Where else to start than with the first ever British winner of the men’s road race? Tom Simpson’s San Sebastian triumph in 1965.

Beryl Burton had brought home the gold medal in just the third ever edition of the women’s road race, in 1960, but no men had yet pulled on the rainbow bands.

That was until a ‘young miner’s son from Durham…proved that anything a Belgian or a Frenchman can do, we can do just as well’, as Cycling magazine put it.

Barry Hoban instigated the day’s break, which Simpson joined on the second circuit of the San Sebastian course, while Alan Ramsbottom shut down the chasers behind.

With two laps remaining, Simpson and Rudi Altig of Germany broke clear and worked together to ensure it would be just the two of them contesting the sprint for gold.

And the rest, as they say, is history; Altig claimed ‘nine times out of ten’ he would have beaten Simpson in a sprint – this was number ten.