‘A guy who was prepared to sleep in a cold camper van that kept breaking down in order to report on the races’ – Tributes pour in following death of UK cycling stalwart Larry Hickmott

Tributes have poured in from across the British cycling landscape for Larry Hickmott, a journalist who dedicated much of his career to covering British racing and died at the age of 65 on Friday.

Hickmott was born in Australia, near Perth, but moved to the UK in the 1990s, racing on the local circuits before starting to report on the races themselves.

He worked for British Cycling for 10 years, and went on to found VeloUK, a website focused on British racing that was still going strong up until he fell ill earlier this year.

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If you went to a race on British soil in the 21st century, chances are you’d have seen ‘Aussie Larry’ in his media bib, interviewing riders before and after the race. He wove himself into the fabric of the UK’s domestic scene, leaving a deep hole but also a lasting legacy.

“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. His dedication for cycling was unrelenting, and the wider community benefited immensely from his tireless efforts in chronicling the sport,” read an obituary from British Cycling.

Numerous British riders past and present reacted to the news on social media. “Very sad,” said the 2012 Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins, while former British road race champion Matt Stephens added: “So very sad. Larry was a proper gent. He’ll be sadly missed.”

A common theme across the numerous tributes has been Hickmott’s dedication, and the lengths he went to in order to provide the most comprehensive coverage possible cycle racing in the UK.

Phil Jones, CEO of Brother, which sponsored VeloUK as well as a number of British races, noted the “incredible contribution he has personally made to domestic racing, covering thousands of miles in his campervan and contributing thousands of hours in race reporting”.

The broadcaster Jez Cox described Hickmott as “a guy who was prepared to sleep in a cold camper van that kept breaking down in order to report on the races we have held so dear, so many of which are sadly, now gone.”

Hickmott worked for British Cycling from 2002 to 2011, before leaving the national federation to set up his own operation, VeloUK.

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Hickmott started out handing out printed newsletters at races, as well as setting up his first website, Echelon-Velo.co.uk, in 1998 under the software company where he had his day job. British Cycling came calling in 2001, and Hickmott led the coverage of UK racing – including results, news, photography, and interviews – on the national federation’s new website.

Hickmott worked at British Cycling for 10 years but resigned in 2011, citing the arrival of Team Sky as a turning point at the federation, which he claimed wanted to alter his contract. He soon set up VeloUK, going on to cover 50 to 90 race days each year for his website for the past 15 years.

“If Larry hadn’t arrived on these shores and decided to start handing out his printed newsletters at Hillingdon races, covering the British scene then so many of us would have had no clue what was going on,” Cox wrote.

The Moonglu Spatzwear team added in their own statement: “Larry travelled endlessly to races that might otherwise have gone undocumented, and his fairness, enthusiasm and loyalty to the domestic scene earned the respect of riders, teams and organisers alike.”

Hickmott’s death is a significant loss to the sport of cycling, at a time when the UK racing scene is under pressure, with a marked decline in the number of teams and races in the past decade.

“For many years he was a familiar and deeply valued figure within the British domestic cycling scene,” read a statement from the bike brand Madison, title sponsor of the former Madison-Genesis team. “His absence will be felt profoundly across the sport.”

Cyclingnews extends its condolences to Hickmott’s wife, Lynne, his family, friends, and colleagues.