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Seamus "Shay" Elliott (4 June 1934 – 4 May 1971) was an Irish
road bicycle racer Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most common ...
, Ireland's first major international rider, with a record comparable only to Sean Kelly and Stephen Roche. He was the first Irish person to ride the
Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...
, first to win a stage, and first to wear the yellow jersey, and first English speaker to win stages in all the Grand Tours. After a strong amateur period, primarily with the Dublin Wheelers, Elliott was the first Irish cyclist to make a mark as a professional rider in continental Europe. A late-starting but naturally talented rider, he spent most of his pro career riding as a ''domestique'' for team leaders such as
Jacques Anquetil Jacques Anquetil (; 8 January 1934 – 18 November 1987) was a French road racing cyclist and the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times, in 1957 and from 1961 to 1964. He stated before the 1961 Tour that he would gain the y ...
, and Anquetil's deputy
Jean Stablinski Jean Stablewski (21 May 1932 – 22 July 2007), known as Jean Stablinski, was a French professional cyclist from a family of Polish immigrants. He rode from 1952 to 1968, winning 105 races as a professional. He won the national road champion ...
. He came 2nd (to Stablinski) in the 1962 World Road Championship at Salò, Italy. Aside from being the first English-speaker to lead the Tour de France, wearing the yellow jersey for three days, Elliott was first English-speaker to lead the
Vuelta a España The Vuelta a España (; en, Tour of Spain) is an annual multi-stage bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia, the r ...
, in which he came third in
1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wors ...
and was the only English-speaker to win the
Omloop "Het Volk" Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, previously Omloop Het Volk, is a one-day road cycling race in Belgium, held annually in late February. It is the opening event of the Belgian cycling season, as well as the first race of the year in Northwestern Europe, and ...
semi-classic until 2014 when
Ian Stannard Ian Dexter Stannard (born 25 May 1987) is a British former professional track and road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2008 and 2020 for the , and teams, before retiring after being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. He now wo ...
won the race.
Hood, Ed (cycling manager and historian), Velo Veritas – The Shay Elliott Memorial, 2005, section "Shay Elliott was a hero", checked 2018-09-02
He died in unclear circumstances at the age of 36.


Life


Early life

Elliott was from the working class area of Crumlin, Dublin, Crumlin in
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
, the eldest son of James Elliott, a motorbike mechanic, and Ellen, always known as Nell. He played
Gaelic football Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by kic ...
and
hurling Hurling ( ga, iománaíocht, ') is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic Irish origin, played by men. One of Ireland's native Gaelic games, it shares a number of features with Gaelic football, such as the field and goals, the number of p ...
and didn't learn to ride a bicycle until he was 14. He used it to ride to the town of Naas.O'Riordan Ian, The Irish Times, Sat 25 July 2009, Sport, "No second act, just tragedy, for Shay Elliott"


