Manx Trophy
Encyclopedia
The Manx Trophy or Isle of Man International Road Race is a bicycle road race
run annually on the Isle of Man
. In the 1960s the race attracted the world's top professional cyclists including Fausto Coppi
, Jacques Anquetil
and Eddy Merckx
.
The race was initially a feature of the Isle of Man cycling festival, an annual event which ran from 1936 to 2003 and was started by journalist and cycling enthusiast Curwen Clague. Despite the festival being discontinued after 2003, the Manx Trophy continues.
The first festival included a massed-start road race (a rarity in mainland Britain at the time but allowed in the Isle of Man, a separate country) which featured the top riders of the day. Despite closed roads the race saw many crashes and only a few riders finished. The first winner was Charles Holland
of Birmingham
, later one of the first two Englishmen
to ride the Tour de France
.
The first event involved riders racing a single lap of the famous TT circuit
of 37.75 miles. The course runs from Douglas
to Ramsey
then climbs for five miles to a high point on the mountain of Snaefell at 1,384 feet before descending to Douglas. The distance was later increased to two and then three laps (113 miles).
Road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...
run annually on the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The 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...
. In the 1960s the race attracted the world's top professional cyclists including Fausto Coppi
Fausto Coppi
Angelo Fausto Coppi, , was the dominant international cyclist of the years each side of the Second World War. His successes earned him the title Il Campionissimo, or champion of champions...
, Jacques Anquetil
Jacques Anquetil
Jacques Anquetil was a French road racing cyclist and the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times, in 1957 and from 1961 to 1964...
and Eddy Merckx
Eddy Merckx
Edouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx , better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional cyclist. The French magazine Vélo called him "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known." The American publication, VeloNews, called him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all...
.
The race was initially a feature of the Isle of Man cycling festival, an annual event which ran from 1936 to 2003 and was started by journalist and cycling enthusiast Curwen Clague. Despite the festival being discontinued after 2003, the Manx Trophy continues.
The first festival included a massed-start road race (a rarity in mainland Britain at the time but allowed in the Isle of Man, a separate country) which featured the top riders of the day. Despite closed roads the race saw many crashes and only a few riders finished. The first winner was Charles Holland
Charles Holland (cyclist)
Charles Holland was a British road bicycle racer. He was one of the first two Britons to ride the Tour de France.-The early years:...
of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, later one of the first two Englishmen
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
to ride 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...
.
The first event involved riders racing a single lap of the famous TT circuit
Snaefell mountain course
Snaefell Mountain Course or Mountain Course is a road-racing circuit used for the Isle of Man TT and Manx Grand Prix Races held in the Isle of Man from 1911 and 1923 respectively. The racing is held on public roads closed for racing by an Act of Tynwald...
of 37.75 miles. The course runs from Douglas
Douglas, Isle of Man
right|thumb|250px|Douglas Promenade, which runs nearly the entire length of beachfront in Douglasright|thumb|250px|Sea terminal in DouglasDouglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,218 people . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and a sweeping...
to Ramsey
Ramsey, Isle of Man
Ramsey is a town in the north of the Isle of Man. It is the second largest town on the island after Douglas. Its population is 7,309 according to the 2006 census . It has one of the biggest harbours on the island, and has a prominent derelict pier, called the Queen's Pier. It was formerly one of...
then climbs for five miles to a high point on the mountain of Snaefell at 1,384 feet before descending to Douglas. The distance was later increased to two and then three laps (113 miles).
Winners (not a complete list)
- 1936 Charles HollandCharles Holland (cyclist)Charles Holland was a British road bicycle racer. He was one of the first two Britons to ride the Tour de France.-The early years:...
- 1937 Jack Fancourt
- 1938 Pierre Chazaud
- 1939 Bill Messer
- 1940-1945 - no event -
- 1946 Jean Baldessari
- 1947 Jean Baldessari
- 1956 Ercole BaldiniErcole BaldiniErcole Baldini is an Italian former professional road racing cyclist. The highlight of his career was his win in the 1958 Giro d'Italia.-Biography:Baldini was born at Villanova di Forlì ....
- 1957-1958
- 1959 Seamus ElliottSeamus ElliottSeamus '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....
- 1960 André DarrigadeAndré DarrigadeAndré Darrigade was a French professional road bicycle racer between 1951 and 1966. Darrigade, a road sprinter won the 1959 World Championship and 22 stages of the Tour de France. Five of those were on the first day. The record has never been equalled.-Origins:André Darrigade was born at Narosse,...
- 1961 Jo de RooJo de RooJohan De Roo is a Dutch former professional road racing cyclist between 1958 and 1968. During 11 seasons as a professional he had six victories in single-day classics, three stages of the Tour de France and one stage of the Vuelta a España. He had 46 wins as a professional...
