Jeff Williams (cyclist)
Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | (1958-08-18) 18 August 1958 (age 66) Gorton, Manchester, England |
Team information | |
Discipline | Road |
Role | Rider |
Rider type | Climber |
Amateur teams | |
1979 | GS Strada |
1980 | Manchester Wheelers' Club |
1981 | ACBB |
Professional teams | |
1986 | Raleigh – Weinmann |
1987 | Raleigh – Banana |
Major wins | |
National Champion (1982) | |
Jeffrey Williams (born 18 August 1958) is an English former professional road racing cyclist from Manchester. He rode for Great Britain at the Olympic Games,[1] and won several national championship titles.
Cycling career
In 1979 Williams won his first British National Hill Climb Championships[2] setting a new course record that still stands to this day.[3] A rival, Andy Hitchens, who remembers it well, said: "Williams looked like he'd been on starvation rations for months — he was built like a sparrow. Some people assume that there was a howling tailwind that day, but there wasn't. It was sunny, but cool.”[3] In 1980 Williams joined the Manchester Wheelers' Club and was expected to win International honours during the next two or three seasons.[4] Later that year he won his first stage in the Sealink International finishing four minutes clear.[4] However Williams was left disappointed in the National Hill Climb Championships that year beaten into second place by Malcolm Elliott by only one fifth of a second after being knocked off his bike whilst warming up and receiving a broken nose and severe bruising.[4] At the age of 21 Williams competed for Great Britain in the individual road race at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games.[5][6] He was sponsored by Harry Hall Cycles.[7] Williams finished 47th, alongside Stephen Roche.[6] At the end of the 1980 season Williams publicly declared his intention of living and racing in France for the 1981 racing calendar with a view to turning professional[4] therefore joining the French club ACBB (Athletic Club de Boulogne Billencourt), Europe's most successful sports club.[8]
In 1982 Williams completed a unique double, of the British Road Race Championship and Hill Climb Championship becoming the first person ever to do so in the same season.[4] Williams competed in the individual road race at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane.[9][10][11]
In 1986 he joined Raleigh riding with Paul Sherwen, Mark Bell, Paul Watson and Jon Clay.[12] Williams retired at the end of the 1987 season. He was famed for his hill climbing ability and considered by many to be one of the most exciting riders, he scaled the heights throughout his career, but also plumbed the depths.[4]
Trivia
Williams starred in the intro for the Channel 4 coverage of the Tour de France throughout the late 80s to mid 90s (see video Video on YouTube). The music was composed by Pete Shelley of the Buzzcocks.[13]
Family Links
Jeff was brother-in-law to fellow Olympic cyclist Peter Longbottom (13 May 1959 – 10 February 1998).[6][14] He is also the younger brother of Mike Williams a former professional rider.[14]
Palmarès
- 1979
- 1st Tour of the Peaks
- 2nd Archer Grand Prix
- 2nd Overall, Premier Calendar
1st British National Hill Climb Championships
- 1980
- 1st stage 5, Sealink International
- 1st Archer Grand Prix
- 1st Tour of the Peaks
- 1st Tour of the Pennines (pro-am)
- 1st stage 2, Yorkshire Classic (Harrogate)
2nd British National Hill Climb Championships
- 47th Olympic Games, Road race
- 1981
- 1st Porthole Grand Prix[15]
- 2nd Grand Prix de la Ville de Lillers
- 2nd Paris – Ezy
- 2nd Tour of the Peaks
- 1st stage 2, Sealink International
1st British National Hill Climb Championships
- 1982
- 4th Overall, Circuit des Ardennes
- 4th Overall, Sealink International
- 1st stage 5, Sealink International
Winner of the British National Road Race Championships (Amateur)
- 2nd Archer Grand Prix
- 2nd Overall, Premier Calendar
- 16th Commonwealth Games, Road race
1st British National Hill Climb Championships
- 1983
- 2nd Hanley
- 6th Tour of the Cotswolds
- 1984
- 15th Overall, Milk Race
- 1985
2nd British National Road Race Championships (Amateur)
- 1986
- 3rd Wrekin
- 12th Overall, Milk Race
- 60th Overall, Nissan Classic
- 1987
- 1st Newby
References
- ^ "Jeffrey Williams". All sports Site. The-Sports.org. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
- ^ "National Hill Climb Results". Cycling Time Trials. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
- ^ a b "Hill Climb Record". Herald Express. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
- ^ a b c d e f "A History of Manchester Wheelers' Club" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
- ^ "Moscow 1980 Squad". British Olympic Association. Retrieved 1 February 2010.
- ^ a b c "Jeff Williams Statistics". Olympic Sports. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
- ^ "A Brief History of Harry Hall Cycles". January 2010. Archived from the original on 25 April 2010.
- ^ "ACBB". Retrieved 1 December 2009.
- ^ "1982 Commonwealth Games". Commonwealth Games Federation. February 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "1982 Athletes". Team England.
- ^ "Athletes and results". Commonwealth Games Federation.
