1. Vincent Denson was born on 24 November 1935 and is a former professional racing cyclist who rode the Tour de France, won a stage of the Giro d'Italia and won the Tour of Luxembourg in the 1960s.
34 Facts About Vin Denson
1. 2.
Vin Denson was a team-mate of Rik Van Looy and of Jacques Anquetil and, in the Tour de France, of Tom Simpson.
3.
Vin Denson was the first British rider to win a stage of the Giro, before finishing 40th overall.
4.
Vin Denson had his first bike at 12, a black Hercules Falcon borrowed from his brother and with wooden blocks fitted to the pedals to make it smaller.
5.
Vin Denson began riding to Helsby Hill, Rhyl and Prestatyn and went youth-hostelling.
6.
Vin Denson was inspired by his French teacher at school, who had lived in France, whose hero was Jean Robic and who gave his class Miroir du Cyclisme to study.
7.
Vin Denson finished four times in the top 12 of the British Best All-Rounder competition, which aggregates rides over 50 and 100 miles and 12 hours.
8.
Vin Denson came seventh in the Milk Race in 1959 and fifth in 1960.
9.
Vin Denson finished the Peace Race of 1960 and 1961 in 17th and 27th.
10.
Vin Denson failed to make the British team for the Olympic Games and took out a licence as an independent, or semi-professional, for Temple Cycles in 1961.
11.
Vin Denson rode for Britain in the 1961 Tour de France, which was for national teams.
12.
Vin Denson dropped out on the col de la Republique, known as the col du Grand Bois, outside St-Etienne.
13.
Vin Denson returned to York, where he and his wife, Vi, were buying a house.
14.
In March 1962 they decided to return to France, travelling to Paris and then to Troyes, where Vin Denson joined the UVC Aube club, sponsored by Frimatic.
15.
Vin Denson won the GP Frimatic by four minutes and then the eight-day Vuelta Bidasoa, in Spain.
16.
Vin Denson won a stage of a professional race, the Circuit d'Aquitaine in France and came sixth in the Grand Prix des Nations despite being led off course and twice losing his chain.
17.
Vin Denson's club recommended him to Maurice de Muer, manager of the Pelforth-Sauvage Lejeune professional team.
18.
Vin Denson signed with Pelforth in October 1963, when he was 27, riding in the yellow, white and blue of the French brewery and its cosponsor, a bicycle factory.
19.
Vin Denson was the second Englishman in the team, with Alan Ramsbottom.
20.
Vin Denson was already unhappy with Pelforth, where the policy was to pay riders' salaries at the end and not during the season.
21.
Vin Denson was already reduced to eating carrots found in fields while training.
22.
Vin Denson left Troyes in 1964, hoping for a place with Tom Simpson in the Peugeot team.
23.
In races they would be rivals; Vin Denson was to ride for Rik Van Looy in the Solo team, sponsored by a margarine company.
24.
Vin Denson was the only foreigner in the team and never did master the Dutch that the rest of team spoke.
25.
That autumn, at the world championship at Sallanches, France, Jacques Anquetil and his directeur-sportif, Raphael Geminiani, said they had been watching Vin Denson and wanted him for a team they were creating, sponsored by Ford-France.
26.
Vin Denson stayed with Anquetil when the sponsor changed to Bic, opened a bar in Ghent, and had what he called the happiest years of his racing life.
27.
Vin Denson rode for Britain in the 1967 Tour de France.
28.
Vin Denson said of the hours at the hotel waiting for news of his leader:.
29.
Vin Denson said 'We've had positive news from the hospital.
30.
Vin Denson recovered by the end of the year and talked to the Italian team, Molteni, about joining.
31.
Vin Denson won a stage of the Giro d'Italia, stage 9 in 1966 before finishing 40th overall.
32.
Vin Denson said Italian fans often made a pretence of helping push foreign riders up hills while pulling at their brakes to slow them down.
33.
Vin Denson said his time-trialling experience helped him chase riders like Motta.
34.
In 1969 Vin Denson opened a wood-treatment business near Harlow, Essex, before dropping out of professional racing.