Tony Hewson
Encyclopedia
Anthony 'Tony' Hewson was a British racing cyclist who rode the Tour de France
and, as an amateur, won the Tour of Britain
in 1955. He has been critical of the way, as he sees it, British cycling has been let down by its administrators.
hub gear, whereas his brother was already racing with Sheffield
Central cycling club. He said:
, an organisation set up to introduce massed racing on the open road. He became national junior road champion in 1951, a year in which he won three races and came second in five others.
He continued racing during national service
from 1952 to 1954. He won the Viking Trophy race in the Isle of Man
in 1954 and the fifth stage of the Circuit of Britain, alternative to the Tour of Britain
. He won the Tour of Britain
and the Tour of Scotland
in 1955.
and France
. He said:
He, John Andrews and Vic Sutton returned to the Côte d'Azur in February 1958, living in an old ambulance bought for £75. It became a chicken house the following season. In 1959 Hewson rode the Tour de France
. He started ill-prepared after a six-week chest infection. He said:
On stage seven, to La Rochelle
, Hewson was told to wait for a team-mate, Retwig, riding with him in an international team. Retwig had punctured.
Hewson and Sutton were taken on in 1960 by the Liberia-Grammont professional team led by Henry Anglade
, but still riding as independents. Sutton described the venture as a short-lived disaster
which reached its low when he brought down half the team when he fell on loose gravel on a bend - "for which I was blamed entirely."
Demoralisation set in and Hewson decided to quit. He was asked to join another team for the Tour de France but declined.
Ramon Minovi, writing for the Association of British Cycling Coaches, said:
Hewson remained bitter about the way British cycling had abandoned massed racing and the infighting between the British League of Racing Cyclists and the National Cyclists Union that followed its return. He said:
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...
and, as an amateur, won the Tour of Britain
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....
in 1955. He has been critical of the way, as he sees it, British cycling has been let down by its administrators.
Background
Hewson started cycling at 13 when his elder brother, John, asked him for a ride into Derbyshire. He had a heavy bicycle with a Sturmey-ArcherSturmey-Archer
Sturmey-Archer is a manufacturing company originally from Nottingham, England. It primarily produces bicycle hub gears but has also produced motorcycle hubs....
hub gear, whereas his brother was already racing with Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
Central cycling club. He said:
Amateur career
He joined a racing club affiliated to the British League of Racing CyclistsBritish League of Racing Cyclists
The British League of Racing Cyclists was an association formed in 1942 to promote road bicycle racing in Great Britain. It operated in competition with the National Cyclists' Union, a rivalry which lasted until the two merged in 1959 to form the British Cycling Federation.-Background:The National...
, an organisation set up to introduce massed racing on the open road. He became national junior road champion in 1951, a year in which he won three races and came second in five others.
He continued racing during national service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
from 1952 to 1954. He won the Viking Trophy race in the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
in 1954 and the fifth stage of the Circuit of Britain, alternative to the Tour of Britain
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....
. He won the Tour of Britain
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....
and the Tour of Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in 1955.
Semi-professional career
Hewson became an independent, or semi-professional in 1957, racing in Britain, BelgiumBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He said:
He, John Andrews and Vic Sutton returned to the Côte d'Azur in February 1958, living in an old ambulance bought for £75. It became a chicken house the following season. In 1959 Hewson rode 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...
. He started ill-prepared after a six-week chest infection. He said:
On stage seven, to La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
, Hewson was told to wait for a team-mate, Retwig, riding with him in an international team. Retwig had punctured.
Hewson and Sutton were taken on in 1960 by the Liberia-Grammont professional team led by Henry Anglade
Henry Anglade
Henry Anglade is a former French cyclist. In 1959 he was closest to winning the Tour de France, when he finished second, 4:01 behind Federico Bahamontes. In 1960 he wore the yellow jersey for two days.-Origins:...
, but still riding as independents. Sutton described the venture as a short-lived disaster
which reached its low when he brought down half the team when he fell on loose gravel on a bend - "for which I was blamed entirely."
Demoralisation set in and Hewson decided to quit. He was asked to join another team for the Tour de France but declined.
Retirement and assessment
Hewson stopped racing when he was 26. He said: "I felt surprisingly old and wanted to seize other opportunities beforeit became too late. I knew I had other talents outside the sporting field waiting to be exploited. I had neither the ability, health nor luck to ride much higher in the sphere of cycle racing."Ramon Minovi, writing for the Association of British Cycling Coaches, said:
Neither Sutton nor Andrews really lived up to their talent, either. All three could have achieved so much more in cycle racing: Andrews finished 13th in the world road championship, Sutton's climbing prowess was praised by Coppi. The reasons why riders like this seemed unable to capitalise on their talents and achievements are complex, but much of it has to do with the British handicap (in road racing) of starting not at the bottom of the ladder, but miles away from it. Despite his abilities (a Tour of Britain win, a finish in the Peace Race, wins and places all over France) you feel that Hewson was never going to make a long career of it. He seems not to have had the robust constitution which Sean YatesSean YatesSean Yates is an English former professional cyclist and head Directeur Sportif at Team Sky.-Career:Yates competed at the 1980 Summer Olympics, finishing sixth in the 4,000m individual pursuit. He also competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics...
insists is essential to withstand the enormous work-load of professional road racing. It's no surprise when he tells his mate, ‘I just keep thinking how hard it is.'
Hewson remained bitter about the way British cycling had abandoned massed racing and the infighting between the British League of Racing Cyclists and the National Cyclists Union that followed its return. He said: