Vin Denson
Encyclopedia
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
. Along with Robert Millar
and Mark Cavendish, he is the only other British rider to have won a stage of the Giro
, and is still the only Englishman to do so before finishing 40th overall.
Falcon borrowed from his brother and with wooden blocks fitted to the pedals to make it smaller. He began riding to Helsby Hill, Rhyl
and Prestatyn
and went youth-hostelling. At 17 he joined Chester
Road Club, initially for touring but then to race. He was inspired by his French teacher at school, who had lived in France, whose hero was Jean Robic
and who gave his class Miroir du Cyclisme to study. Denson's first race was an evening 25-mile time-trial, which he finished in 1h 4m 30s. He said:
Denson finished four times in the top 12 of the British Best All-Rounder
competition, which aggregates rides over 50 and 100 miles and 12 hours. He came seventh in the Milk Race in 1959 and fifth in 1960. He finished the Peace Race of 1960 and 1961 in 17th and 27th. The Peace Race, which linked Berlin
, Warsaw
and Prague
was run over roads often still wrecked from the Second World War
. It was always keenly contested by riders from the communist bloc. Denson said:
and took out a licence as an independent, or semi-professional, for Temple Cycles in 1961. He and three other riders, Ken Laidlaw, Stan Brittain and Sean Ryan, moved to Donzenac
, near Brive.
Denson rode for Britain in the 1961 Tour de France, which was for national teams. Only three of the team - Laidlaw, Brian Robinson and Seamus Elliott
got to the finish. Denson dropped out on the col de la République, also known as the col du Grand Bois, outside St-Étienne.
Denson returned to York
, where he and his wife, Vi, were buying a house. In March 1962 they decided to return to France, travelling to Paris and then to Troyes
, where Denson joined the UVC Aube club, sponsored by Frimatic. He was paid £24 a month.
He won the GP Frimatic by four minutes and then the eight-day Vuelta Bidasoa
, in Spain
. He won a stage of a professional race, the Circuit d'Aquitaine
in France and came sixth in the Grand Prix des Nations
despite being led off course and twice losing his chain.
Of his Circuit of Aquitaine ride, he said:
.
He came 10th in Milan – San Remo and in Paris–Nice but didn't make Pelforth's Tour team. Denson was already unhappy with Pelforth, where the policy was to pay riders' salaries at the end and not during the season. He was already reduced to eating carrots found in fields while training. Not riding the Tour was a further financial blow.
He left Troyes in 1964, hoping for a place with Tom Simpson
in the Peugeot
team. When the place didn't become free, he moved to Ghent
, in Belgium
. There, if he couldn't ride for Simpson he could at least train with him. In races, however, they would be rivals; Denson was to ride for Rik van Looy in the Solo team, sponsored by a margarine
company. He was the only foreigner in the team and never did master the Dutch that the rest of team spoke.
The team won six stages of that year's Tour de France.
That autumn, at the world championship at Sallanches
, France, Jacques Anquetil
and his directeur-sportif
, Raphaël Géminiani
, said they had been watching Denson and wanted him for a team they were creating, sponsored by Ford-France. Denson stayed with Anquetil when the sponsor changed to Bic
, opened a bar in Ghent, and had what he called the happiest years of his racing life.
. He said of the hours at the hotel waiting for news of his leader:
Next day the French rider, Jean Stablinski
, said the remaining riders wanted Denson, as Simpson's closest friend, to ride ahead of the race and win for Simpson. The victory went instead to Barry Hoban
, who said he found himself at the front but remembers nothing else. Denson is still upset.
Denson lost heart, began missing contracts. He recovered by the end of the year and talked to the Italian team, Molteni
, about joining. Instead he signed for Kelvinator to ride the Giro d'Italia
. A year later (1968) he returned to Britain and rode for the domestic professional team, Bantel.
, stage 9 in 1966
before finishing 40th overall. He said:
Denson said Italian fans often made a pretence of helping push foreign riders up hills while pulling at their brakes to slow them down.
He said his time-trialling experience helped him chase riders like Motta.
, Essex, before dropping out of professional racing. He now races as an amateur.
Denson was known in continental Europe as Vic, a name he acquired because Vin - short for Vincent - is French for "wine".
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...
, won a stage of the Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
and won the Tour of Luxembourg in the 1960s. He was a team-mate of Rik van Looy
Rik Van Looy
Henri van Looy is a Belgian former professional cyclist of the post-war period, nicknamed the King of the Classics or Emperor of Herentals...
and of 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, in the Tour de France, of 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...
