Well, Simpson was the first MALE Brit to win the world road race championship, in 1965. Beryl won the world championship road race in 1960 and 1967 as well as five world titles in pursuit on the track.
Unless I'm forgetting someone, Simpson was not only the first, but the only male Brit to win the world road race championship. Irishmen don't count. (Well they count, but not as Brits.)
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Big Spring, Texas, USA
> From: Burl Simon <burl.simon@gmail.com>
\r?\n> Subject: [CR] happy birthday tom simpson
\r?\n> To: "Dale Brown" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
\r?\n> Date: Monday, November 30, 2009, 12:46 PM
\r?\n> happy birthday to tom simpson who
\r?\n> would be 72 today if he had not passed
\r?\n> away on mt. ventoux during the 1967 tour. simpson was the
\r?\n> first brit to wear
\r?\n> the yellow jersey in the tdf and the first brit to win the
\r?\n> world
\r?\n> championship road race. he may be one the two best cyclists
\r?\n> ever from great
\r?\n> britain with the other being arguably beryl burton.
\r?\n> burl simon
\r?\n> in a chilly detroit, michigan u.s.a. on 11.30.2009