''Barry Hoban''
Barry Hoban presents
Gary McKeegan with e clu Best All ounder trophy.
Tickets had been snapped up weeks in advance. The Hotel was filled to capacity with close on 100 people there to hear the great Yorkshire man's autobiography and about the days when he raced alongside the likes of Eddy Merckx, Jacquees Anquetil, Bernard Thevenet, and Bernard Hinault, to name but a few. Barry Hoban was one of the best racing cyclist’s Great Britain ever produced. In his early days in the big Tours he was always in the shadow of his great friend and rival Tom Simpson, who tragically died nearing the summit of Mont Ventoux in 1967. A year later 1968 Barry produced his best placing in all the twelve Tour de France races that he rode – finishing in 33rd place over all, at 43 minutes 28 seconds behind winner Jan Janssen (Holland), this after three weeks of hard racing in what is the worlds toughest cycle race. His involvement in the Tour de France spanned from 1964 to 1978, with out doubt one of the most consistent of all the British representatives. Impressively he won ‘eight’ stages along the way. Back in that era stages were twice the distance than today, some times close to 250 miles with two or three Mountains en-route. Only the very best riders would be there at the finish, to contest the sprint, Barry was one such man, he was a great sprinter. Not only could he sprint, he could time trial as well, he recalls finishing fourth behind Merckx in one of the time trial stages.
After the speeches were over Barry spent the evening talking to the younger Team Madigan riders, they all sat listening intently to the great man, now aged sixty. The following morning he led a big Team Madigan club run, taking in the scenic Antrim Coast.
Afterwards everyone went home with the same thought – Barry Hoban is very modest and a true gentleman, with a great passion for cycling.
A long time personal friend of Barry – Ronnie
McKeegan who is the sponsor of the Madigan club and proprietor of Madigan
Cycles in the Town was the man behind persuading Barry to come across
to Northern Ireland, and what a memorable occasion it turned out to be.
