Photo guru Graham Watson just found these iconic Irish cycling shots

One of the best cycling photo journalists in the world, Graham Watson has just found and saved some iconic Irish cycling photos.

 

He is more used to documenting cycling news than making it, but Graham Watson gets a mention in dispatches today for an important service to Irish cycling.

He’s just save a couple of the most iconic photos in Irish cycling history for being lost with the passage of time.

The photos are not new and they have been in circulation for years. But Watson – who has one of the biggest and best cycling photo archives in the world – had lost the negatives, which he has found in recent days after over 30 years.

It means the photos will be preserved in time in their original quality and detail, rather than being constantly scanned and copied and degrading in time until only very poor quality versions remain.

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And one of those negatives found and now digitally scanned by Watson is probably our favourite cycling image of all time; Sean Kelly winning a blanket sprint finish to claim the 1983 Giro di Lombardia.

Kelly may have one 10 major classics in his day, by the ’83 Lombardia was his first ever monument.

He took victory from world champion Greg Lemond by just millimetres after 259km and 6½ hours in the Saddle.

They were at the head of a 18-man group that also included a very young Stephen Roche; he was riding for Peugeot at the time was 18th over the line.

There were six of the 18 in the hunt on the line, with four of time covered by just centimetres; Kelly’s great rival – especially in the Nissan Classics – Adrie van der Poel was 3rd.

And the great Hennie Kuiper was 4th, with Francesco Moser 5th and Gilbert Glaus in 6th.

As well as the photo of the sprint finish between the six men at the head of the 18-strong lead group, another fantastic image whose negative Watson has found and save shows Greg Lemond leading Kelly during the ’83 Lombardia.

It was in an era before sunglasses and helmets caught on in a big way, and the wreck face of Lemond in particular offers a window into the savageness of the racing.

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Late saves by Graham Watson, thank God!

 

 

 

 

 

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