Les Ingman

The son of a Barrow-in-Furness plumber, Les Ingman became a leading amateur cyclist with the Apollo Cycling Club. He was selected as a reserve for the Great Britain road race team at the Helsinki Olympics after a consistent season in 1952. Wins that year included the Isle of Man Mountain Time Trial over one lap of the famous motor cycling TT course. A week later, Ingman finished fourth behind Keith Bentley in the National Amateur Road Race Championship.

Despite being a reserve in Helsinki, Ingman got a call-up to take the place of Dick Bowes of Solihull, who injured an arm at the last minute. Ingman started the race well and was in third place after the second lap. He kept up with the leaders for 80 of the 190 kilometres until stomach trouble caused him to drop out of the race. Despite being the only one of the four British riders not to finish, the GB team was still classified in 11th place.

Ingman joined the Norwood Paragon club shortly after the Olympics and then went on to enjoy his finest moment in winning the National Hill Climb Championship in 1952, a title he would regain two years later. The Les Ingman Memorial Road Race, organised by Norwood Paragon, is held annually in his honour.