British domestic pro scene late 80s / early 90s

gattocattivo

First of all, an explanation: I got into cycling as a teenager in 1988 and then drifted out of it when I went to university in 1991 (before eventually getting back into it again a few years ago). Because of this the period 1992-2007 is something of a void for me: apart from the Tour de France I scarcely saw or read about cycling during that time.

I was just thinking back to the domestic scene at the end of the 80s and from what I can remember the amateurs and professionals did different races. One of the first Cycling Weeklys that I bought had a report of a race in the Peak District (I think going up Snake Pass and then up Winnats Pass) which was won by Paul Curran. I think Curran turned pro after that and couldn’t do those races any more.

I think there were about four pro British teams, but I’m struggling to remember their names. Raleigh Banana were one of them, I think with a guy called Lillywhite, and maybe Ever Ready were another. I definitely remember Mark Walsham being maybe the best, but I can’t remember his team. There might have been a team called PMS-Dawes or PMS-Falcon. I’ve got a feeling the whole thing collapsed in the early 90s, but I can’t really remember.

What I wanted to know was:
1) What races did the domestic pros do at this time?
2) What races did the top amateurs do?
3) Did they ever compete in the same races? (e.g. Milk Race)
4) Am I right that the whole domestic pro thing collapsed?
5) When did the current BC Premier Calendar start up? Has it always been open to pros and amateurs? (In fact, is any distinction made nowadays?)

Pross

The main teams back then were Raleigh Banana (later Banana Falcon) who had the likes of Chris Lillywhite, Chris Walker, Shane Sutton and the late Dave Rayner . Ever Ready (Tony Doyle, Ben Luckwell) and Percy Bilton (Walsham, John Tanner). I think the pros raced against amateurs in Star Trophy races but not certain. That was the predecessor to the current Premier Calendar. The Milk Race was a pro am as was its Irish equivalent. I think the premier started in about 97 and the pro scene at that time was basically individual riders with sponsorship. This would have coincided with the new open system where the distinction between pro and am disappeared. The only team with any strength in the late 90s and early 2000s were built around Tanner and Walsham who dominated the series as the likes of Winn and Malarcyzck got worked over as individual riders. On the amateur front in the late 80s and early 90s Manchester Wheelers were dominant and more like a pro outfit.

Dave1 on here probably knows more as he would have raced regularly with a lot of the top riders back then.

itisaboutthebike

Yeah - the British pro scene all but collapsed in the early/mid 90's. Partly due to the early 90's recession and partly due to the Kellogs City Centre series becoming defunct (perhaps the recession fueled it's demise) - Alan Rushton (who ran the city centre series will be able to tell you).

My abiding memory of the city centre series is in 1984 on way to the one in Nottm. I was late and jumped a red light at Bramcote driving my dad's car - and got my only traffic violation !

The race you're referring to (over Snake/Winnats ) is probably the Tour of the Peak - previously part of the current Premier Calender series of races up until about 2007 I think. MArk Lovat won it several years in sucession.

andyp

The Premier Calendar started as early as 1993, I (and I think Dave_1 did too) rode the Tour of the Kingdom that year and it was a Premier Calendar event.

Thankfully it coincided with the last ever Milk Race, so many of the top domestic riders were riding that which meant I wasn't completely embarrassed.

colint

One of my first cycling memories is seeing Joey Mcloughlin win a race in
Liverpool that was televised, but I can't remember if it was part of the Milk Race or something else

cougie

This group may be what you want :

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=1 ... 3731816895

andyrac

colint wrote:

One of my first cycling memories is seeing Joey Mcloughlin win a race in
Liverpool that was televised, but I can't remember if it was part of the Milk Race or something else

Yeah, I went to watch that, was on a Thursday night in 1990 - still got a cycling cap somewhere. Was the City centre series, not sure who it was sponsored by though - FriendsProvident????

cougie

It was Kelloggs City Centre Cycling for at least one series ? That was the early 80s I think ?

RichN95.

cougie wrote:

It was Kelloggs City Centre Cycling for at least one series ? That was the early 80s I think ?

There was the Scottish Provident League - a city centre series which was definitely happening in 1992.

I know this because I wrote a report about the Bristol leg for the Bristol Uni newspaper (I was the Sports Editor). I still have a copy of that report. It says someone called Gary Coltman won. Chris Lillywhite was second.

eh

I think the split between amateurs and pros finished at the National Champs in about 1995, whith simply an Elite cat.

Other teams of the mid-nineties were Duracell (David Millar rode for them) and Ambrosio (Rob Hayles rode for them).

knedlicky

Perhaps not quite what you're seeking, but it was about then (between the advent of Marie Purvis and the emergence of Nicole Cooke), that Caroline Alexander had a few moments of göory, albeit mainly in the MTB field, but also on the road.

gattocattivo

Pross wrote:

The main teams back then were Raleigh Banana (later Banana Falcon) who had the likes of Chris Lillywhite, Chris Walker, Shane Sutton and the late Dave Rayner . Ever Ready (Tony Doyle, Ben Luckwell) and Percy Bilton (Walsham, John Tanner). I think the pros raced against amateurs in Star Trophy races but not certain. That was the predecessor to the current Premier Calendar..

