Pete Chisman
Encyclopedia
Peter Chisman (8 September 1940 – 23 October 2003) was a British racing cyclist who won the Tour of Britain
- known then as the Milk Race - in 1963. He led the race from beginning to end.
, England
on 8 September 1940.
Pete Chisman was known to friends as Chis. He started his career by winning his first race, a cyclo-cross
near Durham
. He rode on a bike borrowed from a friend. That led him to join the Houghton Wheelers club when he was 14. He won six races in 1958, including the junior road race championship of north-east England. He won 12 single-day races and a four-day race in 1960. His amateur wins included the Tour of the Lakes, the White Rose two-day and the Red Rose two-day.
He was picked in 1961 for the North of England team in the Milk Race. He won two stages and finished fourth. That brought him promotion to the England team in 1963. He won five stages, including the first, and wore the yellow jersey
of race leader from beginning to end.
He turned professional in 1966 for Raleigh-BMB
with Arthur Metcalfe
, John Aslin, Bernard Burns and George Shaw and started the Tour de France
the following year. But he never had the same success as he had enjoyed as an amateur and he stopped racing in 1971. He worked as a civil engineer for local councils. Throughout his racing life he was a member of Houghton Wheelers apart from a brief period with Cheviot CC.
Chisman never stopped cycling, sometimes riding 180 miles a day. Eight weeks before his death he rode 130 miles from Sunderland to Edinburgh
to visit his grandchildren. It took him eight hours.
Chisman died in hospital in Sunderland on 23 October 2003 after a prostate
operation His racing companion, Dave Thornton, said at his funeral:
Tour of Britain
The Tour of Britain is a cycle race, conducted over several stages, in which participants race from place to place across parts of Great Britain....
- known then as the Milk Race - in 1963. He led the race from beginning to end.
Biography
Peter Chisman was born in DurhamDurham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on 8 September 1940.
Pete Chisman was known to friends as Chis. He started his career by winning his first race, a cyclo-cross
Cyclo-cross
Cyclo-cross is a form of bicycle racing. Races typically take place in the autumn and winter , and consists of many laps of a short course featuring pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and...
near Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
. He rode on a bike borrowed from a friend. That led him to join the Houghton Wheelers club when he was 14. He won six races in 1958, including the junior road race championship of north-east England. He won 12 single-day races and a four-day race in 1960. His amateur wins included the Tour of the Lakes, the White Rose two-day and the Red Rose two-day.
He was picked in 1961 for the North of England team in the Milk Race. He won two stages and finished fourth. That brought him promotion to the England team in 1963. He won five stages, including the first, and wore the yellow jersey
Yellow jersey
The general classification in the Tour de France is the most important classification, the one by which the winner of the Tour de France is determined. Since 1919, the leader of the general classification wears the yellow jersey .-History:...
of race leader from beginning to end.
He turned professional in 1966 for Raleigh-BMB
Raleigh Bicycle Company
The Raleigh Bicycle Company is a bicycle manufacturer originally based in Nottingham, UK. It is one of the oldest bicycle companies in the world. From 1921 to 1935 Raleigh also produced motorcycles and three-wheel cars, leading to the formation of the Reliant Company.-Early years:Raleigh's history...
with Arthur Metcalfe
Arthur Metcalfe
Arthur Metcalfe was a British racing cyclist who twice rode the Tour de France and, as an amateur remains the only rider to win the British road race championship and the British Best All-Rounder time trial competition in the same year.-Origins:Born in Leeds, Yorkshire on 27 September 1938,...
, John Aslin, Bernard Burns and George Shaw and started the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
the following year. But he never had the same success as he had enjoyed as an amateur and he stopped racing in 1971. He worked as a civil engineer for local councils. Throughout his racing life he was a member of Houghton Wheelers apart from a brief period with Cheviot CC.
Chisman never stopped cycling, sometimes riding 180 miles a day. Eight weeks before his death he rode 130 miles from Sunderland to Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
to visit his grandchildren. It took him eight hours.
Chisman died in hospital in Sunderland on 23 October 2003 after a prostate
Prostate
The prostate is a compound tubuloalveolar exocrine gland of the male reproductive system in most mammals....
operation His racing companion, Dave Thornton, said at his funeral:
We have come to pay our respects to a champion, but more than that, to a modest champion, a quiet unassuming sportsman in the true sense of the word, a true gentleman who was universally respected and liked. Peter will not be forgotten, he will be remembered around the table in our favourite 'tea-stops', as he was last Sunday, and he will be with us in spirit in the high hills, where he battled it out with the best.