Cecil Richard Yates Sr (May 08, 1912 – March 27, 1987) was an American professional

track cyclist Track cycling is a bicycle racing sport usually held on specially built banked tracks or velodromes using purpose-designed track bicycles. History Track cycling has been around since at least 1870. When track cycling was in its infancy, it wa ...

. He is best known for his success in

six-day racing Six-day cycling is a track cycling event that takes place over six days. Six-day races started in Britain, spread to many regions of the world, were brought to their modern style in the United States and are now mainly a European event. Initiall ...

, having 18 victories in his career and was described as being a strong sprinter. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Yates served the

Army Air Force The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

for 34 months, being promoted up to a Sergeant. He retired from cycling in 1950, winning 18 of 56 total six-day races he entered. He was inducted into the

United States Bicycling Hall of Fame The United States Bicycling Hall of Fame, located in Davis, California, is a private 501c3 non-profit organization formed to preserve and promote the sport of cycling. The organization was founded in 1986 in Somerville, New Jersey and has induct ...

in 2007.

Six-day wins

;1934 : Six Days of Vancouver (with Eddie Testa) ;1935 :

Six Days of Detroit 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics A six-sided polygon is a hexagon, one of the three regular polygons capable of tessellation, tiling the plane. ...

(with Robert Vermeersch) : Six Days of Louisville (with Jack Gabell) ;1936 : Six Days of San Francisco (with Henry O'Brien) : Six Days of Des Moines (with Freddy Zach) ;1937 : Six Days of San Francisco (with Jerry Rodman) : Six Days of Oakland (with George Dempsey) ;1939 : Six Days of Buffalo (with Gustav Kilian) :

Six Days of New York The Six Days of New York was a former six-day cycling event, held in New York City, in Madison Square Garden's velodrome. Between 1899 and 1961, a total of 73 editions were held, sometimes three per year.Gabriele, Michael C. (2011), The Golden Ag ...

(with Cesare Moretti Jr.) : Six Days of Buffalo (with Heinz Vopel) ;1940 :

Six Days of Chicago The Six Days of Chicago was a six-day racing, six-day cycling event, held in Chicago, Illinois between 1915 and 1957. It took place fifty times during that period, as two editions were often held in one year. Gustav Kilian holds the record for most ...

(with

William Peden William "Torchy" Peden (16 April 1906 – 26 January 1980) was a Canadian cyclist. He was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1955 and the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 1966. Biography As a youth, Peden was a natural athlete, particip ...

) ;1941 : Six Days of Montreal (with Angelo de Bacco) ;1942 : Six Days of Milwaukee (with Jules Audy) :

(with

) ;1948 : Six Days of Winnipeg (with Charles Bergna) ;1949 : Six Days of Cleveland (with Charles Bergna)

References

External links

* 1912 births 1987 deaths American male cyclists People from Erath County, Texas American track cyclists 20th-century American sportsmen {{US-cycling-bio-1910s-stub