Southam pays tribute to Tom Simpson

By Jean-François Quénet

40 years ago, British rider Tom Simpson won the world championship in Lasarte, Spain. Every young English cyclist knows that nowadays, and in memory of his legendary hero, Tom Southam showed up at the start of the world's in Madrid, Spain, with a piece of textile around his wrist. That piece of cloth was actually Simpson's undershirt the day he became the world champion, and it was given to Southam by Simpson's nephew, Chris Sidwells.