Hugh Porter

Hugh Porter

Hugh Porter in 2010
Personal information
Full name	Hugh William Porter
Nickname	Hughie, The Locomotive
Born	(1940-01-27) 27 January 1940 (age 77) Wolverhampton, England
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	71 kg (157 lb)
Team information
Current team	Retired
Discipline	Road & Track
Role	Rider, Road-Captain
Rider type	Endurance
Amateur team(s)
1956–1966	Wolverhampton Wheelers
Professional team(s)
1967	Condor Mackeson
1970s	Bantel
Major wins
UK National individual pursuit, 1963, 1964, 1965 UK National team pursuit, 1959 UK Professional individual pursuit, 1967 Tour of the West, 2 stage wins – 1968 Tour of Britain, 1 stage – 1966, Star Trophy series 1966
Medal record Men's track cycling Representing  Great Britain World Championships 1963 Liège Pursuit 1967 Amsterdam Pursuit 1968 Rome Pursuit 1969 Antwerpen Pursuit 1970 Leicester Pursuit 1971 Varese Pursuit 1972 Marseille Pursuit 1973 San Sebastián Pursuit Representing  England Commonwealth Games 1966 Kingston Pursuit

Hugh William Porter MBE (born Wolverhampton, England, 27 January 1940) is one of Britain's greatest former professional cyclists, winning four world titles in the individual pursuit - more than any other rider - as well as a Commonwealth Games gold medal in 1966. He is now a commentator on cycling events, working most notably for the BBC and ITV.

Porter was born and raised in Wolverhampton and educated at the city's St Peter's Collegiate School. His father, Joe, was a cyclist and at 10, Hugh was taken to the Halesowen Velodrome to watch British sprint world champion Reg Harris.

He is married to British Olympic swimming gold medallist, Anita Lonsbrough; they met while travelling to Tokyo for the 1964 Summer Olympics and married in 1965.

Aged 16, Porter began racing as a junior for Wolverhampton Wheelers cycling club, finishing third in his first road race. He also became a regular competitor in weekly track league meetings at Wolverhampton’s Aldersley Stadium cycle track.

As a senior, he won his first race in July 1958 and by the end of the season another victory and other high placings led to a first-category licence for the 1959 season. First was the highest of three classes dependent on racing successes. Six victories came that season on the road, along with a gold medal on the track as part of his club's team pursuit squad at the national track championships at the Fallowfield Stadium, Manchester. He also won the Midlands title in the individual pursuit, but remained focused on developing as a road racer.