Shay Elliott in yellow at the 1963 Tour de France, with World Champion Jean Stablinski
In an extract from his recently released book on the legendary Shay Elliott, 'The life and death of Ireland's first yellow jersey', author Graham Healy outlines how the Irishman was cruelly double crossed by a friend in the 1962 world championships and explores his views years later.
At the start of this account, Elliott is part of a four-man lead group in the closing stages of the '62 world title race in Italy. He is clear with his one-time team mate and close friend, the 1958 Vuelta winner Jean Stablinski. Also in the breakaway is Belgian star Jos Hoevenaers and the classy German Rolf Wolfshohl.
Two laps from the end, Shay was in conversation with Stablinski, who persuaded him to attack; the Irishman, he claimed, was capable of winning the race. Shay attacked in an attempt to drain the Belgian Jos Hoevenaers and German Rolf Wolfshohl of their energy, and stayed out on his own for the best part of a lap.
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Many in the crowd were now convinced that they were watching the new World Champion. If he won it would easily have been Shay’s most important win by far, and would change his life and career forever.
However, Hoevenaers and Wolfshohl were working together to haul him back. When Shay was finally caught, Stablinski made a classic move between ‘team-mates’ and counter attacked just before the start of the final lap. Now it was the Frenchman out on his own. Although Wolfshohl and Hoevenaers had worked very hard to catch Shay, they made no effort to try and bring back Stablinski.
Shay later recounted that he asked the other two in the break what was going on, but they just grinned back at him without saying a word. It would later transpire that Stablinski had paid the other two to work for him against his friend.
Looking at the archive footage from the 1962 Worlds, at one point, when Shay is leading the break, you can see Wolfshohl behind, reaching over to shake Stab’s hand. Was this the point where the deal was being made, literally behind Shay’s back?
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On the final lap Stablinski punctured and, with no team car in sight, had to borrow a bicycle which was several sizes too big for him. Despite that, the others made no inroad into his lead. The race was now effectively over: Stablinski finished nearly a minute and a half clear of Shay, who, easily stronger than the other two, jumped clear towards the finish to claim the silver medal.
The Irish star had lost what would turn out to be his best chance ever to win the World title, ironically to his very calculating ‘best friend’.
After the race Shay said: ‘It was a very difficult race because of the heat and the hills, but it was my biggest success ever. I suppose, in one way, it is disappointing to finish second, but considering I was the only Irishman in the race and had no national team support, I shouldn’t complain.’
He went on, ‘I thought I could win when I got away on my own near the end. When the others caught me I wanted to try again, but then Stablinski went, and he went like a flash. At the time that Jean broke away I wasn’t feeling too good, a little sick in the stomach. Perhaps it was something I’d eaten, or perhaps it was from not eating. I can’t say. But in the two or three minutes that I felt not quite right Jean attacked.'
'I could not have caught and passed him, so I concentrated on holding off the others. We had agreed that one or the other would take the title. I’m not supposed to say that I helped Jean, since the race is an individual one, but if it could not be me I am glad it was Stablinski who won. He is my team-mate in Paris and my best friend in professional cycling, and is godfather to my seven-month-old son.’
The rainbow jersey was presented to Stablinski by the Italian President of the UCI, Adriano Rodoni. Podium photos from that day show the disappointment etched on Elliott’s face. It seemed that after all the silver medal was not much consolation. Afterwards, Stablinski swore that some day he would repay his debt to his friend.
A few months later Shay heard the rumours that were circulating about how Stablinski had won, but couldn’t or wouldn’t believe them. He summed up Stablinski’s cunning by saying, ‘Even if there had been only the two of us left for the final sprint, Jean would have thought up some plan and beaten me.’
Only years later would he allude to the well founded view that Stablinski had paid off Wolfshohl and Hoevenaers. During a television interview with the Irish state broadcaster RTE, after his retirement, he explained how he had lost the race:
‘Actually, I was outnumbered. There were four of us with two laps to go, and I regret it to this present day. I still think I was the strongest of the four, but I was outnumbered three to one. Even if I had been twice as fit as I was the force of numbers meant I would have been beaten’.
When asked to expand on this, he replied, ‘No, I wouldn’t like to elaborate on this, but it is true due to the fact that there were four of us in the breakaway, four different nationalities. Stablinski, who won the Championships, wouldn’t normally have the German or Belgian riding for him, but a little coaxing, and a promise of cash on his behalf got them back over to his side of the fence.’
"Shay Elliott; The life and death of Ireland's first yellow jersey" By Graham Healy with Richard Allchin is published by Sport and Publicity-Mousehold Press. (With foreword by Pat McQuaid and Sean Kelly.)
To buy it from Easons for €17.10, click here
