My only uncertainty is if some other Brit may have won the mens amateur road race. Most net searches will turn up a history of world professional champions, but for a number of years there was an amateur road championship as well. Merckx won it before turning pro, and it was still being held in 1974 when I attend the Worlds in Montreal, with a Pole named Kowalski winning as I recall. At some point, I think the amateur event was eliminated and the Pro race redesignated "Elite". Then in I think 1996, the under 23 road race was established, perhaps intended to include some of the riders who in the past would have contested the amateur title.
Anyone have a link to the history of the amateur road championships and a list of its champions?
Regards,
Jerry Moos
> From: Jerome & Elizabeth Moos <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net>
\r?\n> Subject: Re: [CR] happy birthday tom simpson
\r?\n> To: "Dale Brown" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>, "Burl Simon" <burl.simon@gmail.com>
\r?\n> Date: Monday, November 30, 2009, 2:05 PM
\r?\n> Well, Simpson was the first MALE Brit
\r?\n> to win the world road race championship, in 1965.
\r?\n> Beryl won the world championship road race in 1960 and 1967
\r?\n> as well as five world titles in pursuit on the track.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Unless I'm forgetting someone, Simpson was not only the
\r?\n> first, but the only male Brit to win the world road race
\r?\n> championship. Irishmen don't count. (Well they
\r?\n> count, but not as Brits.)
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Regards,
\r?\n>
\r?\n> Jerry Moos
\r?\n> Big Spring, Texas, USA
\r?\n>
\r?\n> --- On Mon, 11/30/09, Burl Simon <burl.simon@gmail.com>
\r?\n> wrote:
\r?\n>
\r?\n> > From: Burl Simon <burl.simon@gmail.com>
\r?\n> > Subject: [CR] happy birthday tom simpson
\r?\n> > To: "Dale Brown" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
\r?\n> > Date: Monday, November 30, 2009, 12:46 PM
\r?\n> > happy birthday to tom simpson who
\r?\n> > would be 72 today if he had not passed
\r?\n> > away on mt. ventoux during the 1967 tour. simpson was
\r?\n> the
\r?\n> > first brit to wear
\r?\n> > the yellow jersey in the tdf and the first brit to win
\r?\n> the
\r?\n> > world
\r?\n> > championship road race. he may be one the two best
\r?\n> cyclists
\r?\n> > ever from great
\r?\n> > britain with the other being arguably beryl burton.
\r?\n> > burl simon
\r?\n> > in a chilly detroit, michigan u.s.a. on 11.30.2009