Robin Morton (cycling)
Encyclopedia
Robin Morton is an American
former cycling team
manager and was the first and only female manager in mens professional cycling. She also created the first Union Cycliste Internationale
(UCI) registered American professional road racing team in 1984. Cycling in Europe is a traditionally male sport and includes rules prohibiting women from the race caravans. At managers' meetings prior to races in Europe, the race organization would vote on whether Morton would be allowed to ride in the team car.
assisting with team management and race organization.
and John Eustice, two time USPRO National Criterium Champion
and USA Cycling Championships in 1982 and '83 and Jeff Rutter.
Later that year she managed the 7-UP team with John, Jeff Rutter, Dag Selander and Ian Jackson that participated at Superweek
and other races on the domestic calendar.
That year the team, sponsored by Gianni Motta
, became the first U.S. team to enter the 1984 Giro d'Italia
, Giro di Puglia
, Giro di Toscana
, Giro del Trentino
and Tour de Suisse
and other European races.
and Benotto. This was the first U.S. professional team to compete in the Vuelta a España
and other races on the European calendar including Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, Midi Libre
, Tour de Luxembourg
and the Vuelta a Colombia
.
In 1985-86 Morton had a very successful Junior Team winning many races, numerous state championships and several national championships. The team included Steve Scuron from Philadelphia, the first Junior ever to win the amateur men's elite national championship(80K) in 1985. The team also included Jonas Carney, winner of many amateur and professional national championships.
from Hawaii to Colorado winning the Reno criterium stage.
In 1988 Roberto won the CoreStates Championships in Philadelphia and the team won the team prize.
The EuroCar team participated in the inaugural Tour de Trump
in 1989.
Robin eventually became the Technical Director for the championship, as well as other events through 2005 that included the West Virginia K-Mart Classic stage race, Tour de Georgia
, the San Francisco Grand Prix
, the Thrift Drug Classic in Pittsburgh, and numerous other major events in the U.S. that include:
Morton is now a partner in g4 Productions, a company that promotes fundraising, cycling and running events. Fundraising events include the Hershey's Tour De Pink 4 Day Breast Cancer Ride benefiting the Young Survival Coalition
2006-2010, The Ride for Autism 2008-2010, Bike for the Heart benefiting the Sister to Sister Foundation 2009, Walk/Ride to Benefit the Brain Injury Association of NJ 2010.
, Six Day winner and wearer of the Tour de France
Yellow Jersey - Dietrich Thurau
, Roger De Vlaeminck
- multi-time winner of Paris–Roubaix, Olympic gold medalist in the team time trial at the 1984 Olympics - Marcello Bartolini and Matt Eaton, winner of the 1983 Tour of Britain
known as the Milk Race.
and 1996 Summer Paralympics
in Atlanta, Georgia.
In 2006 Morton started her own event promotion company to focus on road racing, cyclo-cross and fund-raising events.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former cycling team
Cycling team
A cycling team is a group of cyclists who join a team or are acquired and train together to compete in bicycle races whether recreational or professional - and the supporting personnel...
manager and was the first and only female manager in mens professional cycling. She also created the first Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale
Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland....
(UCI) registered American professional road racing team in 1984. Cycling in Europe is a traditionally male sport and includes rules prohibiting women from the race caravans. At managers' meetings prior to races in Europe, the race organization would vote on whether Morton would be allowed to ride in the team car.
1980-82
Morton's first involvement with cycling was with the amateur racing team of the Pennsylvania Bicycle Club (PBC) of Germantown, PennsylvaniaGermantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Germantown is a neighborhood in the northwest section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, about 7–8 miles northwest from the center of the city...
assisting with team management and race organization.
1983
Morton managed a US pro cycling team sponsored by GIOS bicycles for the Tour of America with Roger De VlaeminckRoger De Vlaeminck
Roger De Vlaeminck is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist. He was described by Rik Van Looy as '"The most talented and the only real classics rider of his generation"...
and John Eustice, two time USPRO National Criterium Champion
USPRO National Championships
USPRO National Championships is the name given by USA Cycling, the United States national governing body of cycling, for a series of national championships.*United States National Road Race Championships*United States National Criterium Championships...
and USA Cycling Championships in 1982 and '83 and Jeff Rutter.
