Alan Ramsbottom
Encyclopedia
Alan Ramsbottom was a professional racing cyclist from Clayton-le-Moors
, England
, who twice rode the Tour de France.
in Britain
in the late 1950s. He decided to race abroad when he wasn't selected for the Olympic Games
of 1960 and moved to Troyes
, France
in 1961, after seeing an advertisement by the local club, UV Aube, for British riders. The club was run by run by Marcel Bidot
, the French national team manager. Ramsbottom was inspired by meeting Britain's leading professional rider, Brian Robinson, at a cycling club dinner in Blackburn.
in France in 1961, then turned professional and rode for the Pelforth-Sauvage team for 1962 and 1963. The team was advertised as riding Lejeune bicycles but Ramsbottom's was the Harry Quinn
he had ridden as an amateur
, sprayed in Lejeune colours.
He came 45th in the Tour de France in 1962 as a first-year professional. and 16th in 1963. He finished eighth in Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 1963. and 11th in the Flèche Wallonne in both 1963 and 1965.
Bidot told Ramsbottom to think more of himself, to attack more and to force Pelforth to raise his salary. He won the Tour de Haute-Loire in France
in 1964. He came fourth in Nice
-Genoa
, third in the Boucles Rouquevairoises. Ramsbottom planned to ride the Tour de France again that year but Pelforth dropped him from its team because of what Ramsbottom said was a misunderstanding between him and the manager, Maurice de Muer:
to Belgium
to join Tom Simpson
in the Peugeot
team But after that, he said, nothing went right.". He fell while training with another British professional, Vin Denson
, caught his hand between cobbles and broke an arm. He said:
Living in Ghent
gave him the chance to ride more criteriums, the round-the-houses races where professionals in the 1960s made much of their money. He came third at Meerbeke
in 1964 and third in London
, at Crystal Palace
, where he, runner-up Seamus Elliott
and winner Tom Simpson
lapped a field of mainly domestic professionals.
He didn't get in Peugeot's team for the Tour de France in 1965. He came second in a criterium
at Wortegem, Belgium
and at Zele
and third at Aartrijke in 1965.
He moved to Great Harwood
, Lancashire
and went back to his former trade as a sewing machine mechanic, working in textile factories. At weekends he rode for domestic professional teams, in 1966 and 1967 for Viking Cycles.
In 1965, Ramsbottom rode the Grand Prix des Gentilhommes at Lille
with the journalist Jock Wadley
. The race paired current riders with former racers or leisure riders in a two-man time-trial. Wadley called him:
Ramsbottom said the pain of his disappointment on the Continent "lessened over the years".
Clayton-le-Moors
Clayton-le-Moors is a township in Hyndburn in Lancashire, England. The town is locally referred to as 'Clayton'. To the west lies Rishton, to the north Great Harwood, and two miles to the south, Accrington. Clayton-le-Moors is situated on the A680 road alongside the M65 motorway.-Description:It is...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, who twice rode the Tour de France.
Amateur career
Ramsbottom was a talented amateurAmateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
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...
in the late 1950s. He decided to race abroad when he wasn't selected for 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...
of 1960 and moved to Troyes
Troyes
Troyes is a commune and the capital of the Aube department in north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about southeast of Paris. Many half-timbered houses survive in the old town...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1961, after seeing an advertisement by the local club, UV Aube, for British riders. The club was run by run by Marcel Bidot
Marcel Bidot
Marcel Bidot was a French professional road bicycle racer who won two stages of the Tour de France and became manager of the French national team...
, the French national team manager. Ramsbottom was inspired by meeting Britain's leading professional rider, Brian Robinson, at a cycling club dinner in Blackburn.
Turning professional
He won the second stage of 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...
in France in 1961, then turned professional and rode for the Pelforth-Sauvage team for 1962 and 1963. The team was advertised as riding Lejeune bicycles but Ramsbottom's was the 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...
he had ridden as an amateur
Amateur
An amateur is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science, without pay and often without formal training....
, sprayed in Lejeune colours.
He came 45th in the Tour de France in 1962 as a first-year professional. and 16th in 1963. He finished eighth in Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 1963. and 11th in the Flèche Wallonne in both 1963 and 1965.
Bidot told Ramsbottom to think more of himself, to attack more and to force Pelforth to raise his salary. He won the Tour de Haute-Loire in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1964. He came fourth in Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
-Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, third in the Boucles Rouquevairoises. Ramsbottom planned to ride the Tour de France again that year but Pelforth dropped him from its team because of what Ramsbottom said was a misunderstanding between him and the manager, Maurice de Muer:
- I was building up to be in top form for the Tour de France. The year before, I had been 16th and am confident that I would have been in the first 10 if I hadn't been ordered to wait for Henry AngladeHenry AngladeHenry Anglade is a former French cyclist. In 1959 he was closest to winning the Tour de France, when he finished second, 4:01 behind Federico Bahamontes. In 1960 he wore the yellow jersey for two days.-Origins:...
, particularly on the Forclaz, when he was really beyond help. During the Dauphiné LibéréDauphiné LibéréThe Critérium du Dauphiné is an annual cycling road race, run over eight stages in the Dauphiné region in France during the first half of June. The race was inaugurated by a local newspaper, the Dauphiné Libéré, which gave its name to the event...
