Hugh Porter
Hugh Porter
Hugh Porter flew the British flag with four world pursuit titles on the track in a seven-year period from 1967 to 1973.
During that time, Wolverhampton’s Locomotive did not fail to reach the podium once – adding two silver medals and one bronze to his four golds.
Porter had earlier collected a bronze medal at the world championships in 1963 and was also crowned Commonwealth Games champion in Kingston in 1966.
Porter, now a commentator and PA announcer, was not just successful on the track either – he also won a stage of the Tour of Britain and started the 1968 Tour de France, finishing seventh in the prologue before injury forced him to abandon the race just days later.
His world titles are complemented on his palmares by three national pursuit titles and a national team pursuit title with the Wolverhampton Wheelers.
Finest moment: Branded an ‘old man’ and ‘finished’ by Dutch rival Dirk Baert at the 1971 World Championships, Porter bounced back the following year by overhauling a two-and-a-half second deficit to Ferdinand Bracke in the final to win the third of four world titles. Though some of his other victories were more comprehensive, Porter himself says the defeat of Vuelta a Espana champion Bracke is his most cherished.
Share