Colin, are you saying Beryl Burton, even at the height of her career, had to pay for the frames she rode? I know that women's cycling at that time was not well supported financially, but I would think that the greatest cyclist, by some measures, in the history of Britain would at least have received free frames and components, if not much cash. I've come to hate most professional athletes today as arrogant, greedy, disloyal and too often downright criminal, but if one of the greatest female athletes in the history of the world could not even make a living at sport or even have gear provided, I think that was disgraceful at the opposite extreme. Maybe I'm misunderstanding your comments, but why would Beryl have ridden Anquetil-branded frames if she had to pay for them?
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Big Spring, Texas, USA
> From: Colin Laing <colin_laing@yahoo.com>
\r?\n> Subject: [CR] Anquetil bikes
\r?\n> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
\r?\n> Date: Monday, January 26, 2009, 10:07 AM
\r?\n> from Colin Laing
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Doug just about has it all correct, The mass produced
\r?\n> Anquetil's were indeed imported by Ron Kitching from
\r?\n> Andre Bertin in Northern France ( they had a great export,
\r?\n> import thing going eversince Ron would ride his bike over to
\r?\n> France just after the war and fill his saddle bag with
\r?\n> goodies for his then starter shop)
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Of course, Beryl had bikes built by all and sundry, even I
\r?\n> made a couple, her husband Charlie worked in the warehouse
\r?\n> at Ron's but Beryl was never sponsored and had to pay
\r?\n> for everything,,,,this even though they (at that time )
\r?\n> rented an apartment from Ron in Station Road Harrogate.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> The pencil stays were vogue in those days and older riders
\r?\n> must remember "the Flying Scot's " made by
\r?\n> David Ratteray in Glasgow which had even thinner fork blades
\r?\n> , for whatever reason.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> On the fall-out between Eddy, Colnago and the "big
\r?\n> chance" for De Rosa, this all started at the Barcelona
\r?\n> Worlds, I happened to be in the pit when the "row"
\r?\n> started , it was due to mechanics and not frames...upset
\r?\n> Eddy so much, he only finished 4th behind Gimondi, Ocana ,
\r?\n> and Maertens...the rest of the story is non of my beezwax so
\r?\n> I don't repeat it,
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Thanks for listening, Colin Laing, Chandler, Arizona, U.S.A