- ^ "Raleigh-Weinmann". Mémoire du cyclisme.net. February 2010. Archived from the original on 17 January 2008.
- ^ "Tour de France theme tune". April 2010. Archived from the original on 28 March 2010.
- ^ a b "Family Links". Cycling Archives. February 2010.
- ^ "1981 Porthole Grand Prix info". April 2010.
External links
- Jeff Williams at Cycling Archives
- "Cycle Base".
- v
- t
- e
- Jack Holmes (1938)
- Jack Fancourt (1939)
- Reg Braddick (1944)
- J. A. O'Driscoll (1945)
- Ernie Clements (1946)
- Alex Taylor (1947)
- Bob Maitland (1948)
- A D Newman (1949)
- Gordon Thomas (1950)
- Peter Procter (1951)
- Graham Vines (1952)
- Ted Gerrard (1953)
- B J Sandy (1954)
- Bernard King (1955)
- Alan Jackson (1956)
- Ron Coe (1957 Independent)
- Stan Brittain (1957 Amateur)
- Bill Seggar (1958)
- Ernie Clements (1943)
- Percy Stallard (1944)
- Ernie Clements (1945)
- George Edwards (1946)
- E I Upton (1947)
- R C Ashwin (1948)
- Dave Bedwell (1949)
- Ralph Parkin (1950)
- Charlie Bland (1951)
- Mike Howarth (1952)
- Derek Evans (1953)
- Reg Browne (1954)
- Des Robinson (1955)
- Mike England (1956)
- Charlie Mather (1957)
- Bill Baty (1958)
(1946–1958)
- A H Clarke (1946)
- Dennis Jaggard (1947)
- Harold Johnson (1948)
- Bob Thom (1949)
- Leonard West (1950)
- Dave Bedwell (1951)
- Ian Steel (1952)
- Bob Maitland (1953)
- Arthur Ilsley (1954)
- Graham Vines (1955)
- not held in 1956
- Ron Coe (1958–1957)
(1959–1995)
- Bill Baty (1959)
- Bill Bradley (1960–(1961)
- Keith Butler (1962)
- Bob Addy (1963)
- Pete Gordon (1964)
- Les West (1965)
- Arthur Metcalfe (1966)
- Les West (1967)
- Pete Matthews (1968)
- Brian Jolly (1969)
- Dave Rollinson (1970–1971)
- Doug Dailey (1972)
- Grant Thomas (1973)
- William Nickson (1974)
- Kevin Apter (1975)
- Doug Dailey (1976)
- Steve Lawrence (1977)
- Robert Millar (1978–1979)
- Steve Lawrence (1980)
- Mark Bell (1981)
- Jeff Williams (1982)
- John Cavanagh (1983)
- Neil Martin (1984)
- Paul Watson (1985)
- Deno Davie (1986)
- Paul Curran (1987)
- Neil Hoban (1988)
- David Cook (1989)
- Simeon Hempsall (1990)
- John Hughes (1991)
- Simon Bray (1992)
- Rob Harris (1993–1994)
- Simon Bray (1995)
(1959–1995)
- Ron Coe (1959)
- race was not held in 1960
- Dave Bedwell (1961)
- John Harvey (1962)
- Albert Hitchen (1963)
- Keith Butler (1964)
- Albert Hitchen (1965)
- Dick Goodman (1966)
- Colin Lewis (1967–1968)
- Bill Lawrie (1969)
- Les West (1970)
- Danny Horton (1971)
- Gary Crewe (1972)
- Brian Jolly (1973)
- Keith Lambert (1974)
- Les West (1975)
- Geoff Wiles (1976)
- Phil Edwards (1977)
- Phil Corley (1978)
- Sid Barras (1979)
- Keith Lambert (1980)
- William Nickson (1981)
- John Herety (1982)
- Phil Thomas (1983)
- Steve Joughin (1984)
- Ian Banbury (1985)
- Mark Bell (1986)
- Paul Sherwen (1987)
- Steve Joughin (1988)
- Tim Harris (1989)
- Colin Sturgess (1990)
- Brian Smith (1991)
- Sean Yates (1992)
- Malcolm Elliott (1993)
- Brian Smith (1994)
- Robert Millar (1995)
- Dave Rand (1996)
- Jeremy Hunt (1997)
- Matt Stephens (1998)
- John Tanner (1999–2000)
- Jeremy Hunt (2001)
- Julian Winn (2002)
- Roger Hammond (2003–2004)
- Russell Downing (2005)
- Hamish Haynes (2006)
- David Millar (2007)
- Rob Hayles (2008)
- Kristian House (2009)
- Geraint Thomas (2010)
- Bradley Wiggins (2011)
- Ian Stannard (2012)
- Mark Cavendish (2013)
- Peter Kennaugh (2014–2015)
- Adam Blythe (2016)
- Steve Cummings (2017)
- Connor Swift (2018)
- Ben Swift (2019)
- not held in 2020
- Ben Swift (2021)
- Mark Cavendish (2022)
- Fred Wright (2023)
- Ethan Hayter (2024)