- Yorkshire-born cyclist won eight stages of Tour de France
- Famously beat Eddy Merckx at Gent-Wevelgem in 1974
Barry Hoban, the British cycling Icon and eight-time Tour de France stage winner has died aged 85. Hoban was a pioneer of cycling in the UK in the 1960s and 70s and blazed a trail for cyclists such as Mark Cavendish and Geraint Thomas.
Born in 1940 in Wakefield, Yorkshire, Hoban cut his teeth for local cycling club Calder Clarion as a sprinter before realising he had a particular aptitude for climbing. He turned professional in the 1960s and spent 19 years on the circuit.
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