The Orwell Wheeler RTE RADIO 1 27th Dec. 18:00

You might be interested in .

In 1987, Stephen Roche did the unthinkable, winning the three biggest cycle races in the world - the Giro d'Italia, Tour De France and the World Championship. 30yrs on, RTE looks back at his iconic sporting achievement- "The Orwell Wheeler".

..
The Orwell Wheeler - RTE Radio 1 - 27 Dec 2017 6:00pm - Documentary on One. It’s all about Stephen Roach,

You can also listen to this programme at the following link at:

www.rte.ie/radio1/doconone/2017/0706/888312-the-orwell-wheeler/





FROM THE RTE WEBSITE
The Orwell Wheeler

Road cycling is one of the world’s toughest, most exacting sports. It brings people to the very outer limits of their physical and mental capacity. The cycling calendar contains many races but three tower over all of the others. The first is May’s Giro d’Italia-three weeks through the most challenging terrain Italy has to offer. July sees the Tour De France, cycling’s toughest test through the torture chambers of the Alps and Pyrenees. Finally, September brings the World Championships a single six and a half hour race to see who will spend the following year wearing the rainbow jersey of champion of the world.

To win any one of these races is to enter sporting history, to win all three in the same season was thought unattainable until the legendary Belgian cyclist Eddy Merckx achieved it in 1974. Many believed it was a feat could never be repeated. But it was, on a cold September day in Austria in 1987, by a maintenance fitter from Dundrum in South Dublin who hailed from a small cycling club called Orwell Wheelers. His name, Stephen Roche.

The night before he left Ireland to seek his fortune in the tough world of continental cycling, a family friend said to Roche that everybody expected him to go once around the Eiffel Tower and come home. He made him promise not to return. Roche eventually did, but as the world’s number one cyclist.

Narrated by Donal O'Herlihy

Produced by Donal O'Herlihy with Liam O'Brien.

First Broadcast at 1pm Saturday July 15th 2017


Cheers
Leonard

You were right Leonard, it's excellent, really worth a listen.
I did not have any interest in cycling until 3 years ago but remember hearing the wins on the news in 1987. Stephens story is amazing and so gutsy.

This is a brilliant documentary with interviews, sit down, remove the distractions play it and enjoy it. This is how radio can tell a story so well.