Norman Sheil
Encyclopedia
Norman Sheil is a retired racing cyclist who won world pursuit championships for Britain in 1955 and 1958 and rode the Tour de France in 1960. He became national coach of the British Cycling Federation and later of the Canadian federation. He returned to racing in the 1990s and won the world points championship for over-65s.
He rode his first race at the end of 1948, using a bicycle he had built himself from a frame given to him by an uncle, Bill Cronshaw, a racer in the 1920s. He rode a 25-mile [40 km] time-trial in 1h 9m 4s. By 1949 he had improved to 1h 3m 30s, in an event held by the Molyneux club on Merseyside
. He moved clubs, from the Phoenix to Walton Paragon, rode a little in 1950 and was then called for national service
in February 1951. He spent two years as a naval signalman but without cycling.
Sheil won the Empire Games pursuit championship in 5m 3.5sec, beating his England team-mate Pete Brotherton by six seconds. His title and then a national record time of 5m 10s later that year in London made selection for the following year's world championship in Milan inevitable. Sheil met the defending champion, Leandro Faggin
of Italy, in the semi-final. Sheil won that match and Brotherton won his so that the two Britons met in the final. Sheil won in a British record of 4m 57s.
, Harry Reynolds and John Kennedy. Two others - Tom Simpson
and Brian Robinson
- were more established there. The growing number of British riders in France, and the end of a civil war between the National Cyclists Union and the British League of Racing Cyclists
, led the Tour de France to invite a team of eight from Britain in 1960. The Tour was still disputed by national rather than trade teams.
Only Robinson and Simpson finished, 26th and 29th. Sheil dropped out after crashing on the 11th stage, when he was in 14th place.
Origins
Norman Sheil started club riding with the Phoenix (Aintree) club in Liverpool in 1948. He said: "I shall never forget those 40 miles, especially the look on my mother's face when she saw me after the run ended. She thought I was deadly ill or something. And I didn't feel so good, as a matter of fact."He rode his first race at the end of 1948, using a bicycle he had built himself from a frame given to him by an uncle, Bill Cronshaw, a racer in the 1920s. He rode a 25-mile [40 km] time-trial in 1h 9m 4s. By 1949 he had improved to 1h 3m 30s, in an event held by the Molyneux club on Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
. He moved clubs, from the Phoenix to Walton Paragon, rode a little in 1950 and was then called for national service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
in February 1951. He spent two years as a naval signalman but without cycling.
Amateur career
Sheil was the first British rider to ride a 25-mile time-trial in 55 minutes, using a 48x15 fixed wheel in 1957. He held national records at 5, 10, 25 miles and 1 hour (26miles 1398yds).Sheil won the Empire Games pursuit championship in 5m 3.5sec, beating his England team-mate Pete Brotherton by six seconds. His title and then a national record time of 5m 10s later that year in London made selection for the following year's world championship in Milan inevitable. Sheil met the defending champion, Leandro Faggin
Leandro Faggin
Leandro Faggin was an Italian racing cyclist, olympic champion and world champion in track cycling.He received a gold medal in 1000 m time trial at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne...
of Italy, in the semi-final. Sheil won that match and Brotherton won his so that the two Britons met in the final. Sheil won in a British record of 4m 57s.
Tour de France
Sheil raced on the road in France after winning the pursuit championship for the second time, winning six times. He was one of several British riders such as Stan BrittainStan Brittain
Arthur Stanley "Stan" Brittain was an English racing cyclist who rode time-trials, road races and the track. He won a silver medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic games, came third in the 1955 Peace Race and finished the 1958 Tour de France....
, Harry Reynolds and John Kennedy. Two others - 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...
and Brian Robinson
Brian Robinson
Brian Robinson is an English former road bicycle racer of the 1950s and early 1960s.He was the first Briton to finish the Tour de France and the first to win a Tour stage....
- were more established there. The growing number of British riders in France, and the end of a civil war between the National Cyclists Union and the British League of Racing Cyclists
British League of Racing Cyclists
The British League of Racing Cyclists was an association formed in 1942 to promote road bicycle racing in Great Britain. It operated in competition with the National Cyclists' Union, a rivalry which lasted until the two merged in 1959 to form the British Cycling Federation.-Background:The National...
, led the Tour de France to invite a team of eight from Britain in 1960. The Tour was still disputed by national rather than trade teams.
Only Robinson and Simpson finished, 26th and 29th. Sheil dropped out after crashing on the 11th stage, when he was in 14th place.