ANC-Halfords Cycling Team
Encyclopedia
ANC-Halfords Cycling Team was a British-based professional team that was created in 1985 but folded in 1987 due to a lack of funds. The team used Peugeot
cycles with Campagnolo
components. ANC-Halfords was the last British-based team that rode the Tour de France
until was invited in 2007.
. The team competed on the Continent and in Britain. In Britain, the British Cycling Federation limited teams to six riders, while continental squads had 20 or more. To get around this, the squad in Britain
split into three different teams with different sponsors e.g. Lycra-Halfords. On the Continent, all the riders rode under one team name.
ANC got a wildcard invitation to ride the 1987 Tour de France
. The team were inexperienced as only Graham Jones
had ridden a major stage race. The team turned up in Berlin
and were promised the best equipment such as specialist time-trial cycles. Instead, they rode the opening time trial on standard road bikes, with only four disc wheels between nine riders. Only four riders made it to Paris
. The only success was Malcolm Elliot's third place on one stage. The best ranked cyclist in the general classification was Adrian Timmis, ranked 70th.
The Tour de France had required a 37000 pounds entry fee. Some of the cyclists stopped early in the race, and Tony Capper invited guests (including his family and potential sponsors) to take their already reserved hotel rooms.
In the last week of the race, Tony Capper left the team, and they did not see him anymore.
After the Tour de France, the ANC team was only revived for a few races. Joey McLoughlin
won the first Kellogg's Tour of Britain
and Malcolm Elliott
won two stages in the Nissan Classic in Ireland
. By the end of the season, the team ran out of money and was no more.
The team's period in the Tour de France and the chaos that surrounded it is captured in Wide-eyed and Legless by the British writer Jeff Connor.
After ANC, Elliott rode for several continental squads including the Spanish Teka team with which in 1989 he won the points jersey in the Tour of Spain. He is the only British rider apart from Robert Millar
to win a classification in a grand tour. After racing in Europe
, Elliot had a successful stint on the U.S. pro circuit which included a stage in the Tour du Pont. At 48, Elliot is still racing as a professional with Motorpoint- Marshalls Pasta team
After winning the 1986 Milk Race and the 1987 Kellogg's tour, McLoughlin was tipped to become the best British cyclist since Tom Simpson
. After ANC, he signed to the French Z squad. Constant injuries robbed McLoughlin of his potential and he retired in 1991.
The Australian rider went on to win the 1990 Milk Race with the Banana-Falcon squad. Sutton settled in Britain and worked as a coach with British Cycling
which included the hugely successful team that dominated the cycling events in the 2008 Olympic games in China. Shane is now a director sportif with Team Sky
and has been awarded an OBE in the 2010 birthday honours list.
The Manchester
rider is often described as one of the classiest riders that the UK has produced, but his career was hindered by being over raced in his early days, and by injury in his later days. He is now the organiser of the Tour of Britain
cycle race.
Cycles Peugeot
Peugeot was a manufacturer in the French bicycle industry through the 20th century.-History:Peugeot was a French manufacturer of bicycles founded by Jean Pequignot Peugeot who, in the 19th century, made water mills...
cycles with 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...
components. ANC-Halfords was the last British-based team that rode 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...
until was invited in 2007.
The 1985 and 1986 season
In 1985, the ANC-Freight-Rover team was formed in 1985 by the transport operator Tony Capper and the former racing cyclist Phil Griffiths, who had plans to get the team into the Tour de FranceTour 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...
. The team competed on the Continent and in Britain. In Britain, the British Cycling Federation limited teams to six riders, while continental squads had 20 or more. To get around this, the squad in Britain
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...
split into three different teams with different sponsors e.g. Lycra-Halfords. On the Continent, all the riders rode under one team name.
1987: the Tour de France
In 1987, the team rode under the name ANC-Halfords. In races outside of England, the team was co-sponsored by Tönissteiner.ANC got a wildcard invitation to ride the 1987 Tour de France
1987 Tour de France
The 1987 Tour de France was the 74th Tour de France, taking place from July 1 to July 26, 1987. It consisted of 25 stages over 4231 km, ridden at an average speed of 36.645 km/h...
