Happy Saint David's Day

America goes ape over St Patrick's Day.  Why?  

I guess it's too hard to dye your rivers red, white and green!

Cyclists would not seem to feature in the heroes of Welsh sport to the Welsh public, well maybe Nicole Cooke and Geraint Thomas would get the odd knowledgeable look in.  Wales is a rugby country and proudly so.  Back in the 1890's though......

"Some of the best Welsh cyclists travelled the globe to compete against the very best talents the cycling world could offer and earned massive fortunes, great fame and the undying adulation of adoring fans. The first big star to emerge from the Welsh scene was Arthur Linton, from Aberaman, near Aberdare.

Linton gained a number of victories in South Wales and across the border in 1890 and 1891, and came to be ranked as one of the “crack” riders in Britain with his outstanding performance in the Cucu Cocoa Cup, an important 24-hour race in London, in July 1893.
In that year, Linton decided to travel to Paris, the world centre of competitive track racing at that time, to compete in the big events that attracted crowds of more than 20,000 people.
In a series of competitions at prestigious venues such as the Vélodrome d’Hiver, the Vélodrome Buffalo, and the Vélodrome de la Seine, and against the best racers that Europe could muster, Linton won a great many races, set time records at a variety of different distances, and earned fame and fortune as one of the elite athletes of his day."

Read more here:  Wales Online

Illinois pays tribute to the Welsh:  

Full text of Illinois House Resolution HR0149 proclaming St. David's Day and the Welsh contribution to the State of Illinois

 

Welsh National Jersey 2010

Wales v USA in 2009.

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