Archer Road Club

The Archer Road Club is a cycling club based in Central and West London, England. The club has produced National, World and Olympic cycling champions.

Club Colours

The club's colours are white with a yellow chest band and black sleeves.

Formation and early history

The Archer Road Club was founded in 1926 as a breakaway club from the Bayswater Wheelers. The original members met above Teddy Barnes' cycle shop in Archer Road. The shop (E.J. Barnes) is still there, but Archer Road has now been incorporated into Westbourne Grove.

The club's headquarters have move from North Kensington, via Hammersmith to Acton, but it has drawn members from all over London and further afield. The principal meeting place for the club (especially in the summer) is now the Hillingdon Cycle Circuit in Hayes, West London.

In the 1970s the club was one of the first amateur teams to negotiate sponsorship. Early sponsors included Cutty Sark whisky and Saba, a cycle component company.

The club has frequently played host to riders from Australia and New Zealand including Phil Anderson, who later became the first non-European to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France.

The Archer Grand Prix

The club has organised the Archer Grand Prix, one of Britain's top one day races, for over 50 years. The 51st edition of the race in 2006 was won by Mariusz Wiesiak of Poland from Malcolm Elliott of the Pinarello Racing Team.

Olympic, World and Commonwealth Games championship successes

Former club member, now continental professional, Bradley Wiggins won the Olympic gold medal for the individual pursuit at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. He has won the UCI World Championship for the pursuit in 2003 and 2007. In 2007 he was a member of the Gold medal winning team pursuit team. In 1998 Wiggins was world junior champion in the individual pursuit.

Steve Heffernan won a gold medal for the 10m scratch track race at the 1974 Commonwealth Games. Heffernan won a bronze medal in the 1977 world professional 5km individual pursuit. In 1982 Steve Lawrence won gold in the Commonwealth Games team time trial event.

British national championship performances include

Track

The club won medals in the team pursuit in 1973 (bronze), 1974, 1975 and 1976 (all gold).

Steve Heffernan won medals in 1972 (20km, gold), 1973 (800m grass, gold; 80km madison, silver), 1974 (individual pusruit, silver; 20km scratch, bronze), 1975 (inividual pursuit, gold; 80km madison, bronze) and 1976 (individual pursuit, gold; madison, gold).

Other prominent track riders include Malcolm Hill (1974 sprint champion), Robin Croker, Maurice Burton, Dave Le Grys, Dave Brotherton, Shaun Fenwick and Keith Pettican.

Road

Alaric Gayfer won the juvenile 10 mile time trial championship in 1972 and the junior 25 mile time trial championship in 1974.

Alf Engers won the senior 25 mile time trial championship for the Archer RC in 1974.

Dean Butler won the junior 25 mile time trial championship in 1981.

In the 1979 Tour of Ireland, Canadian Ron Hayman, riding for an Archer RC team named as 'London Australia' won the race. His team mate Phil Anderson was second and Shaun Fenwick won the King of the Mountains. The team won the team prize.

External links

* [http://www.archer-rc.cyclists.co.uk/ Club website]