Cycling and Mopeds 24 August, 1959

Beryl Burton’s talent shines through and Vic Sutton makes Tour debut

Throughout the 1960s you could hardly turn the pages of Cycling magazine without some new record being set or title being won by Beryl Burton. Her first national medal came in 1957 when she was just 20, and this year she won every national title going, but judging by the language used in the magazine’s report from the women’s National 100, it was this ride above all that showed what she was capable of.

“As I sit down to write this story it is three hours since I left the scene of the 100-mile championship. Time partially to recover – I’m no longer dizzy, dazzled and dumbfounded. But I can still hardly believe it.”

The reporter’s state of shock comes from waiting for the great Millie Robinson at the finish line, watching her get closer then realising it wasn’t her at all, but Burton who had caught Robinson for 15 minutes. “Beryl Burton’s time was 4-20-4! I’ll say it again, in fact I’ll spell it out in capital letters – FOUR TWENTY FOUR! Think of it, you male speed merchants. Most of you, no matter how hard you try, you’ll never equal it.”

Burton had set a new national record and broken her own from 1958 by nine minutes.

A month on from his debut Tour de France, Cycling featured Vic Sutton’s race diary. After the early stages, during which he endured a head cold, crashed and had several punctures, Sutton found himself in 109th position and second from last. Then his fortunes changed as the race hit the mountains. His cold cleared and on the Tourmalet, on stage 10 – his first Tour mountain – he rode from group to group until he found himself with team-mate Brian Robinson among the race’s leaders. By stage 14, Sutton, who was known as a pure climber, was in his rhythm. Robinson finished outside the time cut, with Sutton 26th on the day.

By the end of the race he’d risen from near last to 37th overall.