Manx Trophy

Last updated

Manx Trophy
Race details
DateJune
RegionIsle of Man
English nameManx Trophy
DisciplineRoad race
Competition Premier Calendar
TypeSingle day race
History
First edition1936 (1936)
Editionsc. 54
First winnerFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  Charles Holland  (GBR)
Most winsFlag of France.svg  Jean Baldessari  (FRA)
Flag of Ireland.svg  Seamus Elliott  (IRL)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Tom Simpson  (GBR)
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Paul Curran  (GBR)
(2 times)
Most recentFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  Matthew Holmes  (GBR)

The Manx Trophy or Isle of Man International Road Race is a bicycle road race run annually on the Isle of Man. In the 1960s the race attracted the world's top professional cyclists including Fausto Coppi, Jacques Anquetil and Eddy Merckx.

Contents

The race was a feature of the Isle of Man cycling festival, an annual event which ran from 1936 to 2003 and was started by journalist and cycling enthusiast Curwen Clague. The first festival included a massed-start road race (a rarity in mainland Britain at the time but allowed in the Isle of Man, a self-governing crown dependency) which featured the top riders of the day. Despite closed roads the race saw many crashes and only a few riders finished. The first winner was Charles Holland of Birmingham, later one of the first two Englishmen to ride the Tour de France.

The first event involved riders racing a single lap of the famous TT circuit of 37.75 miles (60.75 km). The course runs from Douglas to Ramsey then climbs for 5 mi (8 km) to a high point on the mountain of Snaefell at 1,384 ft (422 m) before descending to Douglas. The distance was later increased to two and then three laps (113 mi or 182 km).

The Manx Trophy was reintroduced in April 2016 as a one-day race by Manx International Cycling Ltd, named the Manx International Cycling GP, forming part of the British Cycling Spring Cup over 3 laps of the TT Mountain Circuit, and in 2017 hosted the National Road Race Championships where Steve Cummings won both the National Time Trial and Road Race events. In 2019 the event was relaunched as a 3 day stage race forming part of the HSBC UK|British Cycling National Mens Road Race Series.

Winners (not a complete list)

Manx Trophy/Isle of Man International Road Race

YearCountryRiderTeam
1936Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Charles Holland Midland Cycling and Athletic Club
1937Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Jack Fancourt Yorkshire RC
1938Flag of France.svg  France Pierre Chazaud
1939Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Bill Messer
1940–45No race due to World War II
1946Flag of France.svg  France Jean Baldessari
1947Flag of France.svg  France Jean Baldessari
1948Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Alan Barnes
1949Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Desmond Robinson [1]
1956Flag of Italy.svg  Italy Ercole Baldini
1957No race
1958Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium Henri De Wolf
1959Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland Seamus Elliott Helyett–Leroux–Fynsec–Hutchinson
1960Flag of France.svg  France André Darrigade Helyett–Leroux–Fynsec–Hutchinson
1961Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Jo de Roo Helyett–Fynsec–Hutchinson
1962Flag of Germany.svg  Germany Rudi Altig Saint-Raphaël–Helyett–Hutchinson
1963Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Tom Simpson Peugeot–BP–Englebert
1964Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland Seamus Elliott Saint-Raphaël–Gitane–Dunlop
1965Flag of France.svg  France Jacques Anquetil Ford France–Gitane
1966Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Wim Schepers Caballero
1967Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Tom Simpson Peugeot–BP–Michelin
1968Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Arthur Metcalfe Carlton–B.M.B.
1969Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Jan Harings Caballero
1970Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Barry Hoban Sonolor–Lejeune
1971Flag of France.svg  France Bernard Bourreau
1972–74No race
1975Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain William Nickson
1976Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Paul Sherwen Altrincham Road Club - Rotalac Plastics
1977No race
1978Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Steve Lawrence
1979Flag of the Isle of Man.svg  Isle of Man Steve Joughin Manx Road Club
1980Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain John Herety
1981No race
1982Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Joseph Waugh
1983Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg   Switzerland Hans Reis
1984Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Mark Walsham
1985Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Paul Curran
1986Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand Brian Fowler
1987Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Darryl Webster
1988Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Paul Curran
1989Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Wayne Randle
1990Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Tim Hall Liverpool Mercury CC
1991Flag of France.svg  France Christophe Mengin
1992Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland David Hourigan
1993Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Brian Smith Banana–Falcon
1994Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Simeon Hempsall Choice Accountancy
1995Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Robert Millar [nb 1] Le Groupement
1996Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland David McCann
1997Flag of France.svg  France Christophe Morel
1998Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain John Tanner Brite
1999Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain David Millar Cofidis
2000Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Julian Winn Elite 2/3
2001Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Matthew Stephens Linda McCartney–Jacob’s Creek–Jaguar
2002Flag of Ireland.svg  Ireland David McCann Volksbank–Ideal
2003Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Mark Lovatt

Manx International Cycling GP

YearCountryRiderTeam
2016Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Ian Bibby NFTO
2017Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Steve Cummings [nb 2] Team Dimension Data
2019Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Matthew Holmes [nb 3] Madison Genesis

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References

  1. Atkinson, Neil (21 December 2015). "Tributes to Mirfield Olympic cyclist Desmond Robinson who has died aged 87". Huddersfield Daily Examiner . Trinity Mirror . Retrieved 29 April 2017.[ permanent dead link ]

Notes

  1. The race was run as the British professional road race championship.
  2. The race was run as the HSBC UK British Cycling National Road Championships.
  3. The race was run as the Cycle360 Manx International Stage Race.