Daily Cycling Facts 21.01.12

Emile De Beukelaer, who died on this day in 1922, was the most successful professional cyclist of the 1880s who later founded and became the first president of the Union Cycliste Internationale, then based in Paris, later in Geneva and now in Aigle. The organisation was created on the 14th of April 1900 to oppose the British-based International Cycling Association after an extended row over whether or not Britain should be permitted one team to represent Great Britain in international events or four to represent England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Belgium, Switzerland, Italy and the USA, the most powerful cycling nations of the day, joined forces with the French and as a result the ICA had little change of retaining any real power. Britain was then banned from the new organisation and was not allowed to join until 1903.

Rob Hayles, the British track cyclist who also competes in road racing with the Endura team, was born on this day in 1973.  He received a 14-day suspension from racing in 2008, the same year he became National Road Race Champion, after a blood test found his haematocrit level to be 0.3% over the legal limit, though no decisive evidence of doping was discovered. Hayles won silver and bronze in the 2004 Athens Olympics, bronze in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, gold and silver at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and has won a total of two gold, five silver and one bronze in the Track World Championships.

Other births: Carlos Sandoval (Guatemala, 1928); Thomas Montemage (USA, 1927); Léon Ponscarme (France, 1879, died 1916); Leonel Rocca (Uruguay, 1915, died 1965); Maritza Corredor (Colombia, 1969); Raivis Belohvoščiks (Latvia, 1976); Davis Pereira (Brazil, 1958); Osvaldo Castellan (Italy, 1951); Alfred Mohr (Austria, 1913); Magali Faure-Humbert (France, 1972); Manfred Gieseler (Germany, 1933); Gunnar Björk (Sweden, 1891, died 1980); José Viejo (Spain, 1949); Aleksey Bochkov (USSR, 1970); Pyotr Ugryumov (USSR, 1961)