Covering set distances against the clock, Burton would make the discipline her own – regularly beating fields packed with the country’s fastest male riders. In this unparalleled biography, Dustin Galer demonstrates how Beryl Potter seemed to crack the code of the social system that oppressed her.

Cyclist Beryl Burton dominated her sport much as her male contemporary Eddy Merckx, but with a longevity that surpasses even sporting legends like Muhammad Ali, Serena Williams and Sir Steve Redgrave. There's no denying her achievements and how she was a trailblazer, so if you enjoy cycling i'm sure this book is for you. Compelling -- Isabel Best, author of Queens of Pain A beacon is a guiding light, or a warning signal.

Riding as an amateur and with little cash, Burton hammered home her superiority over three decades during which she won the Road Time Trials Council’s British Best All-Rounder Competition for 25 consecutive years from 1959 to 1983. Such as when he tracks down the racer who saw Burton after losing to her daughter Denise ‘sitting on the floor of the changing room, hitting their surface with her fists – in the same state of frustration as when she dropped her ball as a child.

In my view there is enough difference between both books to make a case for each – or even all three if you include Burton's autobiography. However, the feeling you’re left with is that for whatever reason, it would never have been quite enough. So grounded in the British cycling culture of the time, the book makes Burton’s trips abroad seem like an interruption. I want to find some more books like this, even though I will get frustrated by the blatant sexism in the 19th and 20th centuries. A woman determined to prove her worth against all comers, time on the bike was time away from the expectations of cycling’s various governing bodies, life at home and society at large – and in the end, it was the time that mattered.Hotjar sets this cookie to know whether a user is included in the data sampling defined by the site's pageview limit. Metropolis International Group Limited, 10th Floor, Southern House, Wellesley Grove, Croydon, CR0 1XG.

Yet despite little outside assistance, Burton won the World Championships Road Race in 1960 and 1967, while on the track she won a huge haul including five gold, three silver and four bronze medals. Despite her obvious intellect, Burton preferred manual work and often spent time between races labouring on farms.Burton would have stormed the Olympics had it allowed female cyclists to compete, and her story demanded the attention to detail that Wilson affords it. Chrissie Wellington, four times world Ironman champion: Hands up if, like me, you had never heard of Beryl Burton. Cycling Weekly Gift Guide * I loved it, as everyone else has [and] recommend people get it, read it cover to cover and be amazed by the life of Beryl Burton. At a time when the predominant image of people with disabilities was just starting to shift out of asylums, hospitals, and the dark places where they had been relegated for so long, Beryl Potter laid the foundation for the inclusion movement in Canada. With access to previously unseen correspondence and photographs, and through extensive interviews with family, friends, rivals and fellow giants from across sport, acclaimed journalist Jeremy Wilson peels back the layers to reveal one of the most complex, enigmatic and compelling characters in cycling history.

In the process, she overtook Mike McNamara who was on his way to setting the somewhat shorter men’s record of 276. At the very least Beryl Burton should be talked about like pre-TV era male footballers who hold records that will never be broken (Dixie Dean etc).TT national titles: 18 x 100miles, 23 x 50miles, 26 x 25miles and won the TT BBAR in 25 consecutive years from 1959-1983. Winner of the Sunday Times Sports Book of the Year 2023Winner of the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award 2022THE TIMES SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022A FINANCIAL TIMES BEST SPORTS BOOK OF 2022A WATERSTONES BEST SPORTS BOOK OF 2022'A marvellous book' Maxine PeakeCyclist Beryl Burton dominated her sport much as her male contemporary Eddy Merckx, with a longevity that surpasses sporting legends like Muhammad Ali and Serena Williams.