, which finished on June 6 just 16 days before the Tour started, Maurice de Muer said he wanted me to ride in the Tour of Luxembourg from 12–15 June. I reminded him of my heavy early season, and my anxiety to do well in the Tour de France. I said I had a chance to ride the Isle of ManIsle of ManThe Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
pro race on the 17th. Did he mind if I missed the Luxembourg tour? He agreed, and said it would be all right.
- Later in the Dauphiné, my wife rang to say there was a letter from our team manager saying I had been picked for the Tour of Luxembourg. Assuming this letter to have been written before my talk with de Muer and that it had no more significance, I told her not to bother to reply and went off to the Isle of Man and finished fourth and returned to the Continent to find big stories in the papers saying I had failed to turn up at Luxembourg and cost Anglade the race. They wouldn't listen to my argument and I was chucked out of the Tour team.
Move to Belgium
In 1964 he moved from TroyesTroyes
Troyes is a commune and the capital of the Aube department in north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about southeast of Paris. Many half-timbered houses survive in the old town...
to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
to join 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...
in the 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...
team But after that, he said, nothing went right.". He fell while training with another British professional, Vin Denson
Vin Denson
Vin Denson is a former professional racing cyclist who rode the Tour de France, won a stage of the Giro d'Italia and won the Tour of Luxembourg in the 1960s. He was a team-mate of Rik van Looy and of Jacques Anquetil and, in the Tour de France, of Tom Simpson...
, caught his hand between cobbles and broke an arm. He said:
- If I had my chance on the Continent over again, I wouldn't change a thing until May 1964, when I moved to Belgium. Things never went right after that. Troyes - and most districts of France - give any rider a chance to shine if he has the ability. Belgium - FlandersFlandersFlanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, that is, where the majority of races are held - basically suits only one type of rider: the strong, fearless man who is prepared to rake risks and barge his way through gaps, but I am not one of them.
Living in Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
gave him the chance to ride more criteriums, the round-the-houses races where professionals in the 1960s made much of their money. He came third at Meerbeke
Meerbeke
Meerbeke is a village in the Denderstreek in the province of East Flanders in Belgium. Administratively it is part of the municipality of Ninove. This rural community is located along the Dender River on the western border of what is known as "Pajottenland". With a total surface of 1047ha it is the...
in 1964 and third in 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...
, at Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace National Sports Centre
The National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace in south London, England is a large sports centre and athletics stadium. It was opened in 1964 in Crystal Palace Park, close to the site of the former Crystal Palace, in the former parkland and also usurping part of the former grand prix circuit.It was...
, where he, runner-up Seamus Elliott
Seamus Elliott
Seamus 'Shay' Elliott was an Irish road bicycle racer.Shay Elliott was the first Irish cyclist to make a mark as a professional rider in continental Europe....
and winner 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...
lapped a field of mainly domestic professionals.
He didn't get in Peugeot's team for the Tour de France in 1965. He came second in a criterium
Criterium
A criterium, or crit, is a bike race held on a short course , often run on closed-off city center streets....
at Wortegem, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and at Zele
Zele
Zele is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality only comprises the town of Zele proper. On January 1, 2006 Zele had a total population of 20,371...
and third at Aartrijke in 1965.
Return to Britain
In 1966 he returned to Britain because a glut of unemployed professionals on the Continent pushed wages lower than he thought necessary for a married man with two children.He moved to Great Harwood
Great Harwood
Great Harwood is a small town in the Hyndburn district of Lancashire, England, north-east of Blackburn.-History:Great Harwood is a town with a industrial heritage. The Mercer Hall Leisure Centre in Queen Street and the town clock pay tribute to John Mercer , the 'father' of Great Harwood, who...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
and went back to his former trade as a sewing machine mechanic, working in textile factories. At weekends he rode for domestic professional teams, in 1966 and 1967 for Viking Cycles.
In 1965, Ramsbottom rode the Grand Prix des Gentilhommes at Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
with the journalist Jock Wadley
Jock Wadley
John Borland Wadley was an English journalist whose magazines and reporting opened Continental cycle racing to fans in Britain....
. The race paired current riders with former racers or leisure riders in a two-man time-trial. Wadley called him:
- ...a man of few words who often seems lost in thought. He seems totally unaffected by the Tour and all that it entails, and doesn't seem to care much what happens, simply shrugging his shoulders when asked what his plans were. Whereas at the end of a tough day in the saddle his former team-mate Henry AngladeHenry AngladeHenry Anglade is a former French cyclist. In 1959 he was closest to winning the Tour de France, when he finished second, 4:01 behind Federico Bahamontes. In 1960 he wore the yellow jersey for two days.-Origins:...
grabs a microphone and talks, Alan swallows a bottle of PerrierPerrierPerrier is a brand of bottled mineral water made from a spring in Vergèze in the Gard département of France. The spring is naturally carbonated...
and pedals off to the hotel.
Ramsbottom said the pain of his disappointment on the Continent "lessened over the years".