. Along with 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...
and Mark Cavendish, he is the only other British rider to have won a stage of the Giro
1966 Giro d'Italia
The 1966 Giro d'Italia of cycling, 49th edition of the Corsa Rosa, was held from 18 May to 8 June 1966. It consisted of 22 stages and was won by Gianni Motta.The points classification was introduced in this edition.- Final classment:...
, and is still the only Englishman to do so before finishing 40th overall.
Origins
Denson had his first bike at 12, a black HerculesHercules
Hercules is the Roman name for Greek demigod Heracles, son of Zeus , and the mortal Alcmene...
Falcon borrowed from his brother and with wooden blocks fitted to the pedals to make it smaller. He began riding to Helsby Hill, Rhyl
Rhyl
Rhyl is a seaside resort town and community situated on the north east coast of Wales, in the county of Denbighshire , at the mouth of the River Clwyd . To the west is the suburb of Kinmel Bay, with the resort of Towyn further west, Prestatyn to the east and Rhuddlan to the south...
and Prestatyn
Prestatyn
Prestatyn is a seaside resort, town and community in Denbighshire, North Wales. It is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the east of Rhyl. At the 2001 Census, Prestatyn had a population of 18,496.-Prehistory:...
and went youth-hostelling. At 17 he joined Chester
Chester
Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
Road Club, initially for touring but then to race. He was inspired by his French teacher at school, who had lived in France, whose hero was Jean Robic
Jean Robic
Jean Robic was a French road racing cyclist, who won the 1947 Tour de France. Robic was a professional cyclist from 1943 to 1961. His diminutive stature and appearance was encapsulated in the nickname the hobgoblin of the Brittany moor...
and who gave his class Miroir du Cyclisme to study. Denson's first race was an evening 25-mile time-trial, which he finished in 1h 4m 30s. He said:
Denson finished four times in the top 12 of the British Best All-Rounder
British Best All-Rounder
The British Best All-Rounder competition, organised by Cycling Time Trials, is an annual British cycle-racing competition. It ranks riders by their average speeds in individual time trials, over 50 and and 12 hours for men, and over 25, 50 and for women. There are similar competitions for...
competition, which aggregates rides over 50 and 100 miles and 12 hours. He came seventh in the Milk Race in 1959 and fifth in 1960. He finished the Peace Race of 1960 and 1961 in 17th and 27th. The Peace Race, which linked 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...
, Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
and Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
was run over roads often still wrecked from the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was always keenly contested by riders from the communist bloc. Denson said:
Semi-professional career
Denson failed to make the British team for the Olympic GamesOlympic 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...
and took out a licence as an independent, or semi-professional, for Temple Cycles in 1961. He and three other riders, Ken Laidlaw, Stan Brittain and Sean Ryan, moved to Donzenac
Donzenac
Donzenac is a commune in the Corrèze department in central France.-Population:...
, near Brive.
Denson rode for Britain in the 1961 Tour de France, which was for national teams. Only three of the team - Laidlaw, Brian Robinson and 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....
got to the finish. Denson dropped out on the col de la République, also known as the col du Grand Bois, outside St-Étienne.
Denson returned to York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, where he and his wife, Vi, were buying a house. In March 1962 they decided to return to France, travelling to Paris and then 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...
, where Denson joined the UVC Aube club, sponsored by Frimatic. He was paid £24 a month.
He won the GP Frimatic by four minutes and then the eight-day Vuelta Bidasoa
Bidasoa
The Bidasoa is a river in the Basque Country of northern Spain and southern France that runs largely south to north. Named as such downstream of the small town of Oronoz-Mugairi in the province of Navarre, the river actually results from the merge of several streams near the village Erratzu, with...
, in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. He won a stage of a professional race, the Circuit d'Aquitaine
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
in France and came sixth in the Grand Prix des Nations
Grand Prix des Nations
The Grand Prix des Nations was an individual time trial for professional racing cyclists. Held annually in France, it was instituted in 1932 and often regarded as the unofficial time trial championship of the world and as a Classic cycle race. The race was the idea of a Parisian newspaper editor...
despite being led off course and twice losing his chain.
Of his Circuit of Aquitaine ride, he said:
Professional career
Denson's club recommended him to Maurice de Muer, manager of the Pelforth-Sauvage Lejeune professional team. De Muer promised him a contract if he won a stage of the Circuit d'Aquitaine and rode well in the Grand Prix des Nations. Denson signed with Pelforth in October 1963, when he was 27, riding in the yellow, white and blue of the French brewery and its cosponsor, a bicycle factory. He was the second Englishman in the team, with Alan RamsbottomAlan Ramsbottom
Alan Ramsbottom was a professional racing cyclist from Clayton-le-Moors, England, who twice rode the Tour de France.-Amateur career:Ramsbottom was a talented amateur in Britain in the late 1950s...