Later that year she managed the 7-UP team with John, Jeff Rutter, Dag Selander and Ian Jackson that participated at Superweek
International Cycling Classic
Also known as the Point Premium Root Beer International Cycling Classic, this 17-race series over 17 days is open to licensed amateur and professional cyclists. 2008 dates run from July 11-July 27. The series takes place primarily in the area surrounding Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The races are run in...
and other races on the domestic calendar.
1984
Morton registered the first American professional road race team thus becoming the first woman in the history of cycling to own and manage a men’s professional team.That year the team, sponsored by Gianni Motta
Gianni Motta
Gianni Motta is an Italian former bicycle racer who won the 1966 Giro d'Italia .Gianni Motta was born at Cassano d'Adda...
, became the first U.S. team to enter the 1984 Giro d'Italia
1984 Giro d'Italia
The 1984 Giro d'Italia of cycling, the 67th running or the race, was held from 17 May to 10 June 1984, consisting of 22 stages. It was won by Francesco Moser, who took over the lead from Laurent Fignon in the final stage...
, Giro di Puglia
Giro di Puglia
The Giro di Puglia was a road bicycle racing stage race. It consisted of three or four stages. It was first held in 1972, but last took place in 1998....
, Giro di Toscana
Giro di Toscana
The Giro di Toscana is a road bicycle race held annually in Tuscany, Italy. Since 2005, the race has been organised as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.-Winners:...
, Giro del Trentino
Giro del Trentino
The Giro del Trentino is an Italian cycle road race. It is run typically mid-to-late April over four stages in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region of Italy....
and Tour de Suisse
Tour de Suisse
The Tour de Suisse is a UCI World Tour stage race held annually in June. The race debuted in 1933 and has evolved in timing, duration and sponsorship. With the Critérium du Dauphiné, it is a proving ground for the Tour de France, and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
and other European races.
1985
Morton put together another U.S. based team, the Philadelphia Lasers, sponsored by Rank XeroxRank Xerox
Rank Xerox was formed in 1956 as a joint venture between the Xerox Corporation of U.S. and the Rank Organisation of UK, to manufacture and market Xerox equipment initially in Europe and later in Africa and Asia...
and Benotto. This was the first U.S. professional team to compete in the Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...
and other races on the European calendar including Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, Midi Libre
Grand Prix du Midi Libre
The Grand Prix du Midi Libre was a multiple-stage cycling course in the south of France. The race, named after the newspaper that organized it, was first organized in 1949 and was an important preparation courses for the Tour de France...
, Tour de Luxembourg
Tour de Luxembourg
Tour de Luxembourg is an annual stage race in professional road bicycle racing held in Luxembourg. The Tour de Luxembourg is classified as a 2.HC, the highest rating below the ProTour, by the Union Cycliste Internationale , the sport's governing body. In 2006, the Tour was part of the UCI Europe...
and the Vuelta a Colombia
Vuelta a Colombia
The Vuelta a Colombia is an annual cycling road race, run over many stages throughout different regions in Colombia and sometimes Venezuela during the first days of August. It is organized by the Colombian Cycling Federation.The first Vuelta a Colombia was held in 1951...
.
In 1985-86 Morton had a very successful Junior Team winning many races, numerous state championships and several national championships. The team included Steve Scuron from Philadelphia, the first Junior ever to win the amateur men's elite national championship(80K) in 1985. The team also included Jonas Carney, winner of many amateur and professional national championships.
1986
This year Robin managed the domestic U.S. program for the Murella-Fanini team that included Gregor BraunGregor Braun
Gregor Braun is a retired track cyclist and road bicycle racer from Germany, who was a professional rider from 1977 to 1989. He represented West Germany at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada, where he won the gold medal in the men's individual pursuit, defeating Holland's Herman Ponsteen...
