Yorkshire Cycle Festival

04/09/2026

03/09/2026

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14/08/2026

There will be a familiar splash of black-and-white chequers at this year’s Simpson Retro Weekend, and perhaps more of it than usual.

This photograph from the 2023 event shows Joanne Simpson, Tom Simpson’s daughter, in pink in the Peugeot team car belonging to long-time Simpson Retro supporter Richard Disbrow, surrounded by riders wearing replicas of the famous Peugeot team kit that Tom wore to some of his greatest victories.

We’re delighted to announce that Joanne will be back with us this year, and so will Richard’s wonderful Peugeot team car, but this time we want to go one step further.

If you already have a ticket for the Simpson Retro Ride, or are going to buy one, and intend to ride a Peugeot bike and have Peugeot kit, we’d love to hear from you. Our plan is to bring the Peugeot riders together at the start of the Retro Ride and send them away first as a group, creating our own little recreation of one of cycling’s most distinctive teams.

But with one step more…

Richard’s wife Ruth Disbrow has very kindly agreed to drive the team car behind the Peugeot group, giving riders and spectators a sight that could have come straight from the professional peloton of the 1960s.

Tom joined Peugeot in 1963 and remained with the French team for 5 seasons, including the extraordinary year of 1965 when he became Britain’s first men’s professional road race world champion and won Il Lombardia. So the white Peugeot jersey, its black chequerboard band and Michelin lettering became inseparable from some of the defining images of his career.

So, if you’ve got the bike, you’ve got the kit and you’re riding the Retro, let us know. We’d like as many Peugeots as possible lined up together to make this one of the sights of the weekend. Contact us on [email protected] and just head your email ‘Peugeot Team Car’ giving your name a ride number.

One important caveat! We may be recreating the look and atmosphere of professional cycling’s golden age, but no pacing behind the team car, and no sticky bottles!

Some traditions are best left in the past.

If you haven’t already then join us by buying a ticket for the 2026 Simpson Retro using this link - https://cyclinglegends.co.uk/pages/simpson-retro

14/08/2026

Dave Marsh, owner of this incredible retro bike shop, Universal Cycle Centre in Maltby, South Yorkshire is bringing his friend, Dutch former pro Theo De Rooij to the 2026 Tom Simpson Retro Cycling Festival (September 11th to 13th).

At first glance this photograph could have been taken decades ago, but it’s from today. In Dave’s extraordinary shop cycling history hangs from the ceiling, lines the walls and occupies almost every inch of space.

Dave is a long-time friend and supporter of Simpson Retro, and this year he is generously sponsoring the appearance of Theo de Rooij. De Rooij raced for two of the greatest teams of his era, Peter Post’s legendary TI-Raleigh and its successor Panasonic, before moving into management and becoming general manager of the hugely successful Rabobank team.

But Theo isn't coming to Harworth simply because he’s an important figure in cycling history. He and Dave are personal friends, and there's a lovely story that illustrates their friendship.

Dave once mentioned in conversation that his daughter had always wanted one of the famous lions presented to Tour de France stage winners. Theo remembered, and without fuss he sent Dave the lion he received as part of the winning team in the Tour, together with iconic jerseys from his years with Rabobank. That friendship is bringing Theo to Simpson Retro.

Through Dave's generosity in sponsoring his appearance, Retro visitors will have the opportunity to meet and hear from a man who experienced professional cycling from both sides of the team car, first as a rider in one of its great eras then later running one of the world's biggest and most successful teams.

And that is what Simpson Retro is about. It isn't simply nostalgia or displaying old bikes and photographs, it’s about bringing cycling's past to life through the stories of the people who were there.

Dave understands that better than most, just step inside his remarkable shop to understand why. Our sincere thanks to him for supporting the Simpson Retro and helping us bring another fascinating figure from cycling history to Harworth.

You can join in the fun by using this link to buy tickets - https://cyclinglegends.co.uk/pages/simpson-retro

📸 Andy Jones

14/08/2026

While massive Asian and American brands like Giant, Trek and Specialized now completely dominate the bike market, Nottingham-born Raleigh was once the biggest name in the cycling game.

The Raleigh Bicycle Company was launched in 1887, four years before Cycling Weekly first appeared in print, and for riders of a certain age, the instantly recognisable big-R heron-topped logo will forever be tattooed on their heart.

With Raleigh’s future now looking rocky (Accell Group, the Dutch company that owns both Raleigh and Lapierre, was declared bankrupt this week), I’ve realised just how warm my memories of the brand and its bikes are.

"Nostalgia does not pay wages," an insolvency specialist reminded us this week. But still, are we really ready to say goodbye to Raleigh? As storm clouds gather around the iconic British brand, we look back at some of Raleigh's classic bikes.

Did you own a Chopper, a Grifter, a Bomber, or even a Vektar? Settle back in the banana seat saddle, stick a card in the spokes and pedal back through the decades with us.

Read the full story on the Cycling Weekly website - via the link in comments.

📷 Getty