home of Manchester Athletics Club after it was forced to move from its home next to Old Trafford Cricket Ground...
closed in 1975. They were world famous, attracting Olympic, World and National Champions from around the world including 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...
, Cyril Peacock
Cyril Peacock
Cyril Francis Peacock was a British amateur racing cyclist who was world champion in 1954. He was also national sprint champion in 1952, 1953 and 1954 and Commonwealth Games champion in 1954.-Adolescence:...
, Patrick Sercu
Patrick Sercu
Patrick Sercu is a former Belgian cyclist, best known for his exploits on the tracks.In 1964 aged 19 he competed as the star attraction at the Manchester Wheelers' Club Race Meet at the Fallowfield track in Manchester.He won a gold medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.Sercu is the record...
, Sid Patterson
Sid Patterson
Sid Patterson was a world champion amateur and professional track cyclist from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. While a teenager, Patterson won every Victorian and Australian title between 1,000 metres and ten miles...
, Arie van Vliet
Arie van Vliet
Arie van Vliet was a Dutch racing cyclist, olympic champion in track cycling.He received a gold medal in 1000 m time trial and a silver medal in individual sprint at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin.-References:...
, Mario Ghella
Mario Ghella
Mario Ghella is an Italian racing cyclist and olympic champion in track cycling.He received a gold medal in individual sprint at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London.-References:...
, Russell Mockridge
Russell Mockridge
Russell Mockridge was a racing cyclist from Geelong, Victoria, Australia. He died during a race, in collision with a bus....
and Jef Scherens
Jef Scherens
Joseph "Jef" Scherens was a Belgian professional track cyclist, specialising in sprint where he won seven World Championships. Scherens was born in Werchter and died in Leuven...
.