Ian Alsop

A member of the Polytechnic Cycling Club, Ian Alsop came from a cycling family. His grandfather worked, and raced, for Raleigh Cycles at the end of the 19th century, and Ian’s brother Jim was a track cyclist who once beat Reg Harris. At the age of 16 Ian was runner-up in the 1959 National Junior Sprint Championships at Herne Hill. He won his first senior national title in 1962 when he won the tandem with Roger Whitfield.

Alsop won the tandem title again in 1968 and was runner-up three times in 1964-65, and 1967. He won the 10-miles title in 1966 and 1967 and the Madison in 1966, and was runner-up in the sprint championship in 1963 and 1965-66. Alsop was also a member of the Polytechnic squad that won the national team pursuit title in 1963 and 1968.

Alsop competed in four World Track Championships between 1963-67 with a best finish of seventh in the team pursuit at Frankfurt in 1966. At the Mexico Olympics in 1968 Alsop took part in the sprint and team pursuit without success. The one-time Middlesex fireman enjoyed his finest moment internationally at the 1966 Kingston, Jamaica, British Empire and Commonwealth Games when he beat Australia’s Hilton Clarke by a wheel after 40 laps of racing to win the 10 miles scratch race gold medal.