1987-89
In 1987 through 1988 the team was sponsored by Pepsi-Fanini and in 1989 by EuroCar. The team with Roberto Gaggioli won 80 races in the U.S. during these three years. The team raced in the 1987 edition of the Coors ClassicCoors Classic
The Coors International Bicycle Classic was a stage race sponsored by the Coors Brewing Company. Coors was the race's second sponsor, the first, Celestial Seasonings, named the race after its premium tea Red Zinger, which began in 1975...
from Hawaii to Colorado winning the Reno criterium stage.
In 1988 Roberto won the CoreStates Championships in Philadelphia and the team won the team prize.
The EuroCar team participated in the inaugural Tour de Trump
Tour de Trump
The Tour de Trump was a road bicycle race in the United States held in 1989 and 1990 and was sponsored by Donald Trump. The Tour DuPont replaced the Tour de Trump, from 1991 to 1996.- 1989 Tour de Trump :...
in 1989.
Event promotion (1989 to present)
In 1989 Morton started working for a company promoting the professional races in the U.S. that included the USPRO National Road Championships.Robin eventually became the Technical Director for the championship, as well as other events through 2005 that included the West Virginia K-Mart Classic stage race, Tour de Georgia
Tour de Georgia
The Tour de Georgia is a U.S. professional cycling stage race across the state of Georgia. The race began in 2003 and has been contested six times. It is one of the three events in North America ranked as Hors Classe stage race events by the UCI, which is cycling's international governing body,...
, the San Francisco Grand Prix
San Francisco Grand Prix
The San Francisco Grand Prix was a road cycling race held in San Francisco, United States in early September. It was as a 1.HC event and in 2005 part of the UCI America Tour. It lasted five years....
, the Thrift Drug Classic in Pittsburgh, and numerous other major events in the U.S. that include:
- Philadelphia Marathon 2010
- Mercer Mountain Bike Festival, Belle Mountain, Mercer County, New Jersey, 2009
- The CSC Invitational Criterium in Arlington, VA - 2008-2009
- The US Air Force Cycling Classic Road Race and Citizens Ride in Arlington, VA - 2008-2009
- The Capital Criterium in Washington, DC - 2008, 2010
- U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross Series – 2006
- The Wachovia USPRO Championship/Liberty Classic in Philadelphia, PA 1985-2005
- The Wachovia Lancaster Invitational in Lancaster, PA 1991-2005
- The Wachovia Classic in Trenton, NJ 1992-2005
- The Christiana Care Cup in Wilmington, DE 1997-1998
- The New Jersey National Bank Classic in Freehold, NJ 1990-1991
- The T-Mobile International in San Francisco, CA 2002-2004
- The Barclays Global Investors Grand Prix in San Francisco, CA 2005
- The BMC Software GRAND PRIX SERIES in New York City, Houston, San Jose, Austin and Arlington 1999-2004
- Dodge Tour de Georgia (technical services and operations) 2003
- The Thrift Drug Classic in Pittsburgh, PA 1990 to 1997
- The Kmart Classic of West Virginia 1992 to 1996
- The Norwest Cup in Minneapolis, MN 1992 to 1996
- The First Union Grand Prix in Atlanta, GA 1992 to 1998
- USA Cycling Olympic Selection events in Pittsburgh, PA 1996
- USA Cycling Olympic Selection events in Martinsburg, WVA 1996
- Sea Otter Classic (technical services) in Monterey, CA 2000
- Saturn Pro Cycling Tour 1999-2001 (14 events)
- Olympic Games- Track and Road cycling events in Atlanta, GA 1996
- Paralympic Games- Road Cycling events in Atlanta, GA 1996
Morton is now a partner in g4 Productions, a company that promotes fundraising, cycling and running events. Fundraising events include the Hershey's Tour De Pink 4 Day Breast Cancer Ride benefiting the Young Survival Coalition
Young Survival Coalition
Young Survival Coalition is an international organization focusing on women ages 40 and under who are diagnosed with breast cancer. Major programs offered by the Coalition include the YSC Tour de Pink, a series of bike rides sponsored by The Hershey Company raising funds for the coalition; annual...
