Cycling 25 October, 1969
Mixed events voted through as Burton wastes no time
Progression in women’s cycling has always been a case of baby steps, rather than giant leaps forwards. In 1969 in a Joint National Council meeting of the British Cycling Federation and RTTC, mixed racing was approved with barely a word of opposition. Along with the rule allowing former professionals to ride as amateurs after five years without holding a pro licence, it was voted through in less than an hour. Such meetings were famed for dragging on for hours as delegates from different regions argued or nitpicked about the minutiae of the wording. “The dropping of the ‘no mixing rule’, the subject of so much debate in the past, came in the blink of an eyelid,” Cycling wrote.
Ken Evans opened his editorial with: “We don’t want to hear any word of complaint about the decision to allow women to race with men… There can only be admiration for the energy of the partisans who fought to get the proposition through.”
While the details over categories in road racing and the like were still to be thrashed out, there was one woman who had no fears of leaping straight in. The morning after the London meeting, Beryl Burton was riding a ‘25’ in Scotland, specially promoted for her by Scottish BAR Sheelagh Fraser.
On a cold and very wet October morning, the indomitable Burton rode a 58.50, finishing second to Scottish BBAR Jock Ritchie in front of hundreds of adoring spectators. Ritchie beat her by just 19 seconds; third place Andy Kirk was one minute behind Burton. But what could have been...
“Beryl had been guest of honour at the Heatherbell dinner-dance the previous evening where she had the new experience of being piped to the platform, a high Scottish honour. Everyone made more than merry and gave her a real Scots welcome, which went on to the wee small hours.”
Also in the issue, the Tom Simpson memorial was unveiled on Mont Ventoux, paid for by £1,300 of donations from readers of Cycling – “each one a testimonial to the way Tom Simpson had found his place in the hearts of British cyclists.”