SEAN KELLY - Ireland's most successful classic hunter turns 70
Photo: Getty Images/Tim de Waele https://www.tour-magazin.de/en/people-and-types/sean-kelly-ireland-s-most-successful-classic-hunter-turns-70/ Thomas Musch - Tour magazin 13.05.2026 On 24 May, one of the most popular professional cyclists of the 1980s celebrates his 70th birthday: Sean Kelly won a total of 194 races between 1977 and 1994 and was one of the most dominant riders of his era. The Irishman from Carrick-on-Suir was one of the most versatile cyclists of his time. He won four of cycling's five monuments several times , including Paris-Roubaix twice and the Tour of Lombardy three times. At Paris-Nice, Sean Kelly set a record that still stands today with seven consecutive victories between 1982 and 1988. He won the Vuelta a España in 1988 and secured the green jersey of the best sprinter four times at the Tour de France . From 1984 to 1989, Kelly led the cycling world rankings for five consecutive years. Sean Kelly: From farmer's son to professional cyclist Born in W...