.
He came 10th in Milan – San Remo and in Paris–Nice but didn't make Pelforth's Tour team. Denson was already unhappy with Pelforth, where the policy was to pay riders' salaries at the end and not during the season. He was already reduced to eating carrots found in fields while training. Not riding the Tour was a further financial blow.
He left Troyes in 1964, hoping for a place with 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. When the place didn't become free, he moved to 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...
, in 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...
. There, if he couldn't ride for Simpson he could at least train with him. In races, however, they would be rivals; Denson was to ride for Rik van Looy in the Solo team, sponsored by a margarine
Margarine
Margarine , as a generic term, can indicate any of a wide range of butter substitutes, typically composed of vegetable oils. In many parts of the world, the market share of margarine and spreads has overtaken that of butter...
company. He was the only foreigner in the team and never did master the Dutch that the rest of team spoke.
The team won six stages of that year's Tour de France.
That autumn, at the world championship at Sallanches
Sallanches
Sallanches is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-Media:Sallanches is mentioned in American author Willa Cather's 1935 novel Lucy Gayheart.-External links:*...
, France, 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 his directeur-sportif
Directeur sportif
A directeur sportif is a person directing a cycling team during a road bicycle racing event...
, Raphaël Géminiani
Raphael Geminiani
Raphaël Géminiani is a French former road bicycle racer. He had six podium finishes in the Grand Tours. He is one of four children of Italian immigrants who moved to Clermont-Ferrand. He worked in a cycle shop and started racing as a boy...
, said they had been watching Denson and wanted him for a team they were creating, sponsored by Ford-France. Denson stayed with Anquetil when the sponsor changed to Bic
BIC
-Places:* Le bic, Rimouski, Quebec, Canada** Bic National Park, Quebec nationa located near the village of Le bic. See List of Quebec national parks* Bîc River, Moldova* Bic, a village administered by Şimleu Silvaniei town, Sălaj County, Romania...
, opened a bar in Ghent, and had what he called the happiest years of his racing life.
Simpson's death
Denson rode for Britain in the 1967 Tour de France. During it, his friend Tom Simpson died almost at the top of Mont VentouxMont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux is a mountain in the Provence region of southern France, located some 20 km northeast of Carpentras, Vaucluse. On the north side, the mountain borders the Drôme département. It is the largest mountain in the region and has been nicknamed the "Giant of Provence", or "The Bald...
. He said of the hours at the hotel waiting for news of his leader:
Next day the French rider, Jean Stablinski
Jean Stablinski
Jean Stablewski, known as Jean Stablinski was a French professional cyclist from a family of Polish immigrants. He rode from 1952 to 1968, winning 105 races as a professional...
, said the remaining riders wanted Denson, as Simpson's closest friend, to ride ahead of the race and win for Simpson. The victory went instead to Barry Hoban
Barry Hoban
Barry 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...
, who said he found himself at the front but remembers nothing else. Denson is still upset.
Denson lost heart, began missing contracts. He recovered by the end of the year and talked to the Italian team, Molteni
Molteni
Molteni was an Italian professional road bicycle racing team from 1958 until the end of 1976. It won 663 races, many of them earned by its most famous rider, Eddy Merckx. Other riders included Gianni Motta and Marino Basso, who contributed 48 and 34 wins respectively...
, about joining. Instead he signed for Kelvinator to ride the Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
. A year later (1968) he returned to Britain and rode for the domestic professional team, Bantel.
Giro d'Italia
Denson won a stage of the Giro d'ItaliaGiro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
, stage 9 in 1966
1966 Giro d'Italia
The 1966 Giro d'Italia of cycling, 49th edition of the Corsa Rosa, was held from 18 May to 8 June 1966. It consisted of 22 stages and was won by Gianni Motta.The points classification was introduced in this edition.- Final classment:...
before finishing 40th overall. He said:
Denson said Italian fans often made a pretence of helping push foreign riders up hills while pulling at their brakes to slow them down.
He said his time-trialling experience helped him chase riders like Motta.
Private life and retirement
In 1969 Denson opened a wood-treatment business near HarlowHarlow
Harlow is a new town and local government district in Essex, England. It is located in the west of the county and on the border with Hertfordshire, on the Stort Valley, The town is near the M11 motorway and forms part of the London commuter belt.The district has a current population of 78,889...
, Essex, before dropping out of professional racing. He now races as an amateur.
Denson was known in continental Europe as Vic, a name he acquired because Vin - short for Vincent - is French for "wine".