British Cycling has announced the passing of one of their most loyal and dedicated communicators, Larry Hickmott, a journalist, photographer and chronicler who made a huge effort in covering professional cycling in the United Kingdom, from printed newsletters handed out during races, to redesigning British Cycling’s website and later creating his own website, VeloUK.
Hickmott died at the age of 65 after a short illness, British Cycling said in a obituary. “An ever-present face on the side of the road or inside the velodrome, Larry was committed to sharing his passion with others, spotlighting riders from across the spectrum of the cycling community, from crits to championships”, said the British governing body of cycling. “His dedication for cycling was unrelenting, and the wider community benefited immensely from his tireless efforts in chronicling the sport.”
After working with British Cycling between 2002 and 2011, writing content and redesigning the website, Hickmott founded VeloUK, “a true encyclopedia of cycling knowledge, the website quickly became an integral part of the British cycling scene, as Larry ensured countless riders featured in his galleries, tracking their progress from youth and juniors up to the very elite senior fields.”
Various commentators and British cyclists cited by CyclingWeekly credit Hickmott for contributing to spreading information and raising interest for cycling in the UK, often being the only one to cover races that would have gone undocumented otherwise. “His fairness, enthusiasm and loyalty to the domestic scene earned the respect of riders, teams and organisers alike”, posted British team Moonglu Spatzwear.