Ah, Percy Bilton - that was it. I think that was the team Curran signed for. I'm not certain, but I don't think the Pros did race in the Star Trophy. In fact, I've got a feeling that if you'd been pro and then became amateur again you had to sit out a year without racing (but maybe that was RTTC rules, not BCF).

ju5t1n

British registered teams of the 90s...

1990

Air Marshall
Banana - Falcon
Bowflex -
Crown's Printers - Chafes - Giant
Ever Ready - Halfords
KJC Carpets - Thornhill
Offtex - Ricci
Percy Bilton - AMP
Peugeot UK
Raleigh - Itm

1991

AMS - Nigel Dean - Pacific
Banana - Falcon
British Eagle Cycles
Dave Bruce
Dawes Cycles
Geoffrey Butler
KJC Carpets - Revelation
Mike Quinn Cycles
Raleigh - Saab
Townsend Cycles

1992

Banana - Met Helmets
British Eagle Cycles
Condor - Diavolo
Geoffrey Butler - Look - Mavic
Peugeot UK - Look
Raleigh - Saab
Saracen Cycles

1993

Aire Valley Cycles Sports & Leisure
Banana Energy
Cyman Maxim
F.S. Maestro - British Eagle Cycles
Geoffrey Butler
KHS - Lotus
Kodak - Reebok - Continental
Neilson - Tivoli - Assos
Offtex - Dauphin Sport
Peugeot UK - Look
Raleigh
Saracen Cycles
Team Orange - Pertex
Tramontana - KHS

1994

Aire Valley Cycles
Choice Accoutancy
Creatabolin Futurama C10
Diamond Back Racing
F.S. Maestro - Wielersport
Foremost - Contract Furnisher
Geoffrey Butler
Kodak - Print Processing
Lex Retail Group - Townsend Cycles
Offtex - Dauphin Sport
Peugeot UK
Raleigh
Saracen Cycles
Schwinn
Taster of Ebenbridge - Ewhurst Controls
Team Orange - Pertex

1995

Aire Valley Cycles Sports & Leisure
All Media Services Futurama
Ambrosia Desserts - Continental
F.S. Maestro - Frigas
Geoffrey Butler Cycles - Lusso
GT - Shimano
Karrimor - Mongoose
KHS - Profresh - Parker - Shimano - Yamaka - Power Tool
Offtex - Dauphin Sport
Peugeot UK - Look - Bell
Radford Accountants - Sirius - Imp Sport
Raleigh - Continental
Roberts Cycles
Rocky Mountain Race Face
Schwinn - Chrysler
Team Orange - Pertex - Fir
Ulusoy - Tritech - Gill Airways

1996

Ambrosia Desserts - Continental
Cannons Sports - Bioracer
Gill Airways - Peugeot
IME Management
Karrimor - Mongoose
Raleigh
Sit & Sit - Heco - FS Maestro
Team Orange - Pertex

1997

Adidas
Cannondale
Cannons Sports
Gill Airways - Peugeot
Team Ambrosia Desserts - Continental
Torelli Imports

1998

Adidas
Brite Voice
Cannons Sports
Clarke Bros Contractors
Diamond Back
Harrod's - Giant
Linda McCartney Racing Team
Torelli Imports

1999

Amore & Vita - Giubileo Beretta
Harrod's-Principia-Finish Power
Linda McCartney Racing Team
Team Men's Health

Pseudonym

eh wrote:

Other teams of the mid-nineties were Duracell (David Millar rode for them)

Team Energy - the main sponsors were Duracell & Lucozade. Simon Bray was team leader and as far as I recall it was Millar's first 'proper' trade team. I still have one of their jerseys...and it still fits....

sportvan

Just watched an interesting Boon episode (Season 4 9."Love Letters from a Dead Man" (27 November 1989)).
Half the episode is based on dodgy dealings such as doping, race fixing etc and centres around the raleigh-banana team. The episode also features clips from a kellogs criterium which was won by dave rayner although the episode made it look like the actor had won. Worth watching if you get the time.

jimmythecuckoo

cougie wrote:

This group may be what you want :

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=1 ... 3731816895

Wow! that's like a dream group for me !!!

thegreatdivide

Some Kelloggs Tour of Britain from '89

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agRLRYZER6o

The Law is five mins from my front door.

Rodrego Hernandez

Pseudonym wrote:

eh wrote:

Other teams of the mid-nineties were Duracell (David Millar rode for them)

Team Energy - the main sponsors were Duracell & Lucozade. Simon Bray was team leader and as far as I recall it was Millar's first 'proper' trade team. I still have one of their jerseys...and it still fits....

Team Energy was an 'amateur' team rather than a proper trade team like Ambrosio or Banana. Millar rode for them as a junior then joined SG Bollington / VC St Quentin.