Maurice Burton (born 25 October 1955)[2][3] is an English cycle shop owner and former racing cyclist from Catford, London.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Maurice Joseph Burton |
| Born | 25 October 1955 London, England |
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Weight | 75 kg (165 lb; 11.8 st) |
| Team information | |
| Current team | De Ver Cycles |
| Discipline | Track & Road |
| Role | Rider |
| Amateur teams | |
| –1974 | VC Londres |
| 1975 | Archer RC |
| ? | De Ver Cycles[1] |
| Professional teams | |
| 1977 | ? |
| 1978 | Fragel – Norta |
| until 15 May 1979 | Glemp – T.J. Cycles |
| 15 May 1979–1980 | Fangio |
| 1980 | Solahart – Hercka |
| 1981 | Campitello |
| 1982 | Xaveer Coffee – Tiga Sport |
| 1982 | Viner |
| 1983 | Roberts |
| 1984 | Nico Sport |
Born in London to an English mother and a Jamaican father, Maurice Burton was the first black British champion in cycling. His first taste of success came when he won the Junior Sprint national title in 1973. He won the amateur scratch title the following year,[4] raced over a 20 km distance although he was booed as he crossed the line. He went on to represent Britain at the 1974 Commonwealth Games, but was not selected for the Olympic squad in 1976.[5]
Burton became frustrated by the racism pervasive in Britain at the time, he moved to Belgium in 1977, basing himself in Ghent. He was described as the first black professional cyclist.[6]
Burton rode 56 professional Six Day events, and retired from competitive cycling after a serious racing accident at the Buenos Aires Six Day in 1984. In 1987, he took over De Ver Cycles, a thriving bike shop in Streatham, South London.[7]
His son Germain Burton is also a racing cyclist who has represented Great Britain on an international level as a junior.[8]
Palmarès edit
- 1973
- 1st Sprint, British National Track Championships – Junior
- 1974
- 1st Scratch race, British National Track Championships – Amateur
- 1975
- 1st Team Pursuit, British National Track Championships – Amateur
- 2nd Madison, British National Track Championships (with Steve Heffernan) – Amateur
- 1980
- 4th Madison, European Championships
References edit
- ^ "Individual/Points". British Cycling. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
- ^ Maurice Burton at Cycling Archives
- ^ Telegraph gives his birth date as 29 January 1995: John MacLeary (12 September 2010). "Germain Burton: Q&A". The Telegraph. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
- ^ "Maurice Burton – British 20km Champion, 1974". veloveritas.
- ^ Edmond Hood (11 November 2005). "PEZ Profiles: Maurice Burton". PEZ Cycling News. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
- ^ "1923–1980 Riders". SixDay.org.uk. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
- ^ "Profile: Maurice Burton". Bike Culture. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
- ^ "Germain Burton Bio" (PDF). British Cycling. 24 July 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
External links edit
- Maurice Burton at Cycling Archives
- Maurice Burton on Twitter
- De Ver Cycles
