1948 London Olympics Road Race route

dabber

I know the 1948 Olympics road race took place in Windsor Park and a while back I saw a map that gave the route. I've since tried googling to find the map but with no luck. As I often end up riding in Windsor Park I thought I'd like to try and ride the same route. As the park is pretty much anchored back in time I can't imagine that many of the roads in there have changed much.

If anyone can point me in the right direction (pun intended) .... cheers!

disquieting_museeuws

It can be found on page 332 of this pdf report on the 1948 games:

http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/Offi ... OR1948.pdf

dabber

That's terrific... thanks a lot. I know exactly where all those roads are and you can do the whole route still. There's just a short section on public roads outside of the park.

It says 1 lap is 7 miles 202 yards and they did 17 laps. Total 120 miles 914 yards.

I don't think I could manage 17 laps though.. apart from my legs I think boredom would be too much.

Cheers again

disquieting_museeuws

That's OK, I like the historical stuff. There's a report on the race in the document, you could re-create the whole thing - if you do, can I volunteer to be that annoying bloke in a raincoat and trilby who gets in the way of the race, and seems to be ever-present in early cycling footage

Stone Glider

Wonderful, I read the report, washed out track, punctures, that deadly,stilted language However I found the map on page 460 :?

Edit: I just noticed that a Signor Ferrari led the Italian team home and that a G. Thomas came 8th for Great Britain.

dabber

I just had a play with the ridewithgps.com mapping site and tried inputting the Windsor Olympic route. I think I've got it right.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/270096

Le Commentateur

I've found the newsreel highlights. Seems it was peeing down with rain on the day itself:

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=51226

Some sound kicks in briefly at around 30 seconds. There's also a wonderful comedy argument towards the end between two crashed riders, with body language Jacques Tati would have been inspired by.

term1te

I recently read Olympic Gangster, which covers the colourful life of Jose Beyaert, who won the race. I've lent the book out, but I think there were maps of the course and a good description of the race

dabber

Le Commentateur wrote:

I've found the newsreel highlights. Seems it was peeing down with rain on the day itself:

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=51226

Some sound kicks in briefly at around 30 seconds. There's also a wonderful comedy argument towards the end between two crashed riders, with body language Jacques Tati would have been inspired by.

Brilliant... thanks for that. The interesting thing is that the park hasn't changed at all and it's easy to recognise exactly where all the footage was taken. Just a shame there isn't a live commentary with the usual "Harry Enfield type voice". I just love the two guys at the end of the film squaring up to each other after they collided. Then a course car turns up... and it just had to be a Rolls Royce. Priceless.

Term1te wrote:

I recently read Olympic Gangster, which covers the colourful life of Jose Beyaert, who won the race. I've lent the book out, but I think there were maps of the course and a good description of the race

I just had a google and that book seems to be available from Amazon so I think I'll give it a go. Thanks!

random man

Dabber wrote:

I just had a play with the ridewithgps.com mapping site and tried inputting the Windsor Olympic route. I think I've got it right.

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/270096

I was brought up in Englefield Green, my mum still lives there, and I never knew this race was held in Windsor Great Park.
It would be handy if it was held there in 2012 but it's hardly the most taxing route for today's cycling supermen!

Brilliant piece of film though, and like you Dabber I recognise all of it.