Alf Goullet

Alf Goullet (5 April 1891 – 11 March 1995) was an Australian cyclist who won more than 400 races on three continents, including 15 six-day races. He set world records from two-thirds of a mile to 50 miles, and the record for the distance ridden in a six-day race. – was born in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia, and grew up in Emu, north of Melbourne. He created a cycling track at home by leading a horse as it dragged a log to clear the grass. He landed at New York in winter 1910 "in a snowstorm, wearing a sleeveless shirt and a straw hat because it was summer at home." they covered is still a record. Goullet rode the last hour of the race – a six-day relay race – without Grenda's help. His partner had appendicitis.

He wrote in the Saturday Evening Post after his first six-day race in New York:

Goullet took American nationality in 1916. He joined the US Navy when the US joined World War I in 1917, but never left the country. He began selling life insurance and owned and ran a skating rink in Wayne Township.

He was inducted into the Madison Square Garden Hall of Fame in 1968, then flew to Melbourne – his first trip to Australia in 75 years He was enrolled in the US Bicycling Hall of Fame in May 1988.

He died in a nursing home aged 103 He was survived by his son, Richard, daughter Suzanne, six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

In 2016, he was posthumously inducted into the Cycling Australia Hall of Fame.

Palmarès

1909 National sprint champion

1912 Melbourne six-day, with Paddy Hehir Sydney six-day, with Paddy Hehir

1913 National sprint champion Six Days of New York, with Joe Fogler Paris six-day, with Joe Fogler

1914 Boston six-day with Alf Hill New York six-day, with Alfred Grenda Newark six-day, with Alf Hill

1916 Boston six-day, with Alfred Grenda

1917 New York six-day, with Jake Magin

1919 New York six-day, with Eddie Madden

1920 New York six-day, with Jake Magin

1921 New York six-day, with Maurice Brocco

1922 New York six-day, with Gaetano Belloni Chicago six-day, with Ernst Kockler

1923 New York six-day, with Alfred Grenda