Page 29 - Issue 63_FINAL WEB normal_Neat

VINCENT (VIN) FITZGERALD
23rd March 1926 - 30th July 2019

The Manchester & North West Group further 25 age records over a 17 year
must regretfully advise of the passing of period. Vin had also been a member of
our Honorary Life Member, Vin the Leigh Premier RC, but from 1991
Fitzgerald. Vin joined our group in 1968 until 1995 he competed as a member of
and reached 93 years of age. In his the M&NW group, then spent seven
working life Vin was a mechanical years in the colours of Seamons CC
engineer, but he also had a before returning to the M&NW group.
comprehensively equipped workshop at
home where just one of his projects was Vin was obliged to stop riding when he
to build a tandem frame from two singles. was beset by poor health, due to
diabetes; he then
As part of tandem suffered the loss of a
teams, Vin set a total leg, after which he
of 34 VTTA national seemed to have little
age records at 10, 25, or no contact with the
30 and 50 miles. As of cycling community.
the publication of the
2019 National Our National Editor,
Handbook, three of Mike Penrice, was kind
Vin's records still enough to provide the
stand, all at 10 miles. details of Vin's age
Two of these were set records. Mike and his
with Jack Brownhill wife, Barbara, came to
(Abbotsford Park RC), know Vin and Wynne
as his 'stoker' in 1997 Clarke when they
and 1998, and then in competed in the same
2002 with his favourite tandem events, but
lady partner, Wynn lost contact when Vin
Clarke of the Seamons became ill.
CC. Wynn and Vin's Unfortunately, the group only became
combined age for that ride was 158 aware of Vin's passing when his copy of
years! 'The Veteran' was returned to the VTTA,
marked only with the date of his death.
Vin's name appears a further three times
in the National Handbook as the holder Therefore no-one from our group knew
of three age records at 10 miles, as part the funeral details and we have been
of a two-man, three-wheels team on a unable to obtain these.
tandem trike. In 2003, he was partnered Ken Workman, M&NW Group News
by Ellis Smith, then twice with John Editor
Nicholson in 2005.
Vin was riding with Warrington RC during
the 1960s but he was 59 years old in
1985 when he set his first tandem age
record. His partner that day was Wynne
Clarke, with whom he went on to set a

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