2006-2010, The Ride for Autism 2008-2010, Bike for the Heart benefiting the Sister to Sister Foundation 2009, Walk/Ride to Benefit the Brain Injury Association of NJ 2010.
Notable riders
Riders that have been on teams managed by Morton include two-time Olympic gold medalist Gregor BraunGregor Braun
Gregor Braun is a retired track cyclist and road bicycle racer from Germany, who was a professional rider from 1977 to 1989. He represented West Germany at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada, where he won the gold medal in the men's individual pursuit, defeating Holland's Herman Ponsteen...
, Six Day winner and wearer of 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...
Yellow Jersey - Dietrich Thurau
Dietrich Thurau
Dietrich Thurau is a retired German professional road bicycle racer. His biggest career achievements include winning the one-day classic, Liège–Bastogne–Liège, his home country's Deutschland Tour and surprising the field at the 1977 Tour de France by capturing four stages and holding the yellow...
, Roger De Vlaeminck
Roger De Vlaeminck
Roger De Vlaeminck is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist. He was described by Rik Van Looy as '"The most talented and the only real classics rider of his generation"...
- multi-time winner of Paris–Roubaix, Olympic gold medalist in the team time trial at the 1984 Olympics - Marcello Bartolini and Matt Eaton, winner of the 1983 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....
known as the Milk Race.
Other experience
Morton also served as the cycling assistant competition manager for 1996 Summer Olympics1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
and 1996 Summer Paralympics
1996 Summer Paralympics
The 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta, USA were held from 16 August to 25 August. It was the first Paralympics to get mass media sponsorship, and had a budget of USD $81 million....
in Atlanta, Georgia.
In 2006 Morton started her own event promotion company to focus on road racing, cyclo-cross and fund-raising events.
News Papers
- The Philadelphia InquirerThe Philadelphia InquirerThe Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
1986 Dave Caldwell - The Philadelphia InquirerThe Philadelphia InquirerThe Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
June 20, 1988 front page and section C - Philadelphia Daily NewsPhiladelphia Daily NewsThe Philadelphia Daily News is a tabloid newspaper that serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The newspaper is owned by Philadelphia Media Holdings which also owns Philadelphia's other major newspaper The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Daily News began publishing on March 31, 1925, under...
June 20, 1988 Bill Fleischman - The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
June 19, 1988 Wendy Solomon - International Herald TribuneInternational Herald TribuneThe International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. It combines the resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times and is printed at 38 sites throughout the world, for sale in more than 160 countries and territories...
June 6, 1989 Sam Abt - International Herald TribuneInternational Herald TribuneThe International Herald Tribune is a widely read English language international newspaper. It combines the resources of its own correspondents with those of The New York Times and is printed at 38 sites throughout the world, for sale in more than 160 countries and territories...
June 12, 1997 Sam Abt - The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
October 17, 1999 Sam Abt - The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
December 14, 2009 Juliet Macur - The Philadelphia InquirerThe Philadelphia InquirerThe Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
March 8, 2010 Christopher Hepp
Books
- Up The Road by Sam Abt 2005 pages 52–55
- The Fabulous World of Cycling Season 1984 page 98
- Come and Gone by Joe Parkin 2010 acknowledgements
Magazines
- Winning Magazine - Bicycle Racing Illustrated July 1984 page 10
- Winning Magazine - Bicycle Racing Illustrated August 1988 pages 52–54
- Winning Magazine - Bicycle Racing Illustrated September 1990 pages 21–22
- PhillySports Magazine 1986 July issue
- Peloton Magazine 2011 June/July issue page 38
External links
- g4Productions
- Pez Cycling article
- Cyclingnews profile - Tales from the Peloton
- Cyclingnews article - Morton in the Giro
- Cyclingnews article December 10, 2009
- New York Times article December 14 2009
- Cyclingnews article February 26, 2010 Washington D.C. front runner to host Giro in 2010
- Philadelphia Inquirer March 8, 2010
- D.C. Organizers in Amsterdam - Cyclingnews May 8, 2010
- Robin Morton - One of the Most Influential Women in Cycling - CyclingNews March 8, 2011