Former British Cycling North Midlands Division president Ike Delbridge to celebrate 100th birthday

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Former British Cycling North Midlands Division president Ike Delbridge will celebrate his 100th birthday on Sunday 14 April.

Delbridge, who held the position for 25 years, was awarded the British Cycling North Midlands Division Gold Badge of Honour in 1983 for almost four decades of exemplary service to the sport. He was president of the division up until the time that it was absorbed into the Yorkshire Region under restructuring of the sport.

British Cycling President Brain Cookson OBE said: “On behalf of British Cycling, I offer Ike many congratulations on his 100th birthday, and wish him many happy returns.”

Delbridge formed the Hemsworth Wheelers cycling club in 1928, when he was still only 15, and became a prolific winner as a track rider in the 1940s and 1950s.

In an invitation scratch race at Herne Hill he split the two top sprint stars of the era, Reg Harris and Lou Pond, and although Harris was given the verdict in a close finish the future world sprint champion told Delbridge that he thought that he had been beaten.

Delbridge recorded his last win in an open event at the age of 48 in 1961. When he retired from racing in 1961 he was appointed as the chief track judge and handicapper for the British Cycling North Midlands Division. He officiated at a dozen or more open track meetings each year as well as the South Yorkshire Track League series of midweek meetings.

In addition to his track duties, Delbridge also became a respected commissaire at road races, as well as promoting his club's open 25-mile time trial for 23 years.

He also organised the hugely popular North Midlands Cycling Federation hill climb at Monsal Head in Derbyshire each autumn. He would regularly arrive at Monsal with a furniture van full of cyclists and their bikes.