Amateur career

He joined a small cycling club, St Brendan's, attached to St Brendan's Catholic Church, Coolock, when he was 16 and took part in races of about 20 miles that the church organised around the city streets. He came second in his first race, riding a "scrap" bike with a single fixed wheel that led his pedals to bang the road on corners. The winner had a specialised racing bike. Elliott joined the ''Southern Road Club'' when he was 17 and, on a racing bike, won the Grand Prix of Ireland run over 50 km in the
Phoenix Park The Phoenix Park ( ga, Páirc an Fhionnuisce) is a large urban park in Dublin, Ireland, lying west of the city centre, north of the River Liffey. Its perimeter wall encloses of recreational space. It includes large areas of grassland and tre ...
. The club broke up soon afterwards and Elliott joined the Dublin Wheelers, one of the most active clubs at that time, in March 1952. That summer he won the Mannin Veg, a race over one lap of the TT motorcycling circuit on the
Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...
. He also won the Dublin-Galway-Dublin two-day race, winning the race back to Dublin in a sprint. In 1953 he rode the Manx International, over three laps of the TT circuit, for the Ireland "B" team. He fell on the tricky turn at Governor's Bridge, shortly before the finish, but came fourth. He won the 1953 Irish amateur road championship. His ''King of the Mountains'' placing in the Tour of Ireland in 1954 earned him a trip to the Simplex training camp in
Monte Carlo Monte Carlo (; ; french: Monte-Carlo , or colloquially ''Monte-Carl'' ; lij, Munte Carlu ; ) is officially an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is ...
the following spring.
Jock Wadley John Borland Wadley (1914 – March 1981) was an English journalist whose magazines and reporting opened Continental cycle racing to fans in Britain. Wadley covered 18 Tours de France from 1956. He worked for the British weekly, ''The Bicycle'' ...
said of him in ''
Sporting Cyclist ''Sporting Cyclist'' was a British cycling A4-sized magazine originally called ''Coureur''. It began in 1955 and ended after 131 issues in April 1968. History ''Coureur'' ''Coureur - the magazine for the sporting cyclist'' was the idea of the ...
'':
I can not remember all the items in Shay's luggage, of course. But I can hardly forget that one whole compartment in the chest of drawers was devoted to provisions which Shay had brought from Ireland, the chief stock being 2lb kgof tea and 2lb of chocolate creams. I was invited to eat as many of the chocolates as I liked, because his aunt who worked in the place where they were made would soon be sending more.
He said that Elliott was one of several riders asked to strip for examination by the
soigneur A cycling team is a group of cyclists who join a team or are acquired and train together to compete in bicycle races whether amateur or professional – and the supporting personnel. Cycling teams are most important in road bicycle racing, whic ...
Raymond Le Bert, who normally worked for
Louison Bobet Louis "Louison" Bobet (; 12 March 1925 - 13 March 1983) was a French professional road racing cyclist. He was the first great French rider of the post-war period and the first rider to win the Tour de France in three successive years, from 1953 to ...
. Wadley wrote:
It would be wrong to say that the company laughed when Shay stood there in his underpants, but there were certainly some smiles because in contrast to his lithe, clean-limbed predecessors at the examination, Shay looked a short, fat boy. Le Bert, however, did not smile. Immediately he exclaimed: 'Ah ha, now this is really rock. He is a real flahute. (''Flahute'' is a favourite French way of describing the old-type tough Flemish roadman.)
Elliott did not return permanently to Ireland at the end of the training camp in early 1955. He had just finished six years as an apprentice sheet-metal worker and he and his family in Old County Road in Crumlin, had decided that he had mastered panel-beating and would have a trade to return to if his efforts to become a professional cyclist failed. He contacted a former French professional, Francis Pélissier, for advice. Pélissier told Elliott to compete in as many races as possible, at least three or four a week – possibly in France, but not in Ireland, a cycling backwater. Elliott planned to move to
Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded in ...
in
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
, where he could race several times a week and, as an
amateur An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...
, win money denied to him in Ireland. At the training camp, however, he met the journalist and race organiser Jean Leulliot, who told him he would burn himself out in round-the-houses racing and urged him to move to
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. Leulliot remembered how Elliott had won the Tourmalet stage of the 1954 Route de France, which Leulliot's paper, ''Route et Piste'', organised. Leulliot asked in his paper for someone to accommodate Elliott in the capital and added "The Irishman is soaked with class and has a great future before him." The appeal was answered by Paul Wiegant of the
Athletic Club Boulogne-Billancourt Athletic Club de Boulogne-Billancourt or A.C.B.B. is a French sports club based in the suburbs of Paris in the commune of Boulogne-Billancourt. The club offers a variety of sports, but is primarily known for cycling, rugby union, judo, figure sk ...
(ACBB) in
Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, France's top amateur team. Elliott won five one-day amateur classics in 1955 and set the world 10 km amateur record on the Vélodrome d'Hiver in Paris. He was the first foreigner to be ranked top amateur in France. Elliott turned professional for the 1956 season.