. The team were inexperienced as only Graham Jones
Graham Jones (cyclist)
Graham Jones is a former professional English road racing cyclist from Manchester, England. He rode in the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia. He is often described as one of the classiest riders that the UK has produced, but his career was hindered by being over raced in his early days, and by...
had ridden a major stage race. The team turned up in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and were promised the best equipment such as specialist time-trial cycles. Instead, they rode the opening time trial on standard road bikes, with only four disc wheels between nine riders. Only four riders made it to 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...
. The only success was Malcolm Elliot's third place on one stage. The best ranked cyclist in the general classification was Adrian Timmis, ranked 70th.
The Tour de France had required a 37000 pounds entry fee. Some of the cyclists stopped early in the race, and Tony Capper invited guests (including his family and potential sponsors) to take their already reserved hotel rooms.
In the last week of the race, Tony Capper left the team, and they did not see him anymore.
After the Tour de France, the ANC team was only revived for a few races. Joey McLoughlin
Joey McLoughlin
Joey McLoughlin is an English former professional cyclist from Liverpool. He grew up on the Cantril Farm housing estate in Liverpool, the youngest of 10 children...
won the first Kellogg's Tour of Britain
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....
and Malcolm Elliott
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....
won two stages in the Nissan Classic in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. By the end of the season, the team ran out of money and was no more.
The team's period in the Tour de France and the chaos that surrounded it is captured in Wide-eyed and Legless by the British writer Jeff Connor.
Riders
- Malcolm ElliottMalcolm ElliottMalcolm 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....
.
After ANC, Elliott rode for several continental squads including the Spanish Teka team with which in 1989 he won the points jersey in the Tour of Spain. He is the only British rider apart from Robert Millar
Robert Millar
Robert Millar is a former Scottish professional cyclist who won the “King of the Mountains” competition in the 1984 Tour de France and finished fourth overall – sharing the highest Tour position for a British cyclist with Bradley Wiggins, and the first time a Briton had won a major Tour...
to win a classification in a grand tour. After racing in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Elliot had a successful stint on the U.S. pro circuit which included a stage in the Tour du Pont. At 48, Elliot is still racing as a professional with Motorpoint- Marshalls Pasta team
- Joey McLoughlinJoey McLoughlinJoey McLoughlin is an English former professional cyclist from Liverpool. He grew up on the Cantril Farm housing estate in Liverpool, the youngest of 10 children...
.
After winning the 1986 Milk Race and the 1987 Kellogg's tour, McLoughlin was tipped to become the best British cyclist since 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...
. After ANC, he signed to the French Z squad. Constant injuries robbed McLoughlin of his potential and he retired in 1991.
- Shane SuttonShane SuttonShane Edwin Sutton OBE is a British Cycling coach, former Welsh national cycling coach and professional racing cyclist. Sutton was one of the four men to win gold for Australia at the 1978 Commonwealth Games along with his brother, Gary Sutton...
.
The Australian rider went on to win the 1990 Milk Race with the Banana-Falcon squad. Sutton settled in Britain and worked as a coach with British Cycling
British Cycling
British Cycling is the national governing body for cycle racing in Great Britain. It administers most competitive cycling in Great Britain, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man...
which included the hugely successful team that dominated the cycling events in the 2008 Olympic games in China. Shane is now a director sportif with Team Sky
Team Sky
Team Sky is a British professional road bicycle racing team that competes in international road bicycle races. The creation of the team was announced on 26 February 2009 and the team began competition in January 2010....
and has been awarded an OBE in the 2010 birthday honours list.
- Graham JonesGraham Jones (cyclist)Graham Jones is a former professional English road racing cyclist from Manchester, England. He rode in the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia. He is often described as one of the classiest riders that the UK has produced, but his career was hindered by being over raced in his early days, and by...
The Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
rider is often described as one of the classiest riders that the UK has produced, but his career was hindered by being over raced in his early days, and by injury in his later days. He is now the organiser of the Tour of Britain
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....
cycle race.
- Paul WatsonPaul Watson (cyclist)Paul Watson is a former professional English road racing cyclist from Milton Keynes. He was national road race champion, raced in the Tour de France and made headlines finishing 6th in the Belgium classic La Flèche Wallonne.-Road:19841985...