.............the referral to <<the intriguingly named Pierre Gachon>> riding
for the British team in the 1937 TdF got me checking up and it turns out he
was a French/Canadian who retired on the first stage. I believe it was a
composite team from Britain and Canada as Gachon is referred in some text as
riding for Canada and in other references as part of the three man team
riding for Britain.
.............Another more recent "unusual Brit" was Wiels-Groene Leeuw rider
Michael Wright born of British parents but raised in Belgium who won stages
in the Tour in 1965/1967/1973 and rode alongside other compatriots such as
Simpson/Denson/Hoban et al. Wright represented Britain at national level but
what was unusual about him was that he couldn't speak a word of English only
Flemish.
cheers
Griff King-Spooner (London UK)