Professional career

Elliott signed as a professional for the Helyett-Félix Potin team (Helyett was a bicycle manufacturere). He won his first race, the GP d'Echo Alger in
Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...
, outsprinting André Darrigade. He also won the GP Catox and the GP Isbergues. In his first major race of 1957, the
Omloop "Het Volk" Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, previously Omloop Het Volk, is a one-day road cycling race in Belgium, held annually in late February. It is the opening event of the Belgian cycling season, as well as the first race of the year in Northwestern Europe, and ...
in Belgium, he made a race-long break with Englishman Brian Robinson. The break was caught near the finish but Elliott's form was noted. He won the Circuit de la Vienne. He became a team-mate of
Jacques Anquetil Jacques Anquetil (; 8 January 1934 – 18 November 1987) was a French road racing cyclist and the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times, in 1957 and from 1961 to 1964. He stated before the 1961 Tour that he would gain the y ...
and
Jean Stablinski Jean Stablewski (21 May 1932 – 22 July 2007), known as Jean Stablinski, was a French professional cyclist from a family of Polish immigrants. He rode from 1952 to 1968, winning 105 races as a professional. He won the national road champion ...
, staying with the team under different sponsors for much of his career. In 1959 he won
Omloop "Het Volk" Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, previously Omloop Het Volk, is a one-day road cycling race in Belgium, held annually in late February. It is the opening event of the Belgian cycling season, as well as the first race of the year in Northwestern Europe, and ...
, the first foreigner to do so. He attacked on the
Mur de Grammont Mur may refer to: Places: * Mur (river) (or Mura), a river in central Europe * Mur, Switzerland, a commune in Vaud and Avenches * Mur (Novi Pazar), a large village in Serbia * Mur, part of the village of Murzasichle, Poland * Mur, Iran (disambig ...
with 30 km to ride and dropped all his rivals except
Fred De Bruyne Alfred De Bruyne (21 October 1930 – 4 February 1994) was a Belgian champion road cyclist. He won six Tour de France stages early in his career and went on to win many other Monuments and stage races. He had a great deal of success early in his ...
, the Belgian hope. The pair raced together to the finish where Elliott won easily. That season Elliott rode the Tour de France, then run for national teams, in a mixed team that included the Englishman, Brian Robinson. Robinson rode above his level across the
Massif Central The (; oc, Massís Central, ; literally ''"Central Massif"'') is a highland region in south-central France, consisting of mountains and plateaus. It covers about 15% of mainland France. Subject to volcanism that has subsided in the last 10,00 ...
and next day paid the price; he trailed far behind the field.
William Fotheringham William Fotheringham (born 1965) is a sports writer specialising in cycling and rugby. As a newspaper journalist he writes for ''The Guardian''. Fotheringham was a features editor for ''Cycling Weekly'', the features editor of ''Cycle Sport'' and ...
wrote:
In hot weather, these are some of the toughest roads in France, constantly rising and falling. Elliott remained with Robinson, chivvying him, pacing him, pouring water on his head as the Tour's doctor, Pierre Dumas administered glucose tablets. It was the kind of heroic spectacle the Tour reporters loved. ''Robinson en perdition'' ran the next day's headline in
L'Équipe ''L'Équipe'' (, French for "the team") is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sport, owned by Éditions Philippe Amaury. The paper is noted for coverage of association football, rugby football, rugby, motorsport, and cycle sport, ...
, which described Elliott's efforts as "''attentions de mère poule''" – the solicitousness of a mother hen.Fotheringham, William (2005), Roule Britannia, Yellow Jersey, UK
Both finished outside the day's race elimination time limit, and expected to be sent home. However, the team's manager, Sauveur Ducazeaux, insisted the judges apply a rule that no rider in the first ten could be eliminated. Robinson had started the day ninth: it was Elliott who was sent home. "The mother hen was cooked; the chick avoided the pot", Fotheringham said. Robinson always regretted the outcome, and when he won the next stage, told journalists that he did it for Elliott. In 1960, Elliott became the first English-speaking rider to take the pink jersey in the Giro d'Italia. In 1962, he came third in the
1962 Vuelta a España The 1962 Vuelta a España was the 17th Vuelta a España, taking place from 27 April to 13 May 1962. It consisted of 17 stages over , ridden at an average speed of . Jacques Anquetil started the race with the intention of winning it and becoming th ...
, coming second in the points classification, and winning the fourth stage; he led the race for nine days. In the 1962 world road championship at
Salò Salò (; la, Salodium) is a town and ''comune'' in the Province of Brescia in the region of Lombardy (northern Italy) on the banks of Lake Garda, on which it has the longest promenade. The city was the seat of government of the Italian Social R ...
in
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
, he got into the winning break with Stablinski. Stablinski was a team-mate in the professional peloton and a friend but a rival in the championship, where riders rode in national teams. However, Elliott and Stablinski worked to wear down the other break members. When Stablinski attacked, Elliott refused to chase and the Frenchman won alone. Elliott eventually broke away to take the silver medal. Elliott admitted he had sacrificed his chance for Stablinski's benefit. "Team loyalty was a theme that ran throughout Elliott's career," noted the editor of ''
Cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...
'', Martin Ayres. Elliott said: "I'm not supposed to say that I helped Jean, but he's the best friend I've got in cycling and godfather to my son, Pascal. So I couldn't very well go after him, could I?"An article about Seamus Elliott profile
CyclingRevealed.com; accessed 19 April 2015.
His best result was in the
1963 Tour de France The 1963 Tour de France was the 50th instance of that Grand Tour. It took place between 23 June and 14 July, with 21 stages covering a distance of . Stages 2 and 6 were both two part stages, the first half being a regular stage and the second hal ...
. He won by 33 seconds, enough to give him the yellow jersey of leadership. He held it for three days. Another 20 years passed before another Irishman, Sean Kelly, led the Tour. This achievement also made him the first English-speaker to lead the three great European tours, of Italy, Spain and France. Elliott spent his career as a domestique, a rider who sacrifices his chances for his leader, but with the right to sprint for wins. He made a career from appearance contracts and start money, riding
criterium A criterium, or crit, is a bike race consisting of several laps around a closed circuit, the length of each lap or circuit ranging from about 400 m to 10,000 m. Overview Race length can be determined by a number of laps or total time ...
s in Belgium – the races that Leulliot said would burn him out – and races in Britain, including a meeting at the velodrome at
Herne Hill Herne Hill is a district in South London, approximately four miles from Charing Cross and bordered by Brixton, Camberwell, Dulwich, and Tulse Hill. It sits to the north and east of Brockwell Park and straddles the boundary between the boroughs ...
in London where the star attraction was the Italian, Fausto Coppi. Elliott also rode and won the professional race on the Isle of Man, the Manx Premier.


