About Dave the Cyclist
There is little doubt that Dave Lloyd was one of the greatest cyclists this country has ever produced.
It was just unfortunate his professional career was cut short because of a heart irregularity and he lost the three best years as a cyclist between 26 and 29 years of age! There is also little doubt he would have had a podium finish in the Tour de France, such was his ability in stage races.
He proved this in the Tour de Suisse in 1975, where, had he not had to wait for his team mate Thurau for three minutes when in the crucial break (an order from his team manager Post!) he would have finished fourth overall!
Dave’s rise to fame on the bike can only be described as meteoric.
He began racing at the end of 1969 after taking up the bike to stop the 40 cigarettes a day habit he had at that time!
It was fate that he met up with the great coach Eddie Soens at the beginning of 1970 to cure a bad knee problem.
Eddie took Dave under his wing, and Dave was a more than willing pupil, to such an extent that in only his second season in 1971 he rode four events in the World Championship: the Individual Pursuit, the Team Pursuit, the Team Time Trial and the Road Race!
In 1972 Dave went on to finish 7th in his first stage race, which just happened to be the two week Milk Race, one of the top amateur stage races in the world!
His biggest win of the year was, however, the GP William Tell, (the amateur Tour of Switzerland).
This was a pre Olympic build up and was a 10 day stage race 3 weeks before the Games, with all the Olympic Countries and teams entered, and Dave beat the lot.
He was unfortunate to fall in the Games Road Race as he was a favourite for a medal.
He won numerous road races and time trials in the same year and ended the season on a high with 2nd place in the prestigious Grand Prix des Nations.
At the end of 1972 Dave was offered a pro contract with Raleigh, and in the next three years went from winning the "Best Pro of the Year" in Britain in 1974, to one of the best Continental pros in 1975.
If Dave had not had to retire with a heart condition at the end of 1975, who knows what he would have achieved?
Dave came back in 1979 after losing the best 3 years of his career, and he absolutely dominated racing in Britain for 6 years.
In this period he won 125 of the 133 races he rode. And the other 8? … He was 2nd!
DAVE HAD 220 RACE WINS IN ALL DISCIPLINES IN HIS CAREER!
Dave was the first rider to beat 1 hour 30 minutes on the Isle of Man TT course.
In 1981 Dave won the Isle of Man Time Trial by 7.5 minutes! Who was second? One Laurent Fignon, who went on to win the Tour de France!
Dave was the first rider to beat 1 hour around Windermere in the Porthole GP.
In 1982 Dave won the Anfield 100 Miles Time Trial (in those days there were all B roads and 3 dead turns in the road) in 3 hours 47 minutes 10 seconds. This course record still stands today! The event record stood for 26 years ... An all time record !!
In 1975 Dave broke the Road Records Association 50 mile record in 1h 35m 45s, and in 1982 Dave broke the RRA 25 mile record in 42m 37s!
In his comeback years Dave had to dispel the myth that he was just a time triallist, so in 1982 he rode the Girvan 3 day, winning the Points Competition, the King of the Mountains and the Overall, by winning the last stage alone wearing the yellow jersey!
- In 1982 he won the Girvan 3-Day (Incuding the Points and King of the mountains)
- In 1984 he won the Tour of Ulster 4 day!
- Dave was twice British Professional 5,000 Pursuit Champion.
- He was twice National 25 mile Champion.
- He was three times part of the National Team Time Trial Championship team.
- He held the 5 kilometre, 10 kilometre, 20 Kilometre National Records.
- He held the National Hour Record.
- He broke the National 10 mile Time Trial record with 19m 11s.
- He broke the National 50 mile Time trial record with 1h 40m 52s.
- He rode the Professional Hereford Grass Track meeting in 1974 winning every event he entered!
All Dave's rides were accomplished before the introduction of time saving devices such as tri-bars and disc wheels, which further highlights Dave's awsome ability in the sport.
In the past 5 years, Dave has taken up riding Sportives and taken his competitive streak along with him (surprise, surprise!) He has had fastest time in at least 6 of them and has now , in 2009, WON the fastest rider in his age group in the hardest one of all "LA MARMOTTE!"
Can any other coach match Dave's experience in all aspects of cycle sport?
I think not!
Apart from his racing prowess, Dave has been the most innovative bike designer of his age.
He, and his wife, Chris, were the inventor of the skinsuit, and has been at the cutting edge of the sport for over 30 years ...
If you choose Dave as your coach, you will be in safe hands!
