2. Beryl Burton
2. Beryl Burton
Beryl Burton was the undoubted pioneer of British women’s cycling, with a palmares unprecedented both at the time and since.
Almost unbeatable against the clock, Burton dominated the national scene and also won two world titles on the road to add to multiple success in the individual pursuit on the track.
Holder of multiple records and winner of more than 90 national titles, the Yorkshirewoman also once beat the men’s 12-hour time trial record – with her distance of 277.25 miles still standing as the women’s record today.
Many of Burton’s other time-trial records stood for decades, and still compare favourably with modern efforts.
And all of this was achieved through a regime of manual labour on a rhubarb farm and cycling close to 600 miles a week in Yorkshire long before the days of sports nutrition and aero machinery.
In an era when cycling, not least women’s cycling, was paid little more than lip service by the national press, Burton was undoubtedly one of the leading lights in the sport – and one of Britain’s toughest ever riders.
Career highlights: Awarded the OBE in 1968, Burton set close to 50 national time trial records, won two world time trial titles and was crowned British Best All-Rounder 25 years running from 1959 to 1983 thanks to 96 national titles.