Controversies

Elliott was contracted to ride London-Holyhead in 1965, at 275 miles the longest single-day race in the world not to use pacers.
Tom Simpson Thomas Simpson (30 November 1937 – 13 July 1967) was one of Britain's most successful professional cyclists. He was born in Haswell, County Durham, and later moved to Harworth, Nottinghamshire. Simpson began road cycling as a teenager b ...
won, beating Elliott and a domestic professional, Albert Hitchen. Controversy started the moment that ''Cycling'' printed a picture of the sprint. Elliott had his hands tugging his brakes before the line. The magazine suggested he was braking to avoid the crowd further down the road, but many thought it a fix. Another rider in the race, Pete Ryalls, said in Procycling in 2008:
The fix was for Barry Hoban to win. Barry was touch and go whether he'd get another contract because he'd done sweet FA all season. And it all went wrong because he didn't have the form anyway and it's a bloody long way if you don't have the legs. And the thing that messed it up was that going across
Anglesey Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...
a big tall lanky guy called Peter Gordon. He pushed off and caused all sorts of consternation and the only people who could get across to him were Simpson and the guys he'd brought across with him, and Hitchen... so presumably they sorted it out between them afterwards, but that was the fix: that Hoban should win. I know for certain that it was.
Elliott, braking to stop Hitchen behind him, so Simpson could win, was riding in Simpson's pay. Simpson offered Elliott £1,000 to help him win the world championship in 1963. Elliott refused, speculation being that he had been offered more by someone else. Elliott later wrote a newspaper article suggesting that he made more money by selling races than winning them.


