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Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Mick Murphy, the Irish "Iron Man" Cyclist

By Alison Chaiken

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Mick Murphy, courtesy of The Bike Show from Resonance FM

the legend goes a bit like this: he trained with weights made from stone, he made a living as a circus performer, on one stage in the 1958 Rás, after his bike had broken down, he stole an ordinary bicycle from a farmer and chased down the leading pack. It 's said that he rode for three days with a broken collar bone, that he would cycle for forty miles having completed a gruelling stage just to cool down, that he drank cow's blood and ate raw meat. It's said he was indestructible.

Listen to Irish RTE Radio's documentary about Mick Murphy and his epic victory in the 1958 Ras circuit race around Ireland. Learn more about the Ras from The Bike Show's audio interview with the Rapha directeur sportif John Herety and documentary maker Peter Woods.

Labels: history, Ireland, racing

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