Yesterday (June 12) saw the launch of the Samsung Bike Week – a series of events between June 16 and 24 designed to both encourage cycling at all levels and to raise money for charity – at the annual All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group bike ride from the London Transport Museum to the House of Lords. Amongst those taking part in the three mile ride were Norman Baker MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport and 1948 Olympic medallist Tommy Goodwin. Goodwin, now aged 92, was inspired to take up cycling watching Arie van Vliet’s riding in the 1,000m Time Trial at the 1936 Olympics and twelve years later won two Bronze medals at the London Games – with podiums for both the 1,000m Time Trial and Team Pursuit with Wilfrid Waters, Robert Geldard and Dave Ricketts. He later went on to manage the British cycling team at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and became president of the British Cycling Federation; in 2010 he was appointed as an ambassador for the London Olympics. For further details of the Samsung Bike Week see: www.bikeweek.org.uk
Image © Anthony Upton/PA
