Sports Poets Society

John Pierce Photosport International  https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1736858731777381&set=a.417935973669670 txt by  Chris Sidles A woolly hat, a Peugeot jersey and a friendly hand on a young cyclist’s cap; Stephen Roche catches up with the next generation in the Wicklow Mountains. Believed to date from the winter of 1983, this photograph finds him between an important breakthrough and a difficult departure. That summer, Roche had finished his first Tour de France in 13th place. Third in the final time trial at Dijon, he also received a lesson from Jacques Anquetil . Before the start, Anquetil had spotted him chatting to his wife’s grandmother, who lived locally. Afterwards, the five-time Tour winner explained that Roche had surrendered time before turning a pedal; family conversations could wait, preparing for a time trial required complete concentration. Roche heeded that advice the rest of his career, but his lack of a Tour stage victory brought a more immediate a...

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1621857173277538&set=a.417935973669670 Welcome to Day 1 of Tales of the Tour by Chris Sidwells. Each day we will be sharing a story from the past that connects to the current stage. Read on for Day 1... The team time trial returns to the Tour de France today with new rules , but its essential meaning remains the same. It is a public examination of collective strength in cycling; eight riders, one rhythm, one line, one sponsor’s name repeated until it becomes a moving billboard of power. Few teams understood that better than one in today’s photo, Peter Post’s legendary TI-Raleigh squad, and few teams performed it with such chilling authority. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, TI-Raleigh owned Tour de France team time trials, winning all 8 between 1978 and 1982 . When they lined up in perfect file, they carried more than speed, they carried menace. Their rivals knew they were not just racing against the clock, but displaying order, strength, disc...

https://cyclinglegends.co.uk/blogs/long-reads/freddy-maertens-the-fortune-he-lost-and-the-life-he-kept Chris Sidwells - Cycling Legends  June 11, 2026 He rode like a rocket, earned like a star, then lost almost everything but found a way to live without bitterness. Some champions are remembered for what they won, some for what they lost. Freddy Maertens belongs to both, but neither explains him. He was devastating; fast, brave, extravagant in effort and indecently prolific. By the end of 1977 Freddy had won a world road race title, 8 stages in one Tour de France, 13 stages and overall victory in one Vuelta a España, and more than 100 professional races in 2 seasons. He was only 25. Cycling loves numbers, and Freddy’s numbers shine like beacons down the years. Fifty-two wins in 1976, 53 in 1977, 3 Tour de France green jerseys, 2 world road titles; classics, grand tour stages and week-long and single day races. Freddy was one of the fastest sprinters ever, but not just a sprinter. He...