Brian Robinson (3 November 1930 – 25 October 2022) was an English road bicycle racer of the 1950s and early 1960s. He was the first Briton to finish the Tour de France and the first to win a Tour stage. He won the 1961 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré stage race. His success as a professional cyclist in mainland Europe paved the way for other Britons such as Tom Simpson and Barry Hoban.
Early life and amateur career
Robinson grew up during the Second World War, which began when he was eight years old. His family lived in Ravensthorpe and moved to Mirfield in 1943. Both his parents worked at a factory producing parts for Halifax bombers, Henry at night and Milly by day. The family rented a small area of land, known as an allotment, where they kept rabbits and two pigs.
Early career
Robinson rode with the Huddersfield Road Club at 13 and joined when he reached the club's minimum age the following year. His elder brother, Des, and his father were already members. His father, however, would not let Robinson start racing until he was 18. He worked for the family building business, training before and after work, and frequently raced on roads in Sutton Park, Birmingham, where races had to end by 9.30 am so the public could use the park. The future Tour de France winner, Jacques Anquetil, was 12th, and Robinson raced against him again in the world cycling championship in Italy in September 1952 where they tied for eighth.
Professional career
The new professional
In 1953, Robinson left the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and joined the Ellis Briggs team as an independent, or semi-professional. He rode the Tour of Britain in 1952, wearing the leader's yellow jersey before finishing fourth. The following year, 1954, he improved to second, and second in the mountains competition.
Tour de France
Hercules planned a team that would be the first from Britain to ride the Tour de France, then based on national teams. The riders in its colours grew season by season until in 1955 it had Robinson, Bernard Pusey, Dennis Talbot, Freddy Krebs, Clive Parker, Ken Joy, Arthur Ilsley, Derek Buttle (the founder of the team) and Dave Bedwell. Robinson crashed on wet cobbles early in the 1957 Tour de France, injuring his left wrist. He recovered to finish 15th in the world championship won by Rik Van Steenbergen.
First Tour stage win
In 1958, Robinson won stage seven of the Tour de France, to Brest. Arigo Padovan crossed the line first, but was relegated to second for his tactics in a hot sprint. Robinson won the 20th stage (from Annecy to Chalon-sur-Saône) of the 1959 Tour by 20 minutes. Next day he trailed far behind the field with his Irish teammate, Seamus Elliott, beside him. Both finished outside the time limit and expected to be sent home. The team's manager, Sauveur Ducazeaux, insisted the judges apply a rule that no rider in the first ten could be eliminated. Robinson had started the day ninth: it was Elliott who was sent home. Robinson finished the Tour in 19th position.
Robinson finished 26th and 53rd in the Tours of 1960 and 1961. In between he won the 1961 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, winning two stages. He was part of the winning team in the team time-trial, then third in the individual time trial at Romans. He won the following day's stage at Villefranche. He kept control of the race as it passed through the mountains and won the race.
Retirement
Robinson retired when he was 33. The magazine Cycling placed Robinson ninth best British rider of the 20th century.
Robinson, at 74, helped organise a dinner in August 2005 to mark the 50th anniversary of the first British competitors in the Tour de France. The event aimed to attract all British riders who have raced in the Tour since 1955. In 2009, he was inducted into the British Cycling Hall of Fame.
Robinson's daughter Louise became a cyclo-cross rider, taking a silver medal at the 2000 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships. Two of Brian's grandchildren are also competitive racing cyclists: Jake Womersley competing in cyclo-cross and road racing and Becky Womersley in road racing.
On 16 July 2014, Robinson was knocked off his bike in a collision with a car driver whilst riding through Thornhill Lees, suffering a fractured collar bone, six broken ribs, a punctured lung. Robinson was awarded the British Empire Medal in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to charity and cycling.
Robinson died on 25 October 2022, nine days before his 92nd birthday.
Career achievements
Major results
Source:
;1951
: 1st Overall Dublin–Galway–Dublin
::1st Stage 1
;1952
: 1st 20px|alt=|link=National cycling champion jersey National Hill Climb Championships
;1953
: 4th Overall Tour of Britain
: 5th Overall Tour of Ireland
;1954
: 1st Stage 6 Tour d'Europe
: 2nd Overall Tour of Britain
;1955
: 1st Tour of Pennines
: 4th La Flèche Wallonne
: 8th Overall Paris–Nice
;1956
: 8th Overall Vuelta a España
: 9th Critérium des As
;1957
: 3rd Milan–San Remo
: 4th Overall Tour de Luxembourg
: 4th Overall Tour de l'Ouest
: 4th Overall Tour de Picardie
: 8th Overall Paris–Nice
: 10th Bordeaux–Paris
;1958
: 1st Stage 7 Tour de France
: 1st Pursuit & Omnium, de Guecho (with Jacques Anquetil)
: 1st Mountains classification Paris–Nice
: 5th Overall Tour du Sud-Est
::1st Stage 5
: 5th Mont Faron Hill Climb
;1959
: 1st Stage 20 Tour de France
: 3rd Manx Trophy
;1960
: 1st Stage 3 Midi Libre
: 7th Overall Tour de l'Aude
::1st Stage 2
;1961
: 1st 20px Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
::1st Stages 2b (TTT) & 3
: 2nd Overall Circuit d'Auvergne
::1st Stage 2
: 1st Stage 8 Midi Libre
Grand Tour general classification results timeline
Source:
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! scope="col" | Grand Tour
! scope="col" | 1955
! scope="col" | 1956
! scope="col" | 1957
! scope="col" | 1958
! scope="col" | 1959
! scope="col" | 1960
! scope="col" | 1961
|- style="text-align:center;"
! scope="row" | 20px|alt=|link=List of Vuelta a España general classification winners Vuelta a España
| —
| style="background:#ddf;" |8
| —
| —
| DNF
| —
| —
|- style="text-align:center;"
! scope="row" | 20px|alt=|link=General classification in the Giro d'Italia Giro d'Italia
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
|- style="text-align:center;"
! scope="row" | 20px|alt=|link=General classification in the Tour de France Tour de France
| 29
| 14
| DNF
| DNF
| 19
| 56
| 23
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Legend
|-
! scope="row" | —
| Did not compete
|-
! scope="row" | DNF
| Did not finish
|}
Awards and honours
- British Cycling Hall of Fame: 2009
See also
- List of British cyclists