Tom Simpson
It is the 40th anniversary of the death of Tom Simpson on the slopes of Ventoux.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Simpson
george
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Simpson
george
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Comments
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WIlliam Fotheringham has written a good piece on this;
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/ ... n_whi.html0 -
yeah, i have been thinking about the number one dude of british cycling. i think wiggins is making his own little tribute with his break today.Jonny
FGG 2545, 29830 -
They have just said that on commentary. A fitting effort Bradley.0
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Put Me Back On the Bike is one of the better cycling bios, Even in my 40's his ability was not something I was THAT aware of until I read it. Everyone from my generation and younger probably belives Robert Millar to have been our best pro racer, but Tommy was easily in a class above IMO.0
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I cycled up Ventoux twice last week prior to La Marmotte. Started off in 30 degrees plus pouring water over my head, by the time I got to Simpson's memorial the mist and temp had fallen with an eerie vapour coming from the road surface. Very atmospheric and quite an emotional moment as my first time up there.Sometimes you have to lose yourself
before you can find anything.0 -
re Tom Simpson being the best British rider, have a look at their respective pages on wikipedia and compare their achievements. Millar seems to have a bit of an edge to me.0
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Great day yesterday on the mountain. A fantastic atmosphere. Perfect weather.
A goup set off from Bedoin at 9am and there was a ceremony at 11.30 with Tom's daughter Joanne cutting the ribbon to open the new steps to the memorial.
We estimated over 1000 visitors between 11am and 1pm.
Here's some pics.
http://www.veloventoux.com/misc/group.jpg
http://www.veloventoux.com/misc/joanne.jpg
http://www.veloventoux.com/misc/memorial.jpg
http://www.veloventoux.com/misc/newsteps.jpg0 -
craigenty wrote:Great day yesterday on the mountain. A fantastic atmosphere. Perfect weather.
A goup set off from Bedoin at 9am and there was a ceremony at 11.30 with Tom's daughter Joanne cutting the ribbon to open the new steps to the memorial.
We estimated over 1000 visitors between 11am and 1pm.
Here's some pics.
http://www.veloventoux.com/misc/group.jpg
http://www.veloventoux.com/misc/joanne.jpg
http://www.veloventoux.com/misc/memorial.jpg
http://www.veloventoux.com/misc/newsteps.jpg
I see from those pics that my Bill Nickson sticker has been removed.
Tom's last few meters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3miyWxFt-c
george0 -
jibi wrote:craigenty wrote:Great day yesterday on the mountain. A fantastic atmosphere. Perfect weather.
A goup set off from Bedoin at 9am and there was a ceremony at 11.30 with Tom's daughter Joanne cutting the ribbon to open the new steps to the memorial.
We estimated over 1000 visitors between 11am and 1pm.
Here's some pics.
http://www.veloventoux.com/misc/group.jpg
http://www.veloventoux.com/misc/joanne.jpg
http://www.veloventoux.com/misc/memorial.jpg
http://www.veloventoux.com/misc/newsteps.jpg
I see from those pics that my Bill Nickson sticker has been removed.
Tom's last few meters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3miyWxFt-c
george
Yes there is now a little plaque requesting that people don't put stickers on the memorial. It took Joanne a day and half and 2 gallons of solvent to clean it up
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Work has started on a set of steps from the road (last Wednesday) to the memorial-should improve it“It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best..." Ernest Hemingway0
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Craigenty
Thanks for the photos. Am heading down that way in August, with the family, was wondering about doing Ventoux...I think you've just made my mind up.
Cheers.0 -
Ken Night wrote:Work has started on a set of steps from the road (last Wednesday) to the memorial-should improve it
More steps? :?0 -
I've just finished reading 'Put me back on my bike' and for me it's on a par with my all time favorite read, Touching the Void ironically about another Simpson.
It's interesting how the problem of drugs in sport has not gone away and probably never will. In the days of Simpson (Tom not Joe) Amphetamines seemed to be considered more as supplement rather than a potentially life threatening drug. Although at the time the dangers were made apparent by a number of close calls and then finally highlighted by Simpson's death.
The auther refers to the Festina saga in the late 90's almost bewildered by the fact that nothing has changed. With the more recent drug related deaths of other pro riders such as Pantani and doping scandals in the last few years of the Tour de Farce.
Will cycling ever be able to rid its self of the use of performance enhancing drugs or is it so ingrained in the culture of the sport that it'll be cycling forever?It's all good.0 -
Not until you you remove the low pay and short-term contract insecurity of the peloton. It like how it was for footballers in the 1950s.0
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jibi wrote:It is the 40th anniversary of the death of Tom Simpson on the slopes of Ventoux.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Simpson
george
I remember him well and that shows I'm getting old'
Saw him at Herne Hill and the 1963 Ronde :roll:
Ah the 63 Ronde after all that snow from the 27th Dec 62 (we all went to work that day after xmas) to the end of March 63.
Touch and go if we would go but the Air Ferry was booked and we got 4 sightings of .. Van Looy & Tom.Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 19720
