Original Tricots du Rocher vintage cycling jersey TI Raleigh-McGregor 1978
Tricots du Rocher vintage cycling jersey TI Raleigh-McGregor 1978
Size: M (3)
Condition: 8.5/10 (used)
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In 1979, Jan Raas, riding for TI-Raleigh-McGregor, became the World Champion in the road race at the UCI Road World Championships in Valkenburg, Netherlands. This victory added to the team's success, as Gerrie Knetemann had also won the world championship for TI-Raleigh in 1978.
TI–Raleigh was a Dutch professional track cycling and road bicycle racing team between 1972 and 1983. In that decade the team won over 900 races. The team was created and led by Peter Post. In his own cycling career, his nickname was the Six Days Emperor, being a track champion. He also won the 1964 fast edition of Paris–Roubaix. Post was pretty harsh on himself. He had no time to celebrate and was always looking ahead at the next race. That attitude might have been the key to the team's success.
The team was successful in classics and in stage races. Notable riders included Joop Zoetemelk, Jan Raas, Gerrie Knetemann, Hennie Kuiper, Urs Freuler, Henk Lubberding, René Pijnen, Johan van der Velde and Dietrich Thurau. The team was known for discipline; team time trials were a speciality. The frame-building was overseen by Jan le Grand at Raleigh's SBDU Ilkeston facility.
I–Raleigh was unbeatable in the team time trials of the 1978 to 1982 Tour de France. In those five years, they won eight Tour TTTs. Driving forces in those TTTs were Jan Raas and Gerrie Knetemann, who decided team tactics during the race. They gave directions and changed the order at will. In the last few kilometers before the finish, Raas began to shout and curse in order to wring out every last bit of energy. After the finish, the riders were exhausted, but it was also time to celebrate.