Irish team at the 1960 Rome Olympics, from left: Martin McKay (Maryland Whs), Peter Crinnion (Bray Whs), Sonny Cullen (Eagle CRC), Sean Fox (Eagle CRC), Seamus Herron (Northern CC) , Mick Horgan (Maryland Whs) (Photo courtesy of Ronan Fox - http://www.muse-ette.com)
By Graham Healy
Dan Martin’s victory at the weekend in the Volta a Catalunya was the third ever overall Irish win in the race. But fifty years ago this year another Irishman put in a great performance in the event when he finished in 8th place overall, and came very close to a stage win.
Peter Crinnion became one of the pioneering Irish road racing professionals when he joined the French Margnat-Rochet team in 1961. The following year, he showed great potential when he won the Route de France overall.
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The race was a stage race for under-23s, and winners often went on to have successful professional careers. Crinnion dominated the race, winning two stages and finishing in the top three on four others. Amongst those he beat were future Tour de France winner Lucien Aimar.
However, Crinnion faced the same difficulties as other Irish and British riders of the time, as there were often restrictions placed on the number of foreigners that could line up for teams in races.
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Despite this, he continued to be offered a professional contract year after year. In 1963, he was selected by the Margnat team to start in the Volta a Catalunya, where he could be expected to support his team leader and former Tour de France winner Federico Bahamontes.
The race started off well for the team as Crinnion’s team mate Jean Graczyk won the first two stages. The opening stage consisted of a 39 kilometre race around the climb of Montjuich, where Martin sealed his victory on Sunday.
On Stage 3a, a team time-trial from Lloret de Mar to San Feliu de Guixols, Crinnion’s Margnat Paloma team won the stage by ½ a minute from the Faema Flandria team. Nowadays, the whole team including Crinnion would have been declared as winners of the stage. However, at the time, his first team mate to cross the line, Luis Otaño, was declared the victor.
The Irishman jumped up on GC on the 7th day, when he performed well on both split stages. In the morning, he claimed fifth on the stage as he infiltrated a breakaway group which gained ten minutes on the rest of the race.
That afternoon, he consolidated his good overall position when he finished in 8th place in the 38-kilometre time-trial from Salou to Reus. Crinnion eventually finished in 8th place overall, as the overall went to his team mate Joseph Novales.
Two decades after Crinnion’s exploits, another Irishman would go on to win the race twice; Sean Kelly claimed victory in 1984 and 1986. Crinnion continued as a professional until 1966 before returning to Ireland, where he would go on to impart his knowledge to Stephen Roche, before he embarked to the continent.
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