Milk Race '83 or '84 - Help Needed!

Secteur

Hello all,

One of my earliest memories is of a big bike race that passed right past my front door. I still live in the same house and regularly ride up this road - it's a nice long (not too steep) hill with a few lumpy bits. It's in Bolton, and they are heading towards the Bolton / Bury / Blackburn borough border about a mile away. I recently met someone who was also there and took these photos from just outside my house. I have no idea what the route was, but I am guessing they would have turned left into Blackburn borough (Crawthorne, if you know it).

Anyway, can anyone please give me any information whatsoever about these riders. I'd love to know names, teams, trivia, the route of the day etc etc

I thought it might be nice to try and track down one or two of the riders and send them the photos - a nice bit of nostalgia from their racing days!

Thanks,

Secteur.

Photos in NO particular order;

Secteur

June 4th 1983 could be the date... if so...

(from http://www.bobkestrut.com/category/low- ... superstar/)
1983 Milk Race fun facts
1) 22 year old Matt Eaton was born in England and moved to the U.S. when he was 12. Still a British citizen, he returned to his native England when he was 17 in order to qualify for the junior world championships but was denied a position. Frustrated, he returned to the U.S. and became an American citizen. Then he made the British cycling establishment look decidedly stupid 5 years later.
2) Eaton’s American teammates: Chris Carmichael, Alexi Grewal, Andy Hampsten, Steve Speaks, Steve Tilford. All finished, and all certainly made names for themselves in the years to come.
3) British speed demon Malcolm Elliott won a record-breaking 6 stages and finished 3rd overall.
4) Amazingly, 24 years later, Malcolm Elliott and Steve Tilford are still rocking it at the upper echelons of competition.
5) Poor Paul Kimmage. He thought he had victory wrapped up for the Ireland national amateur squad when bad luck (an untimely flat, then a crash) during the penultimate stage saw him concede 12 minutes and the lead to Eaton.
6) Matt Eaton won the GC without winning a stage.
7) Current UCI baffoon-in-chief Pat McQuaid was the Irish team’s manager.
The West German amateur squad was managed by the legendary Klaus-Peter Thaler. Thaler had just retired from professional cycling and spent 1983 and 1984 working with the West German national team. With 5 weeks of training in his legs prior to the 1985 world cyclocross championships, Thaler came out of retirement and won a world ‘cross title.

tommybat

3rd pic: Paul Kimmage on the front, possibly Simeon Hempsall in the Milk Race white jersey.
4th pic: Sid Barras in the GB jersey
5th pic: possibly Dave Rayner in the red jersey
6th pic: Thurlow Rogers in the US jersey with Bob Downs on his wheel
7th pic: Steve Jones at the back
8th pic: possibly Lech Piaseki

mm1

In your pictures I've spotted:

Sean Yates;
Mick Bennett (Sweetspot Tour Series Promoter);
Kimmage;
Steve Jones;
Mark Bell: and Sid Barras.
Yates (Peugot Jersey) and Kimmage are in your 3rd picture.

Steve Tilford has blogged about the Milk Race recently.

If you post these on Veloriders, someone will no doubt be able to name every rider including the Poles and Russians.

Cleat Eastwood

heres a pic of the teams and numbers/names if you can make them out. 1983

byke68

Takes me back to when I first started cycling. The Bikes! And the riders I've not heard of for years. More old pics please!

Secteur

Waw - thanks for the outstanding replies!!! You guys know your stuff!!

I emailed Paul Kimmage off facebook, but I am not sure it's even him - hopefully he'll see the link and have a look.

I will spend some time on this and see what I can come up with, with all your excellent help!

Add more photos to this thread if you have any!

Do we agree this is 1983? Also do you agree that given this is Bolton, that it is the June 4th stage?

Cleat Eastwood

well that pic of names/teams is 1983 and they seem to match with the names others have suggested. See that matt eaton is down as 92 on the magazine pic and is wearing 92 U.S kit on your pic.

And funnily enough that self same stage went right past our estate. I remember me dad being p1ssed off having to wait to get out. how bizarre.

Secteur

CLint.... could it be... we might be........ related... :shock: :shock: :shock:

shockedsoshocked

Possibly Lech Piasecki with the tash, allegedly caught in a gay bar dressed as a woman i'm told!

giropaul

Picture 5 Czech rider is Palov, who later "defected" and joined ANC.

giropaul

Picture 2: Neil Martin on the outside of the bunch 3/4 way back

bigtim

Photo 6 last man on white Condor is Bob Downs from Essex

MarksMintness

Paul Kimmage, of Armstrong baiting fame! great memories, I remember being taken to see it pass through Leicester city centre round about 1990 maybe?