Alan Ramsbottom

Alan Ramsbottom (30 April 1936 – 5 April 2023) was a professional racing cyclist from Clayton-le-Moors, England, who twice rode the Tour de France.

Amateur career Ramsbottom was a talented amateur in Britain in the late 1950s. He decided to race abroad when he wasn't selected for the Olympic Games of 1960 and moved to Troyes, France in 1961, after seeing an advertisement by the local club, UV Aube, for British riders. The club was run by Marcel Bidot, the French national team manager. Ramsbottom was inspired by meeting Britain's leading professional rider, Brian Robinson, at a cycling club dinner in Blackburn. then turned professional and rode for the Pelforth-Sauvage team for 1962 and 1963. The team was advertised as riding Lejeune bicycles but Ramsbottom's was the Harry Quinn he had ridden as an amateur, sprayed in Lejeune colours. and 16th in 1963. and 11th in the Flèche Wallonne in both 1963 and 1965. Bidot told Ramsbottom to think more of himself, to attack more and to force Pelforth to raise his salary. and third in London, at Crystal Palace,

Return to Britain In 1966 he returned to Britain because a glut of unemployed professionals on the Continent pushed wages lower than he thought necessary for a married man with two children. and pedals off to the hotel.

Ramsbottom said the pain of his disappointment on the Continent "lessened over the years".

Major results 1961 1st Stage 2 Tour de l'Avenir 5th Overall Grand Prix de Fourmies 1962 3rd Overall Tour de l'Aude 1st Stage 3 3rd Manx Premier Trophy 4th Overall Grand Prix de Fourmies 1963 5th Tour de l'Hérault 6th Manx Premier Trophy 8th Liège–Bastogne–Liège 1964 4th Genoa–Nice 4th Manx Premier Trophy 5th Overall Paris–Nice

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

+ Legend — Did not compete DNF Did not finish