Robin Morton (cycling)

Robin Morton is an American former cycling team manager and was the first female manager in professional cycling. She also created the first Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) registered American professional road racing team in 1984.

Racing in Europe in a traditional man’s sport presented significant challenges including overcoming rules that prohibited woman from being in the race Caravan. At managers meetings prior to races in Europe the race organization would vote on whether Morton would be allowed to ride in the team car.

Career

1980-2

Morton's first involvement with cycling was with the amateur racing team of the Pennsylvania Bicycle Club (PBC) out of Germantown, Pennsylvania assisting with team management and race organization.

1983

Morton managed a US pro cycling team sponsored by GIOS bicycles for the Tour of America with Roger De Vlaminck and John Eustice, two time USPRO National Criterium Champion USA Cycling Championships 1982-83 and Jeff Rutter.

Later that year she managed 7-UP team with John, Jeff Rutter, Dag Selander and Ian Jackson that participated at Superweek and other races on the domestic calendar.

1984

Morton registered the first American professional road race team thus becoming the first woman in the history of cycling to own and manage a men’s professional team.

That year the team, sponsored by Gianni Motta, became the first U.S. team to enter the Giro d'Italia, Giro D’Puglia, Giro di Toscana, Giro del Trentino and Tour de Suisse and other European races.

1985

Morton put together another U.S. based team, the Philadelphia Lasers sponsored by Rank Xerox and Benotto. This was the first U.S. professional team to compete in the Vuelta a España and other races on the European calendar including Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, Midi Libre, Tour de Luxembourg and the Vuelta a Colombia.

In 1985-86 Morton had a very successful Junior Team winning many races, numerous State Championships and several National Championships. The team included Steve Scuron from Philadelphia, the first Junior ever to win the amateur men's elite national championship(80K) in 1985. The team also included Jonas Carney, winner of many amateur and professional national championships.

1986

This year Robin managed the domestic U.S. program for the Murella-Fanini team that included Gregor Braun

1987-89

In 1987 through 1988 the team was sponsored by Pepsi-Fanini and in 1989 by EuroCar. The team with Roberto Gaggioli won 80 races in the U.S. during these three years. The team raced in the 1987 edition of the Coors Classic from Hawaii to Colorado winning the Reno criterium stage.

In 1988 Roberto won the CoreStates Championships in Philadelphia and the team won the team prize.

The EuroCar team participated in the inaugural Tour de Trump in 1989.

1990-91

The team was sponsored by Poland Spring, Subaru and Tommasini.

Event promotion (1989 to present)

In 1989 Morton started working for a company promoting the professional races in the U.S. that included the USPRO National Road Championships.

Robin eventually became the Technical Director for the championship as well as other events through 2005 that included the West Virginia K-Mart Classic stage race, Tour de Georgia, the San Francisco Grand Prix, the Thrift Drug Classic in Pittsburgh and numerous other major events in the U.S. that include:

* U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross Series – 2006
* The Wachovia USPRO Championship/Liberty Classic in Philadelphia, PA 1985-2005
* The Wachovia Lancaster Invitational in Lancaster, PA 1991-2005
* The Wachovia Classic in Trenton, NJ 1992-2005
* The Christiana Care Cup in Wilmington, DE 1997-1998
* The New Jersey National Bank Classic in Freehold, NJ 1990-1991
* The T-Mobile International in San Francisco, CA 2002-2004
* The Barclays Global Investors Grand Prix in San Francisco, CA 2005
* The BMC Software GRAND PRIX SERIES in New York City, Houston, San Jose, Austin and Arlington 1999-2004
* Dodge Tour de Georgia (technical services and operations) 2003
* The Thrift Drug Classic in Pittsburgh, PA 1990 to 1997
* The Kmart Classic of West Virginia 1992 to 1996
* The Norwest Cup in Minneapolis, MN 1992 to 1996
* The First Union Grand Prix in Atlanta, GA 1992 to 1998
* USA Cycling Olympic Selection events in Pittsburgh, PA 1996
* USA Cycling Olympic Selection events in Martinsburg, WVA 1996
* Sea Otter Classic (technical services) in Monterey, CA 2000
* Saturn Pro Cycling Tour 1999-2001 (14 events)
* Olympic Games- Track and Road cycling events in Atlanta, GA 1996
* Paralympic Games- Road Cycling events in Atlanta, GA 1996

Morton is now a partner in g4 Productions. A company that produces fundraising, cycling and running events and the USGP of cylcocross.

Notable riders

Riders that have been on teams managed by Morton include two-time Olympic gold medalist Gregor Braun, Six Day winner and wearer of the Tour de France Yellow Jersey - Dietrich Thurau, Roger De Vlaminck - multi-time winner of Paris-Roubaix, Olympic gold medalist in the team time trial at the 1984 Olympics - Marcello Bartolini and Matt Eaton, winner of Britain’s Milk Race.

Other experience

Morton also served as the cycling assistant competition manager for 1996 Summer Olympics and 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 2006 Morton started her own event promotion company to focus on road racing, cyclo-cross and fund-raising events.

Media appearances

News Papers

*The Philadelphia Inquirer date 1986 Dave Caldwell
*The Philadelphia Inquirer June 20, 1988 front page and section C
*Philadelphia Daily News June 20 1988 Bill Fleischman
*The New York Times June 19 1988 Wendy Solomon
*International Herald Tribune June 6 1989 Sam Abt
*International Herald Tribune June 12 1997 Sam Abt
*The New York Times October 17 1999 Sam Abt

Books

*Up The Road by Sam Abt 2005 pages 52-55
*The Fabulous World of Cycling Season 1984 page 98

Magazines

*Winning Magazine - Bicycle Racing Illustrated July 1984 page 10
*Winning Magazine - Bicycle Racing Illustrated August 1988 pages 52-54
*Winning Magazine - Bicycle Racing Illustrated September 1990 pages 21-22
*PhillySports Magazine 1986 July issue

External links

* [http://www.g4events.com/ g4Productions.]
* [http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=5511/ Pez Cycling article.]