Colm Christle being crowned winner of the inaugural Rás Tailteann back in 1953. His death has been announced.
The death has been confirmed of Colm Christle, the first ever winner of Rás Tailteann riding for James's Gate Cycling Club.
Christle claimed the 1953 inaugural event when it was a two-day from Dublin to Wexford and back.
As the first winner he had always occupied a unique place in the history of the race, which is currently struggling to survive.
Christle's death took place last night. From Dublin, he only learned to cycle a bike when he was aged 17 years.
And when he went on to study law and then became a barrister, his racing career was cut short after fewer than five full seasons in the Irish peloton.
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Colm Christle (centre) at the launch of Tom Daly's book on the Rás 10 years ago. He is pictured here in a group of former Rás winners, left to right: Gene Mangan, Seamus Kennedy, Brian Connaughton, Shay O'Hanlon, Colm Christle, Colm Nulty, Paul McQuaid, Eamon Byrne and Philip Cassidy (Photo: Lorraine O'Sullivan)
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His brother Joe Christle was the driving force behind the early years of the Rás; organising the first edition and continuing on in that vein for many years.
Very sadly, while Rás Tailteann was extended in its second year after beginning its life in 1953, another of the Christle brothers, Andy, was killed in a motorbike crash on the race in 1954.
The year he won the first Rás, Colm Christle was also crowned NCA road race champion. He also won that title in 1954.
But he would race for only two more years, stopping in 1956 and pressures of pursing his legal career grew.
He won his first race, the Dublin-Drogheda, aged 19 years and just two years after learning how to cycling a bike.
We'd like to extend our deepest sympathies to Colm's family and his many friends in cycling and we'll have more later on a life well lived.
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