It’s with nice unhappiness that Biking Canada has discovered of the latest passing of observe biking skilled Gordon Singleton of Niagara Falls, ON.
He handed away on the age of 67 after a battle with prostate most cancers.
“We’re extremely saddened to study of Gordon’s passing” stated Biking Canada Chief Government Officer, Matthew Jeffries. “Considered one of Canadian biking’s best champions and most gracious ambassadors, Gordon was a trailblazer who impressed so many Canadian athletes who’ve adopted in his footsteps. His accomplishments on the bike had been legendary and maybe surpassed solely by his continued contributions, engagement and generosity as an energetic and valued member of the Canadian biking neighborhood over the previous 40 years. He will probably be dearly missed however by no means forgotten.”
“With the passing of Gordon Singleton, Canada and the game of biking have misplaced one of many true giants,” added Mark Collins, Biking Canada Board of Director’s Chair. “Seeing him flying across the observe was electrifying at a formative time for the game of biking in Canada; Gordon will probably be really missed. An Olympian, a World Champion, and a world-record holder, he was a pioneer whose shoulders our group will ceaselessly stand on every time we pull the maple leaf jersey on and trip for Canada.”
Singleton left his mark on Canadian biking by breaking quite a few data and changing into, in 1982, the primary Canadian to win a gold medal on the Observe Biking World Championships.
On this time of sorrow, Biking Canada want to lengthen its deepest condolences to his household and associates.
Condolences from all at PEZ.
Ed Hood interviewed Gordon Singleton just a few years in the past:
Gordon Singleton got here up by way of the ranks, first using the observe at 17 years previous in Canada earlier than leaping over to England to study his commerce within the ‘dog-eat-dog’ hotbed of biking in Liverpool. A rainbow jersey was his purpose and in 1982 he grabbed one, however it may/ought to have been two. Ed Hood will get the within story.
Leicester, England 1982, the World Skilled Dash Championship, Japan’s Keirin King and professional dash phenomenon Koichi Nakano – he’d finally win the title ten years straight – has been declassed within the first warmth of the ultimate towards Canada’s Gordon Singleton. Singleton has the type of his life; he’s already bested reigning World Keirin Champion, Danny Clark to earn the rainbow jersey in that self-discipline.
With the Nakano DQ the Canadian is one trip up, if he wins the subsequent trip he’s a double world champion – however simply as the 2 are going to the road once more it’s introduced that Nakano’s DQ choice has been over turned and the warmth is to be re-run. Irrespective of, Singleton takes the warmth; he’s one up – one rode away from his second rainbow jersey of the week.
Into the house straight and it seems very a lot as if the person with maple leaf on his jersey has the higher of the Japanese millionaire. However what occurred subsequent continues to be the subject of bar room debate amongst observe racing pundits some 30 years later. An harmless collision – or did Nakano intentionally deck the person who seemed to be on the best way to divesting the Jaguar driving Keirin star of his rainbow jersey?
Gordon Singleton will give us his take on this interview; however what’s unarguable was how exhausting the Canadian hit the Leicester boards – it was the sound of some large tree crashing to the forest flooring. Singleton’s shoulder was separated, he couldn’t trip one other warmth – the title was Nakano’s. The Japanese rider’s victory bow to the gang which earlier in proceedings was met with applause from the massive crowd didn’t go down so nicely this time spherical; all of us knew that the day belonged to Singleton – so did Nakano.
We caught up with Singleton not too long ago and he gave freely of his time to inform us a few profession which noticed him take world data and win Commonwealth and World titles.
Singleton made the entrance web page of Bicycling Journal
PEZ: How did you get into biking, Gordon?
I used to be launched to bike racing within the spring of 1974 by way of the St. Catharines Biking Membership; Karen Sturdy who was a Worlds girls pursuit medallist and Steve Bauer had been additionally members in that period though Steve was a few years youthful than me. A man referred to as Peter Junek was additionally a member – he got here to Canada from Czechoslovakia in 1968 he had raced over there however went on to grow to be one of many world’s premier velodrome builders.
I used to be 17 years-old, Peter checked out me and stated; ‘I believe he generally is a sprinter’ – Peter and Colin Fireside from the membership took me to the 250m metre concrete observe in Toronto and I got here away because the Junior Provincial Champion. Because the season unfolded I received just a few junior street races – if I used to be there on the finish I used to be going to win the dash.
My dad and mom had been from Warrington in England and after I completed highschool within the spring of 1975 I stated to them that I’d wish to go to England and take biking significantly. Within the north west there have been tracks in Manchester and Liverpool and you could possibly race a few instances every week. I’d ordered a Harry Quinn observe body earlier than I traveled to England and after I went over to Liverpool I visited the store to see how they had been doing with my bike. After I was in Quinn’s store, Eddie Soens (legendary English coach/mentor – Chris Boardman was certainly one of his costs) got here in and we obtained to speaking, one factor result in one other, he determined to work with me and the remaining is historical past.
PEZ: What was your first style of worldwide competitors?