- 1962 Rudi AltigRudi AltigRudi Altig is a former professional track and road racing cyclist who won the 1962 Vuelta a España and the world championship in 1966. He is now a television commentator.-Amateur career:...
- 1963 Tom SimpsonTom SimpsonTom 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...
- 1964 Seamus Elliott
- 1965 Jacques AnquetilJacques AnquetilJacques Anquetil was a French road racing cyclist and the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times, in 1957 and from 1961 to 1964...
- 1966 Wim Schepers
- 1967 Tom Simpson
- 1968 Arthur MetcalfeArthur MetcalfeArthur Metcalfe was a British racing cyclist who twice rode the Tour de France and, as an amateur remains the only rider to win the British road race championship and the British Best All-Rounder time trial competition in the same year.-Origins:Born in Leeds, Yorkshire on 27 September 1938,...
- 1969 Jan Harings
- 1970 Barry HobanBarry HobanBarry Hoban is a former English professional cyclist who rode during the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was the previous holder of the record for the most stage wins in the Tour de France by a British rider, winning eight between 1967 to 1975...
- 1971-1977
- 1978 Steve Lawrence
- 1979 Steve JoughinSteve JoughinSteve Joughin is a former professional Manx road racing cyclist. He was the first Manxman ever win the British professional road race title...
(Manx Road Club) - 1980 John HeretyJohn HeretyJohn P Herety is a former English racing cyclist. He rode for Great Britain in the Olympic Games and won the national road championship as an amateur and then a professional...
- 1982 Joe Waugh
- 1983 Hans Reis
- 1984 Mark Walsham
- 1985 Paul CurranPaul 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:...
- 1986 Brian FowlerBrian FowlerFor the British polo player and Olympian, see Bryan Fowler.Brian Andrew Fowler is a retired cyclist from New Zealand, who represented his native country at four consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1984. He collected four medals at four consecutive Commonwealth Games during his career...
- 1987 Darryl Webster
- 1988 Paul CurranPaul 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:...
- 1989 Wayne Randle
- 1990 Tim Hall (Liverpool Mercury CC)
- 1991 Christophe MenginChristophe MenginChristophe Mengin is a French racing cyclist and a former cyclo-cross racer. He became professional in 1995, signing to the Chazal team. His height is 1.73 m, and weight is 68 kg...
- 1992 David Hourigan
- 1993 Brian Smith
- 1994 Simeon HempsallSimeon HempsallSimeon Hempsall is a former racing cyclist who competed in the road race at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona and finished 36th of 84...
- 1995 Robert MillarRobert MillarRobert 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...
(run as the British professional road race championshipBritish National Road Race ChampionshipsThe British National Road Race Championships cover different categories of British road bicycle racing events, normally held annually.-History:...
) - 1996 David McCannDavid McCannDavid McCann is an Irish professional road bicycle racer. He used to cycle for the Taiwan-based UCI Continental team Giant Asia Racing.McCann was the Irish national road race champion in 2000, 2001 and 2006...
- 1997 Christophe Morel
- 1998 John TannerJohn Tanner (cyclist)John Tanner is a British racing cyclist from Yorkshire. He competed in the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games.He has won the season-long British Cycling Premier Calendar five times.-Palmarés:1992199419951997...
- 1999 David MillarDavid MillarDavid Millar is a British road racing cyclist riding for . He has won three stages of the Tour de France, two of the Vuelta a España and one Stage of the Giro d'Italia. He was the British national road champion and the national time trial champion, both in 2007...
- 2000 Julian WinnJulian WinnJulian Winn from Abergavenny, Wales is a former Welsh competitive cyclist who now manages the UCI Continental cycling team Endura Racing. He represented Wales in the 1998 Commonwealth Games at Kuala Lumpur and at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester...
- 2001 Matthew StephensMatthew Stephens (cyclist)Matthew Stephens is a British professional road racing cyclist who rides for .-Biography:Stephens was successful as a junior rider, winning the Junior Tour of Wales in both 1987 and 1988, one of only two riders to win the race twice. He represented Great Britain at the 1992 Summer Olympics in...
- 2002 David McCannDavid McCannDavid McCann is an Irish professional road bicycle racer. He used to cycle for the Taiwan-based UCI Continental team Giant Asia Racing.McCann was the Irish national road race champion in 2000, 2001 and 2006...
- 2003 Mark LovattMark LovattMark Lovatt is a British road racing cyclist who represented the United Kingdom at the 2001 UCI Road World Championships and England at the 2002 Commonwealth Games....