Decline

Elliott's career started to fade from the mid-1960s. He moved in 1966 from Anquetil's team to the rival Mercier-BP, sponsored by a bicycle company and an oil company and led by Anquetil's rival,
Raymond Poulidor Raymond Poulidor (; 15 April 1936 – 13 November 2019), nicknamed "Pou-Pou" (), was a French professional racing cyclist, who rode for his entire career. His distinguished career coincided with two other outstanding riders – Jacques Anquet ...
. Elliott planned for retirement by opening a hotel in Loctudy in
Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
. He had no prior experience in the hospitality trade and that project took so much of his time that he could ride only local races. After promising Mercier-BP that he would make amends in the world championship, the chain came off his bicycle and he finished 15th. Things grew worse. His marriage to Marguerite, failed.Healy, Graham (2011) Shay Elliott – The Life and Death of Ireland's First Yellow Jersey, Mousehold Press The hotel, too, failed and Elliott lost all his money. To try to restore his situation, he sold a story to the British tabloid newspaper, '' The People'', telling of drug-taking and bribery. The article went into few details but was enough for him to be snubbed by other professionals. The same had happened to Simpson when he sold his story to the same paper but while Simpson recovered despite reprimands from his agent, criticism in the cycling press and a threat of dismissal by his team,Fotheringham, William (2002), ''Put Me Back on my Bike'', Yellow Jersey, UK Elliott's career never regained momentum. British cycling journalist
Jock Wadley John Borland Wadley (1914 – March 1981) was an English journalist whose magazines and reporting opened Continental cycle racing to fans in Britain. Wadley covered 18 Tours de France from 1956. He worked for the British weekly, ''The Bicycle'' ...
, who had shared a room with Elliott at the Simplex training camp, said: "I knew times were hard for him but nobody knew just how hard until he had to do that."


Later years

Elliott returned to Dublin in 1967 and set up a metal-working business in Prince's Street in the city centre, with his father. Marguerite remained in France, with his only son, Pascal. Friends helped him to build a small apartment above the business. Elliott tried a racing comeback in Britain in 1970 with the
Falcon Cycles Falcon Cycles is a British bicycle manufacturer which was based in Brigg, North Lincolnshire, owned by Tandem Group. History In the 1880s, Hotchkiss, Mayo & Meek Ltd was established in Coventry as a manufacturer of bicycles. In 1897, the c ...
team and came 21st in his first race, London-Holyhead. Domestic professional racing was not as attractive or rewarding as continental. Combining cycling with a full-time job meant he struggled.


Cycling in Ireland

Despite problems, he continued to ride – he was active with the Bray Wheelers club based south of Dublin, training juniors and formulating plans for Irish cycling. He once ran for vice-president of the
Irish Cycling Federation Cycling Ireland ( ga, Rothaíocht Éireann) or CI is the operating name of the national governing body of the sport of cycling in the island of Ireland. Formally the body is a charitable company limited by guarantee, the Irish Cycling Federat ...
, but lost to Paddy McQuaid.


Death

On 21 April 1971, his father died. Two weeks after his father's death, on 4 May 1971, Shay Elliott was found dead in the living quarters above the family business premises, at the age of just 36. The cause of death was a shotgun wound, rupturing his heart and liver, from a gun about whose unreliable fittings friends had warned him. The coroner recorded an "open verdict" and three competing theories circulated about the cause of death: that it was indeed a gun accident, that he committed suicide, and that he was killed by a Breton crime syndicate to whom he owed money from his failed hotel business (he had worried about people "hanging round" near the premises in previous weeks). He was laid to rest alongside his father at St Mochonog's Church, Kilmacanogue, County Wicklow.


Legacy

The Shay Elliott Memorial Road Race, organised by Bray Wheelers Cycling Club, is run every year in Ireland in his honour. The race was previously (since 1959) known as the ''Route de Chill Mhantain'' (Circuit of Wicklow). It became the Shay Elliott Trophy in the late sixties, then the Shay Elliott Memorial after his death in 1971. A monument to Elliott, erected by friends and Bray Wheelers Cycling Club, stands at the top of the climb from Drumgoff Bridge, Glenmalure heading towards
Laragh, County Wicklow Laragh ( – meaning "the site, or ruins, of a building") is a small village in County Wicklow, Ireland. It lies at the junction of three roads (the R115, R755, and R756) through the Wicklow Mountains and is primarily known for its proximi ...
, where the race's KOH mountain prime is situated. Delegates from the Tour de France visited Elliott's grave when the Tour came to Ireland in 1998.
McKay Feargal, Podium Cafe – "The Irish Flahute", 24 February 2017 (republished from 2011), visited 2018-09-02


Coverage

In 2009 a documentary film, ''Cycle of Betrayal'', about Shay Elliott, was shown in Ireland (first on Setanta Ireland) and the UK. A book, a section of a book, and many articles, have also been written about Elliott.


