TOM WINS NIGHTMARE PREMIER
TORRENTIAL rain, strong winds, and many punctures made the Manx Premier road race into a professional rider’s nightmare.
There was in fact only one man in the race, one man who stood head and shoulders over even the great Lucien Aimar, last year’s Tour de France winner, one man who had, through little fault of his own, disappointed over 50,000 people at the week-end. That man was our own former world champion Tom Simpson, Peugeot-BP.
Once again the number of non-starters was noticeable when their numbers ran into double figures, although one of the most important, Arthur Metcalfe, Carlton-BMB, was lying in his hotel bed with food-poisoning.
After only one mile the race lost one of its best riders, late entry Dino Zandegu, Salvarani, when as the tight bunch tackled the first of the 20 steep climbs from the Manx Arms in Onchan, he was lying in the road nursing a badly hurt arm.
Guyot serviced
Only a mile further on, the service vehicle came rushing to the aid of French ace Bernard Guyot, but despite a long chase he gave best after 12 miles. The fact that Guyot was unable to regain the bunch gives one some idea of the form Simpson was in when he was forced to stop at the same point, and owing to a slow change was well in arrears on his restart.
Simpson closed the gap, approaching two minutes, in eight miles, pedalling in an immaculate unruffled style, and climbing to a smooth rhythm leaving in his wake riders who tried desperately to grasp his flying back wheel.
Meanwhile, Peter Hill, Peugeot-BP, and Lucien Aimar, Bic, were out in front, taking the primes and holding on to a 20-second lead .By 20 miles however their lead was cut, and then they were all together with the rain sweeping own off the Mountain and out across the desolate tops of Cronk-ny-Mona.
At the 32-mile point Wes Mason, Trumanns Steel/Manchester Wh., gave the weather best, just as plucky Billy Perkins, Ryall-Weldwork, decided to push his neck out and go. Taking the prime, Billy soon had a lead of 20 seconds, and this was the basis of the winning break.
After six miles alone Perkins found himself in the esteemed company of Simpson, and on the 13th climb of the hill the winning break went to join them. The break, of Roger Claridge and Perkins, Ryall-Weldwork, Dick Goodman, Trumanns Steel, Evert Dolman, Middlekamp, Michael Wright, Groene-Leeuw, Bob Addy, Holdsworth-Campagnolo, and Tom Simpson, rapidly began to leave the field in its wake, and the quickest to react was the squat figure of Lucien Aimar, who caught them within a mile of their move.
After a further four miles another of the Continentals had bridged the gap, André Middelkoop, Middlekamp, — many of our top riders confined to the bunch.
Hill too late
Peter Hill, who had worked very hard all the race, found himself having to close the gap alone, and just as he was about to make contact Simpson was preparing his winning move.
As he won the Grandstand prime, he just kept on going, and there wasn’t a rider in the break who could match this brilliant athlete, as he calmly rode away, leaving them helpless in his wake.
In two miles he had 45 seconds, and Hill had made contact with the group, while Michael Wright had punctured. With 60 miles done his lead was up to 1-30, and Wright had re-joined the chasing group
Four miles later Simpson’s lead had zoomed to 2-20, and in the group Hill was paying dearly for his earlier efforts and kept on losing contact up the hill. Simpson had now been forgotten by the race and no-one was trying to start a counter-move, allowing his lead to grow and grow. With six miles left Aimar attacked at the same place as Simpson had, splitting the break into two groups and getting himself a lead of 20 seconds.
Lawrie chase
In the back group was Australian Bill Lawrie, who had put up one of the most sterling performances in the race, having been dropped early in the race and rejoined; he had been out on his own chasing the break for over an hour, making contact just in time to see Aimar go.
Dick Goodman, the man who says he isn’t good enough for the Tour, was now the best-placed home rider, with amateur world champion Evert Dolman and Michael Wright. One had the impression here that the Continentals were all having a share in the prizes, as neither would help him take up the chase to bring back Aimar, who was still only just ahead.
So it was left to British champion Goodman to tow the other two, leaving the sprint as a formality.
Simpson had overtaken four miles out a very sad Dave Bonner, Mackeson, and many other riders, whom he passed on his ride to victory.
|
