John Atkins (cyclist)

John Atkins
Personal information
Full name	John Atkins
Born	7 April 1942; England; Great Britain
Team information
Discipline	Cyclo-cross
Role	Rider
Amateur team
Professional teams
1968	Marsh and Baxter
1969	Carlton - Truwel
1970	Fred Baker
1971–1972	TI -Carlton
1973–1975	TI - Raleigh
1975–1979	Viscount - Shimano
1978–1979	Harry Quinn - Galli

John Atkins (born 7 April 1942[1]), is a British former racing cyclist specialising in cyclo-cross, and 12 times national cyclo-cross champion. He was a professional cyclist between 1968 and 1979.

Biography

Atkins was born in Coventry, the son of Edith and Roland (Ron) Atkins. His mother was a prolific breaker of long-distance cycling records in the 1950s.

John Atkins began cycling on the cleared areas and bomb sites that followed intensive bombing of Coventry in the Second World War. He started racing at 17.

He won his first national cyclo-cross championship in 1961 when he was 19. He was in a group of four and passed them by taking a longer route to the right around bushes where the others had ridden to the left.[2] It gave him a few seconds' lead that he held to the finish.

He won again in 1962 but was handicapped until 1966 by a stomach ulcer. He dominated cyclo-cross in Britain for the next 10 years.

He came fifth in the 1968 world championship, then turned professional for a sausage-maker, Marsh & Baxter. A year later he moved to Carlton Cycles for five years. He rode for Viscount-Shimano from 1975 to 1978 and then for Harry Quinn Cycles. He retired in 1979.

Atkins founded John Atkins Cycles in Coventry, now known as Coventry Cycle Centre.[3][4] After retiring from professional cycling, Atkins ran a cycle and toy shop in Pwllheli on the Llŷn Peninsula.

Palmarès

1961: 1st British National Cyclo-cross Championships
1962: 1st British National Cyclo-cross Championships
1963: 2nd British National Cyclo-cross Championships
1966: 1st British National Cyclo-cross Championships
1967: 1st British National Cyclo-cross Championships
1968: 1st British National Cyclo-cross Championships
1969: 1st British National Cyclo-cross Championships; 1st Three Peaks Cyclo-Cross
1970: 1st British National Cyclo-cross Championships; 1st Three Peaks Cyclo-Cross
1971: 1st British National Cyclo-cross Championships
1972: 1st British National Cyclo-cross Championships
1973: 1st British National Cyclo-cross Championships
1974: 1st British National Cyclo-cross Championships
1975: 2nd British National Cyclo-cross Championships
1976: 2nd British National Cyclo-cross Championships; 1st Three Peaks Cyclo-Cross
1977: 1st British National Cyclo-cross Championships
1978: 2nd British National Cyclo-cross Championships

References

"Profile". The Cycling Website. Archived from the original on 4 May 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2008.
"Coventry - John's Results". Ride Coventry. Retrieved 15 September 2008.
"Coventry Cycle Centre". Archived from the original on 4 August 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
"John Atkins Cycles". Archived from the original on 4 August 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2008.

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[1] "Profile". The Cycling Website. Archived from the original on 4 May 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2008.

[2] "Coventry - John's Results". Ride Coventry. Retrieved 15 September 2008.

[3] "Coventry Cycle Centre". Archived from the original on 4 August 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2008.

[4] "John Atkins Cycles". Archived from the original on 4 August 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2008.