The 1975 Worlds in Liege, I’d simply turned 19 – I misplaced the primary spherical trip then I misplaced the repechage! However earlier than the Worlds, Eddie had stated to me; ‘don’t be shocked by how good they’re, Gordon,’ and that had ready me for the expertise.
Success at Herne Hill observe, England
PEZ: That was a golden period for Canadian observe biking with you, Jocelyn Lovell and Curt Harnett.
Jocelyn got here first, his profession was coming to an finish as mine was starting and Curt got here alongside simply after me so careers weren’t actually collectively however all of us belonged to a era the place you needed to do it your self with no assist or help from authorities or sports activities foundations – these days are gone. Nobody does now how we did it.
PEZ: Which of your performances as an newbie are you most happy with?
There are three or 4 however I believe that after I broke three world data in Mexico in 1980, that was particular. Canada had boycotted the Moscow Olympics and that was an enormous disappointment for me so I believed that I needed to do one thing to compensate. I used to be racing at Trexlertown within the USA on the time and stated to Eddie; ‘I’d wish to go for the world 200 metres file in Mexico.’
Eddie stated; ‘no, we’ll go to Mexico and we’ll break the 200, 500 and 1000 metre data!’
That was Eddie; he all the time wished extra, higher. So we went and achieved the aim, breaking all three data, they’d all been held by the French rider Pierre Trentin with 10.69; 27.85 and 1.03.9 – I did 10.58, 27.31 and 1.03.8 respectively.
I used to be watching the Wiggins hour file trip the opposite day – he’s in a packed stadium with all that help behind him – and I believed again to or day in Mexico, a Tuesday at 10:00am. There was me, Eddie and Norman Sheil; we paid for the 2 UCi time keepers and the physician for the dope check to attend and that was it – over the passage of time it will get misplaced how easy and fundamental our strategy was again then.
Setting the World data in Mexico
PEZ: Why flip professional?
I used to be kinda ticked off at not attending to the Moscow Video games and there was no assure that the identical wouldn’t occur for LA in ’84 with the best way issues had been with the Olympic Motion. With hindsight it wasn’t a great choice – I used to be supplied a contract by a US firm referred to as AMF who had a robust group with riders like Connie Carpenter and Davis Phinney. They supplied me a contract to endorse their product line and stated they’d pay me $1:00 per bicycle they bought; the earlier 12 months they’d had Bruce Jenner the Olympic athlete within the function and had bought 400,000 bikes – $400,000 was enormous a reimbursement then.
I had a sports activities contract lawyer who labored with the ice hockey execs try the paperwork and I signed up with AMF – six months later they hadn’t bought a single bike. However I used to be a ‘skilled’ as a result of I’d signed the contract.
PEZ: Inform us about your relationship with Eddie Soens.
He had an unbelievable capacity to visualise the potential inside an athlete and extract that expertise from them. He did with a variety of guys, not simply me, we’d give 110% for him; he was inspiring.
PEZ: You rode for Eddie Soens and Ken Matthews Kirkby CC in Liverpool on the peak of their lethal rivalry with the Liverpool Mercury CC.
Ken managed the membership and drove me to races; I used to be proud to be a member of the Kirkby and really humble to be accepted by the Liverpool fraternity – I made associates for all times throughout that interval.
And in case you take a look at the interval from the 50’s to the 70’s it was Eddie Soens who was behind most of that expertise that emerged from Merseyside. Though Pete Matthews, Phil Thomas and Terry Dolan as Mercury guys would most likely disagree!
I used to coach on the street with Kirkby guys like John Clewarth and Kevin Apter – very proficient riders; a few of these criteriums in Liverpool when it was Kirkby versus Mercury used to get just a little bit ‘heated’ you would possibly say. . .
Spherical 1 1982 World Professional Dash Ultimate Nakano v Singleton:
PEZ: It’s a disgrace that your profession is maybe outlined by the ‘Nakano Incident’ reasonably than your Keirin world title or world data however what’s your tackle that day?
It’s been mentioned many instances and Nakano may have his take however in case you watch the video on my web site at www.gordonsingleton.com you can also make your individual thoughts up. Canadian TV had been filming me as a result of if I received they’d me lined as much as be a brand new TV sports activities star.
However the travesty wasn’t a lot Nakano as the best way the race was officiated. Nakano was DQ-ed within the first trip of the ultimate however his guys protested and simply as we had been going to line for the second trip it was introduced that the choice had been annulled and we needed to re-run the warmth. How may that be?
I imply he was both DQ-ed or he wasn’t – it was as if the primary warmth hadn’t occurred.
I received the subsequent trip truthful and sq. to go one trip up; then within the second trip there was contact, he got here below my shoulder and took me off. My shoulder was separated and though we obtained it again in we determined that I shouldn’t trip the subsequent warmth – though possibly with the adrenalin coursing by way of my physique, I may have. However that was the choice we made; Nakano had a ‘trip over’ within the final warmth and he was the champion, once more. That was my final huge race and the one folks bear in mind me for. . .
