Brushes with the famous...

[Deveron53]

Anybody got stories of meeting/seeing the famous riders of yesteryear?

I'd be interested to hear.

Here's 2 of mine:

I took some photos of the start of the Milk Race in Bridlington about 1990. Years later, I realised that the rider in the US amateur road team kit was in fact John Tomac! In Bridlington!

About three years ago I was in Cannock Chase car park and saw a large camper van with GT stickers all over it parked up near the coffee shop. It was a foul day, piddling down with rain and the driver of the large RV was trying to find the campsite. He walked back to his vehicle and it was then that I realised I had spotted Hans Rey! I had a 1991 GT catalogue in the boot of my car that day, stupidly I didn't think to get it signed...

 

[Pickle]

I met and chatted with Chris Boardman at the start of the TDF in Holland (95?).

Also spoken to Nick Craig at a cyclo cross meet in Leicester back in 94ish, that was when he rode for DBR and I was on my Diamond Back in full kit!

 

[lewis1641]

er i saw a volvo cannondale volvo on the m1 near sheffield.

 

[legrandefromage]

I used to ride with Aidy Bright (former MBUK rider)

 

[jonnyboy666]

i go to the alps most years but 2004 i took 2 mates with me, we were at the bottom of the pleny lift in morzine when cedric gracia came round the corner, my mate ben who was only 17 at the time was awe struck, i suggested he ask for a photo, so i took the pic thinking i wish cedric's mate would get out of the picture.



his mate was steve peat!!!

in my defence:-

he had full kit and helmet on but his bike was drowned in a sea of other bikes and his kit was hardley different to any of the other hundreds of downhillers with royal/661 kit on

 

[drystonepaul]

I met and chatted with David Baker and Paul Hinton in their Team Raleigh car whilst watching a stage of the Tour of Britain in about 1993/94.
Later in the day I saw Jimmy Saville hanging out of the sunroof of one of the peloton tail cars.

Best day of my life.

 

[drystonepaul]

Also Nick Craig still lives quite near to me and I've seen him riding his road bike a few times over the years.
I used to have a summer job at a garden centre, and Nick and his wife turned up to buy some shrubbery.
I had a good chat with him about his training and racing. He was with DBR at the time and had his little DBR van with him.
Really nice friendly chap is Nick.

 

[velomaniac]

DaveDH of MacRetroland took part in races with Steve Peat and John Tomac although their respective placings from his were light years apart

I however count myself honoured to have met some of you lot, most of whom being mtb Gods in comparison to me

 

[sinnett177]

I lent Adrian Timmis my bike once

I also raced motocross with a guy called Tim Davis who wore alpinestars clothing, never put two and two together until I got chatting to him through retrobike

 

[reanimation]

BMXer John Taylor seems to be chatting to us on the video a mate Charles and I made in 1994 at King of Dirt Coppul. Also some other guys who probs famous just didn't know em!
Caught Jamie Bestwick on vid doing vert, and flip attempts too at Wakefield indoor park, bet he hated us. :?