'This is where the British men's yellow jerseys story started' – New cycling museum planned in honour of Tour de France legend Tom Simpson
The proposed British Cycle Racing Museum will be located in Harworth, hometown of the British bike-racing legend
A new cycling museum is in the works in Nottinghamshire, a town where legendary British cyclist Tom Simpson grew up. Simpson, who became a world champion, Olympic and Commonwealth medallist, and the first British rider to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France, tragically died during the 1967 Tour de France climb of Mont Ventoux due to heart failure, possibly exacerbated by alcohol and amphetamine use.
The museum, which won't be named after Simpson, will be built at a location chosen specifically to honor him. Bassetlaw Labour MP Jo White, who discussed the project with the museum's curators, revealed that the town is the ideal spot for such a museum dedicated to British cycling.
Cycling expert Chris Sidwell, who proposed the idea and is Tom Simpson's nephew, explained that the museum will serve as a tribute to British cycling's success, highlighting the sport's prominence in the Olympics and its role in achieving victories in the Grand Tours. The museum's plans extend beyond a traditional museum; it will also become a community center encouraging cycling, connecting to the national cycle network, and creating a green wheel cycleway around Harworth.
Sidwell envisions the museum transforming Harworth from a former coal mining town into a cycling town, effectively selling the sport to the community.
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