Spherical 2 1982 World Professional Dash Ultimate Nakano v Singleton
The postscript is that I attended the 2008 Worlds at Manchester Velodrome and was given an ‘entry all areas’ move by British Biking – which was good of them. I used to be within the observe centre and there was Nakano, the primary time I’d seen him in 28 years, there was a language barrier however we did that ‘professional athlete’s hug factor’ and it gave me closure, eventually.
However you realize, on the Worlds in Amsterdam in 1979 a excessive rating British UCi determine advised my supervisor, Norman Sheil, ‘we’ll by no means give a choice in favour of any of your riders, Norman.’ (Sheil was twice World Newbie Pursuit Champion and subsequently British observe coach however emigrated to Canada the place he coached the nationwide observe squad, ed.)
And the day earlier than the dash remaining I used to be approached by Jan Derksen who was the person who determined who rode what six day and dished out the contracts – he supplied me 16 contracts however I tuned them down. There have been guys who would have minimize off their proper arm for 10 contracts, by no means thoughts 16; Derksen was gob smacked, I don’t suppose he may imagine that I’d turned him down. And most of the commissars at Leicester had been concerned within the six day scene. . .
Spherical 3 1982 World Professional Dash Ultimate Nakano v Singleton:
PEZ: However being World Keirin Champion should have been some comfort?
After I was a child in Canada the 1974 world skilled street race championships had been held in Montreal so a bunch of us obtained a prepare to Montreal from Niagara to observe. Merckx beat Poulidor to win and I noticed Eddy get his rainbow jersey, I clearly bear in mind considering; ‘I obtained a get me a type of!’
And when Eddie Soens requested me who I wished to be on the bike, I stated; ‘I need to be quickest sprinter on the earth.’ So I obtained my rainbow jersey and my world data.
1982 Observe World Keirin Ultimate. Singleton v Clark:
PEZ: You had been World Champ, why stop?
In ’81 I used to be second to Nakano within the Worlds in Brno however I made a tactical error in that I sat round after the semis, – the place I rode 10.8 sitting up, which was most likely value 10.6 – and thought in regards to the remaining. As Eddie stated, I went ‘off the boil’ and couldn’t do 11.2 towards Nakano as a result of I’d over-thought all of it.
At Leicester, after I’d received my semi-final, I went out on my street bike across the metropolis for 40 minutes and that obtained my thoughts away from the observe, I obtained a sweat on and arrived again on the observe simply in time for the ultimate. However after Brno my dad had stated to me; ‘are you going to return and work within the household automotive tyre enterprise?’ I stated that I’d if I received the world title in ’82 – I received the keirin and moreover I used to be on £1500 per 12 months from Raleigh as a professional with a £500 win bonus for the Worlds, it was hardly ‘huge cash.’ I obtained my jersey so determined to step as much as the plate and be a part of the ‘actual world’ – which wasn’t simple to begin with, these retail prospects don’t care in case you’ve been a world champion, they simply need their job achieved.
A younger Singleton
PEZ: What about observe racing now, the mega gears?
It’s taken me just a few years to get my head round sprinters on 115” gears – that’s for positive!
I used to be on the new velodrome in Canada that’s been constructed for the Pan Am Video games which happen right here this 12 months and I used to be chatting to the fellows on the observe group – which was an actual thrill – I used to be telling them that we used to trip 88” or 92” for the massive occasions and in case you had been racing some huge previous concrete out of doors observe in Paris or Copenhagen which had been constructed with motor pacing in thoughts and there was a 20 mph headwind within the again straight, it was simply completely totally different to being on an air conditioned indoor 250 metre board observe.
However in 1977 and 1978 I used to be ninth within the Worlds each years after which I met this fella who spoke to me about the advantages of a 12 month per 12 months weight coaching regime. I took that up and in ’79 I used to be beating guys simply who beforehand I couldn’t get to their again wheel and I took the kilometre silver on the Worlds in Amsterdam. I believe at the moment if the riders and coaches had understood that we had been getting stronger then we may have gone as much as 94” or 96” gears. However the factor with these monster gears is that the kids hear about them and are on them earlier than they’ve discovered to pedal – again in my period there could be a ten mile to shut a observe assembly, we had been protecting the space in 19 minutes on 88” gears and so they’re not that a lot faster, immediately.
Entrance web page of his ‘residence city’ Niagra journal
PEZ: Regrets?
I’ve made a variety of nice associates all around the world and what I discovered as an athlete, to coach work exhausting and be devoted, I’ve tried to use in my enterprise life. Signing that AMF contract wasn’t a great transfer as a result of it denied me the ’84 Olympics in LA; the Olympics are an enormous deal in Canada and there’s little question that the Media largely switched off to me after I went professional. However I had an important profession, after I was on the high organisers would fly me around the world to trip their races and I’d keep in good motels – that’s why these first couple of years in retail had been troublesome with people tearing a strip off you in the event that they’re not blissful. However my dad began the enterprise in 1957 and we’re nonetheless right here; I believe all enterprise is a battle however it helps my household – and I can afford to purchase a brand new bike after I really feel prefer it!
Singleton using for Canada and Raleigh
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