Norman Sheil

Norman Leslie Sheil (22 October 1932 – 25 October 2018) was a racing cyclist who won world pursuit championships for Britain in 1955 and 1958 and rode the Tour de France in 1960. He became national coach of the British Cycling Federation and later of the Canadian Cycling Association. He returned to racing in 1998, one month after the birth of his grandson, and won the world points championship for over-65s, in Manchester England.

Origins Born in Liverpool on 22 October 1932, Norman Sheil started club riding with the Phoenix (Aintree) club in Liverpool in 1948. He said: "I shall never forget those 40 miles, especially the look on my mother's face when she saw me after the run ended. She thought I was deadly ill or something. And I didn't feel so good, as a matter of fact."

He rode his first race at the end of 1948, using a bicycle he had built himself from a frame given to him by an uncle, Bill Cronshaw, a racer in the 1920s. He held national records at 5, 10, 25 miles and 1 hour (26miles 1398yds). in the pursuit event at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, Wales, winning the gold medal.

Tour de France Sheil raced on the road in France after winning the pursuit championship for the second time, winning six times. led the Tour de France to invite a team of eight from Britain in 1960. The Tour was still disputed by national rather than trade teams.

Only Robinson and Simpson finished, 26th and 29th. Sheil dropped out after crashing on the 11th stage, when he was in 14th place.

Golden Book of Cycling He has an entry in The Golden Book of Cycling.