Gabino Rodríguez

From working in his father’s carpentry shop, Gabino Rodríguez went on to become a pioneer of Mexican cycling in the 1940s. Inspired by his older brother, Rodríguez joined his local cycling club and began to train hard, including riding for several hours early in the morning before starting work. He then won multiple one-day races, bringing him to the attention of other cyclists who would also become his rivals. With his strong performances Rodríguez was selected to travel to London for the 1948 Olympics. The Mexican delegation, however, was underprepared for the Games, having no money and little food. As a result Rodríguez did not finish in the road race, which was dominated by the better equipped European cyclists.

From the disappointment at the Olympics, Rodríguez went on to win gold at the 1950 Central American and Caribbean Games in Guatemala when Mexico won the team road race. He continued to race for a few more years until he got married and had a son in 1952. He retired from cycling to continue working as a carpenter and cabinetmaker to support his family. In the mids-70 Rodríguez began to compete as a veteran but his return was brief after he suffered a serious spinal injury in a car crash. Following a lengthy recovery in hospital he retired from cycling for good.