A really unique & fabulous  world wide journey

• Join Gordon on a journey through the world  of professional  cycling, from following in the  footsteps of Tom Simpson on  a journey to Saint Brieuc, Brittany, to  building a successful  financial services business and organizing popular training camps in Mallorca, which helped make the island the top destination for serious  cyclists.

• Along the way, discover the amusing characters and incidents that defined Gordon's career, as well as the challenges and triumphs of sponsorship and racing with one of the top amateur clubs in the country. 

• Experience the thrill  of home and away racing in countries like South Africa, where Gordon competed in the pre-Nelson Mandela era and Russia ,where  he won the world  championship for seniors

• .

• With  a mix of cycling adventures and tourism, this book also  takes you  on a hilarious four-day pilgrimage ride  from Albuferira to Fatima, culminating in a unique ceremony at the famous site. 

• Through it  all, you receive a unique glimpse into the world of cycling and the joys and challenges that  come with it.

NUTS AND BOLTS

I never kept a diary  or made a collection of newspaper cuttings, mostly I have written from memory

. The two articles I wrote for the Sporting Cyclist in 1960/61 have been of  assistance. In addition, I had kept the race itinerary or program for the Tour de France L'Avenir, the Bayern Rundfahrt, the Investec 4 day stage race, where it is noted that the British team for the separate younger age race was: Keith Gordon, Mark Robinson, Geoff Platts and Phil Galloway

. Also,  I had the result for the race Tom  won on the 13 June 1958, plus the souvenir programme for the Vaux Grand Prix 18 June 1967, One programme was kept for the 7 times I rode the Tour of  Luxembourg, as this was for 1958, it must have been the first time I rode, where the only 2 other British riders listed were Doug Collins and Denis Hill.

Luckily, I retained a copy of the German magazine The Velo for 1988, which had some details of the races in Provence, add to the list a couple of French Magazines which had cyclo-sporting results.

. By chance a couple of years ago I purchased an old Sport and Vie magazine in a local Bric-a-brac at Binic, which had some details of the Mid Aout Bretagne for 1961

     At one time I did have a log book of the prize money I had earned  recording the finishing results for my time in Brittany. A necessary check of verification to make sure you received your entitlement. 

     A few years ago , when I was clearing things out, I came across these records, when looking at the money involved, was disgusted with how little this was and threw them away. I did not think it so  little at the time, it kept the wolf from the door. Supposedly, I  have  been influenced or even indoctrinated by the earnings of the businesses I have owned and directed,

Unquestionably, I was not the biggest earner  as a cyclist, but the confidence and experience I gained in  the the years 1960/61/62. have stood me in good stead in the world after cycling. Thereafter, going onto have a successful business career, even though  being hampered  by the  politics of the time.

Some of the most successful riders have  made a complete  mash of their investments or  business endeavours later. Stephens Roche's debts of £730,000 accrued by his hotel and training camps in Mallorca has made him no longer welcome on this island.

A recent example is Cippolini's restaurant venture in the USA

Earlier Malcolm Elliot's earnings were managed by a broker who misappropriated the funds: Malcolm having a few years of worry  before he received compensation.

Barry Hoban's venture into the  new cycle factory  in Wales went belly up, finally working as a rep very successfully at Phil Griffiths Cycle import business Yellow Ltd. 

Even Bernard Hinault' s investments in cycling component manufacturing and agricultural supplies were said not to have been without problems, which I suppose is why he went to work for the Tour De France at a salary not  commensurate with his status.

Sir Bradly Wiggins appears  to  have joined the list with liquidations of companies he had ploughed money into. Currently, he is  being sued for debts in excess of one million pounds .   

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