Major results

;1953 : 1st Irish National Cycling Championships#Elite/Senior Men, Road race, National Amateur Road Championships ;1954 : 1st Irish National Cycling Championships#Elite/Senior Men, Road race, National Road Championships ;1955 : 1st Irish National Cycling Championships#Elite/Senior Men, Road race, National Road Championships ;1956 : 1st Grand Prix d'Isbergues : 1st Stage 3 Tour des Provinces du Sud-Est ;1957 : 1st Points classification,
Paris–Nice Paris–Nice is a professional cycling stage race in France, held annually since 1933. Raced over eight days, the race usually starts with a prologue in the Paris region and ends with a final stage either in Nice or on the Col d'Èze overlookin ...
: 3rd
Paris–Bourges Paris–Bourges is a French road bicycle race. The race originally started in Paris and ran to the town of Bourges in the Région Centre. However, in recent year with the length of races shortened it has become impossible to link the two cities a ...
: 3rd
Grand Prix de Monaco The Monaco Grand Prix (french: Grand Prix de Monaco) is a Formula One motor racing event held annually on the Circuit de Monaco, in late May or early June. Run since 1929, it is widely considered to be one of the most important and prestigiou ...
: 7th Tour of Flanders : 7th
Omloop Het Volk Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, previously Omloop Het Volk, is a one-day Road bicycle racing, road cycling race in Belgium, held annually in late February. It is the opening event of the Belgian cycling season, as well as the first race of the year in Nort ...
;1958 : 5th Overall
Grand Prix du Midi Libre The Grand Prix du Midi Libre (referred to as just Midi Libre) was a multiple-stage road cycling course in the south of France. The race, named after the newspaper that organized it, was first organized in 1949 and was an important preparation cou ...
: 6th Overall
Four Days of Dunkirk The Four Days of Dunkirk (french: Quatre Jours de Dunkerque) is road bicycle race around the Nord-Pas de Calais region of northern France. Despite the name of the race, since the addition of an individual time trial in 1963, the race has been h ...
::1st Points classification ::1st Stages 2 & 3 : 7th Gent–Wevelgem : 9th Overall
Paris–Nice Paris–Nice is a professional cycling stage race in France, held annually since 1933. Raced over eight days, the race usually starts with a prologue in the Paris region and ends with a final stage either in Nice or on the Col d'Èze overlookin ...
;1959 : 1st
Omloop Het Volk Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, previously Omloop Het Volk, is a one-day Road bicycle racing, road cycling race in Belgium, held annually in late February. It is the opening event of the Belgian cycling season, as well as the first race of the year in Nort ...
: 1st
Grand Prix de Denain Grand Prix de Denain is a professional cycle road race held in Denain, France. For 10 years from 2005 the race was organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competitions whi ...
: 1st
Manx Trophy The Manx Trophy or Isle of Man International Road Race is a bicycle road race run annually on the Isle of Man. In the 1960s the race attracted the world's top professional cyclists including Fausto Coppi, Jacques Anquetil and Eddy Merckx. Th ...
: 9th Tour of Flanders ;1960 : 1st Grand Prix Stan Ockers : 1st Stage 18 Giro d'Italia : 1st Stage 3a
Roma–Napoli–Roma Roma–Napoli–Roma (English: Rome–Naples–Rome) was a road cycle race held from 1902 until 1961. The race had different names during its history: ''Corsa del XX Settembre'' (''Race of 20 September'') from 1919 to 1927, as it was raced in S ...
: 2nd
Genoa–Nice Genoa–Nice was a professional cycle race held as a single-day race between Genoa, Italy and Nice, France. It was first held in 1910 and held for the final time in 1975. In 1961 and 1962 it was part of the Super Prestige Pernod series. In 1958, 1 ...
: 5th Overall
Four Days of Dunkirk The Four Days of Dunkirk (french: Quatre Jours de Dunkerque) is road bicycle race around the Nord-Pas de Calais region of northern France. Despite the name of the race, since the addition of an individual time trial in 1963, the race has been h ...
;1961 : 1st Stage 2
Four Days of Dunkirk The Four Days of Dunkirk (french: Quatre Jours de Dunkerque) is road bicycle race around the Nord-Pas de Calais region of northern France. Despite the name of the race, since the addition of an individual time trial in 1963, the race has been h ...
