The Kelly effect

‘You are the reason that I am a cyclist’ was the most common thing I heard last weekend at the Rouleur Classic Show in London. Nobody was saying it to me, but as I was often the person holding their mobile phone as they stood next to Sean Kelly for a photo, I heard that phrase, or a variance of it literally hundreds, if not thousands of times. And that was just over those 3 days.

’You put my kids through college’ was another one that was said more than once. People working in the bike industry credited Sean with giving them the passion and interest to make a full time career out of cycling.

Another not uncommon sight was grown men finding themselves literally speechless as they encountered their childhood idol. A few times it took a minute or two of Sean making conversation and relaxing them before they could actually put a sentence together.

As a rider he was known for saying as little as possible when being interviewed but in person he is always chatty and friendly. A remark overheard when I got home about a local election candidate who seems to be getting notoriety for walking off as people are mid sentence reminded me of just how polite Sean is to everybody. At times he was due to speak on stage and someone would be telling him about their old bike or the time they saw him in a Kellogg’s criterium. He always let them finish what they had to say before politely excusing himself.

The biggest audience for the stage events also seemed to mirror Seans’ appearances. Luke Rowe did a live podcast onstage with Sean and drew gasps from the audience when he asked Sean about riding Flanders, hopping on a plane to ride the 5 day Tour of the Basque Country and then flying back up to ride Paris Roubaix the following weekend. Something no rider of the current generation would even consider. However, what Luke forgot to mention was that Sean was second in Flanders, won 3 stages and the overall GC in the Basque Country and then won Roubaix on his return.

We were at the show with Zois Drivas of Rodos Cycling who is doing a good job of making the sunshine Island of Rhodes the next premier destination for cyclists looking to experience riding their bikes under blue skies with very little traffic and excellent food. Every time Sean returned to the stand a never ending que would immediately form and he would get busy signing photos, magazines, books and jerseys along with standing in for thousands of photos.

Current and past pros all wanted to say hello and get a photo with Sean. Some even brought along their families to meet him. What is it that creates this level of respect and adoration?

There seems to be a number of different factors, some of which are beyond cycling itself.

At the time when Sean was at the height of his career they raced without helmets or sunglasses so riders of that era were instantly recognisable. Sean has kept himself in excellent shape so still looks like a professional bike rider.

He still has the manners and respect that his parents raised him with, and is an inherently descent man, so even if he never rode a bike he would be successful and well liked.

Everyone grows up with heroes and people that they might aspire to be like. Sometimes it can be a central character in a movie or a book. For most boys or men these onscreen heroes tend to be cool, calm, strong and confident but with an underlying steeliness that commands respect and sometimes even fear. Sean had all of that as a bike rider. Combine that with him being the second most successful cyclist of all time and it starts to make sense.

His work ethic and attention to detail were a hallmark of his career and he is the same with everything he does nowadays. Whether it be commentating on TV for Eurosport or selecting the images for the backdrop of the stand at the show he looks at every fine detail. He always wanted to get into the show before the official opening time and always stayed until after it had finished.

The Time Trial from Carrick to Clonmel in October 1985 was a turning point in the history of cycling. Perhaps this was the moment that changed many lives forever. The 24 minutes and 9 seconds that it took Sean to cover the 13 miles that he knew so well inspired a generation of cyclists that followed more than any other single event in his career.

You can see some of the highlights here:

https://youtu.be/UGNHFFgcPQs?feature=shared

And this was the satisfaction as he crossed the finish line :

This was what inspired me to get into cycling. How about you?

Barry