Harry Wyld

The son of a Nottingham-born coalminer, Harry Wyld also worked down the pit before later joining the Derby police force. He started riding at the age of 14, but it was not until the miner’s strike of 1921 that he took an interest in racing, because he had plenty of time on his hands, due to the strike, to train for the demands necessary for cycle racing. He won his first race at Derby’s Baseball Ground in 1921 and, before the year was out, had added a further dozen prizes to his name. Wyld won 23 prizes in 1922 and, the following year, increased that tally to 39, including the National 50-mile Championship at Herne Hill.

Wyld continued his winning ways in 1924 and gained selection for the Great Britain team in the 50km track event at the Paris Olympics, where he won a bronze medal. The following year, he competed in his first World Road Race Championships in Amsterdam, finishing 28th out of 30 starters. He improved to 17th (out of 32) at the 1926 Worlds at Milano, but did add the National Cyclists’ Union (NCU) 5-mile title to his list of triumphs. Wyld finished third in the defence of his 5-mile title in 1927 but, again, won the 50-mile title. It was 1928, however, that turned out to be the best year of his career. Despite finishing second in the 50-mile championship, Wyld went on to win five NCU titles, including three in one week in June. He won the quarter-mile, and 1-, 5-, and 25-mile titles, and also won the National Team Pursuit Championship with his three brothers Lew, Percy and Ronald. It was the third consecutive title for the “Wyld Four”, as they became known. Another Olympic medal came Harry’s way in 1928 when, along with Monty Southall and brothers Lew and Percy, he won bronze in the team pursuit. Wyld had also been originally selected for the 1000m time trial, but was replaced by Ted Kerridge.

Wyld won his fourth NCU 50-mile title in 1929, and also retained his 5-mile title. He carried on racing well into his 30s, and was under consideration for a third Olympics in 1932. The 1934 British Police half-mile champion, he was still racing at the famous Herne Hill track in 1937. In addition to winning tiles. Wyld was a great exponent of racing against the clock, and set more than 30 British paced and un-paced records.