;1962 : 2nd Road race,
UCI Road World Championships The UCI Road World Championships are the annual world championships for bicycle road racing organized by the (UCI). The UCI Road World Championships consist of events for road race and individual time trial, and a mixed team relay. Events ...
: 2nd
Paris–Camembert Paris–Camembert (also Paris–Camembert Trophée Lepetit or Paris–Camembert Lepetit) is a semi classic held annually in April. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. The route of the race has varied over th ...
: 3rd Overall
Vuelta a España The Vuelta a España (; en, Tour of Spain) is an annual multi-stage bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia, the r ...
::1st Stage 4 ::Held after Stages 4–6 & 9–14 : 3rd
Omloop Mandel-Leie-Schelde Omloop Mandel-Leie-Schelde is a cycling race held annually in Belgium. It is part of UCI Europe Tour in category 1.1 1.1 may refer to: * 1.1.1.1, a Domain Name System service * 1.1-inch/75-caliber gun * Falcon 9 v1.1 orbital launch vehicle * Trab ...
: 10th Overall
Grand Prix du Midi Libre The Grand Prix du Midi Libre (referred to as just Midi Libre) was a multiple-stage road cycling course in the south of France. The race, named after the newspaper that organized it, was first organized in 1949 and was an important preparation cou ...
;1963 :
Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...
::1st Stage 3 ::Held after Stages 3–6a : 1st Stage 13
Vuelta a España The Vuelta a España (; en, Tour of Spain) is an annual multi-stage bicycle race primarily held in Spain, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. Inspired by the success of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia, the r ...
: 2nd Overall Tour de l'Oise : 2nd
Paris–Camembert Paris–Camembert (also Paris–Camembert Trophée Lepetit or Paris–Camembert Lepetit) is a semi classic held annually in April. Since 2005, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. The route of the race has varied over th ...
: 3rd
Grand Prix du Parisien The Grand Prix du Parisien was an annual road bicycle race held in Paris, France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories i ...
: 6th Overall Euskal Bizikleta : 7th Rund um den Henninger Turm Frankfurt ;1964 : 1st Overall
Circuit du Morbihan Circuit may refer to: Science and technology Electrical engineering * Electrical circuit, a complete electrical network with a closed-loop giving a return path for current ** Analog circuit, uses continuous signal levels ** Balanced circui ...
: 1st
Manx Trophy The Manx Trophy or Isle of Man International Road Race is a bicycle road race run annually on the Isle of Man. In the 1960s the race attracted the world's top professional cyclists including Fausto Coppi, Jacques Anquetil and Eddy Merckx. Th ...
;1965 : 1st Overall Tour de l'Oise ::1st Stage 1 : 2nd
Grand Prix de Monaco The Monaco Grand Prix (french: Grand Prix de Monaco) is a Formula One motor racing event held annually on the Circuit de Monaco, in late May or early June. Run since 1929, it is widely considered to be one of the most important and prestigiou ...
: 3rd Overall
Circuit du Morbihan Circuit may refer to: Science and technology Electrical engineering * Electrical circuit, a complete electrical network with a closed-loop giving a return path for current ** Analog circuit, uses continuous signal levels ** Balanced circui ...
: 4th Overall
Paris–Luxembourg The Paris–Luxembourg was a professional cycle race held as a stage race between Paris and Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ...
: 4th Gent–Wevelgem : 10th
Circuit de l'Aulne Boucles de l'Aulne is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in May or June around Châteaulin, in the region of Brittany, France. Since 2006, the race is organized as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a s ...
;1966 : 5th Gent–Wevelgem : 6th Overall
Paris–Luxembourg The Paris–Luxembourg was a professional cycle race held as a stage race between Paris and Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ...


Grand Tour general classification results timeline


References


External links


Seamus Elliott's palmares
memoire-du-cyclisme.net ] * {{DEFAULTSORT:Elliott, Shay 1934 births People from Crumlin, Dublin Irish male cyclists Dublin Wheelers cyclists Irish expatriates in France Irish Tour de France stage winners Sheet metal workers 1971 deaths Deaths by firearm in the Republic of Ireland Irish Giro d'Italia stage winners