R O T H A R . C O M

The “Manx Missile” has raised the bar in professional road racing setting the mark for the most TDF stage wins. Cavendish turned professional in 2005 and quickly made a name for himself as one of the greatest sprinters on the road.

His career highlights include an impressive 35 stage wins at the Tour de France, making him the most successful rider in the race’s history. He also won 17 stages at the Giro d’Italia and three at the Vuelta a España, bringing his total Grand Tour stage victories to 55. His achievements extend beyond stage wins; he won the points classification at the Tour de France twice (2011 and 2021) and the Giro d’Italia in 2013.

In addition to his Grand Tour successes, Cavendish claimed victories in prestigious one-day races, including the Milan-San Remo in 2009 and the World Road Race Championships in 2011. His aggressive and determined racing style, combined with his ability to out-sprint the best, has cemented his legacy in the sport.

Cavendish’s career has not been without challenges. At time it looked like we would lose him from the peloton due to injury or changing winds in team management and sponsor but he has battled on and his resilience and determination have always seen him through. His contributions to cycling have been recognised with numerous awards and honours, including being knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) for his services to the sport.

His legacy will continue to inspire future generations of cyclists.

Took the boys around the North Face trail at Grizedale. It’s only a 10 mile loop but it has a bit of variety and enough technical stuff to keep a couple of up and coming riders tested.

To the uninitiated, the North Face is a purpose-built MTB trail, offerring adrenalising section of singletrack descent and leg burning climbs. Be warned, there are plenty of challenging boardwalks (although far fewer than when it originally opened) and requires a moderate level of skill and fitness.

In addition to the biking trails we also did some hikes including up Dungeon Ghyll to Stickle Tarn only to discover it blowing a holly at the top. Good to get up there and better to get back down safely.

During the pandemic I became quite involved with the National Trust Rangers and some of the local riders in trying to establish and develop a small section of the pine woods for riding.

Unfortunately one of the challenges those of us who live locally face is those who visit and have a different relationship with the trails and the woods. That’s ranged from leaving litter, to ignoring the signage and most recently building outside of the designated trail area.

That’s put the Rangers in a difficult spot and the whole scheme at risk. In addition to the illegal jumps and other constructions they’re facing a growing problem with Suron riders who are a law unto themselves. It’s a tricky situation.

Made it to the end of another year with some decent weather to see a positive close to the calendar year and a chance to clock up some miles on the local trails. Managed a few but not enough rides in 2023, so here’s to hoping that 2024 is more generous on the biking front.

After 67 years Harry Hall Cycles in Manchester has closed. Many happy memories of having worked there during my time in the city. I joined the team when Freewheel in Manchester closed down and Nige and Big Matt who had given me a job as a mechanic moved across town to work for Simon and they put in a good word for me.

Initially at the Lever Street store off Piccadilly Gardens, then at the Whitworth Street West store just down the road the Hacienda, I worked with a great bunch of people over the years. I had several meetings with Harry (a world champion cyclist whose rainbow jersey was proudly displayed in the shop) and over the years did some great riding and racing with the lads I worked with – both on the road, at the Velodrome and on the trails. I have to say, I loved the demo days we used to run at Roman Lakes in Marple.

There was a great clientele who came from far and wide. Through Harry’s I was able to work as part of the service crew for the Commonwealth Games Triathlon event, I met Sir Chris Hoy and Bez from the Happy Mondays and many other well known figures from the Manchester scene.

I owned a couple of the original hand brazed Reynolds steel frames over the years from an era when Harry’s was well-known a frame builder internationally. They were made by the fabricators working in the basement workshops underneath the famous Corn Exchange – a location Harry’s had to move out of after the IRA bombing in 1996. When Eddy Merckx was setting up his frame building business, we came over to see Harry and take the measurements from the frame building jigs.

It’s sad to hear it’s no longer open for business.

No riding for a bit, waiting for my legs to heal up…