The following notes are taken from personal knowledge and reference material immediately to hand. Beryl Burton, from Morley, near Leeds, Yorkshire, was with little doubt the world's greatest woman cyclist. Virtually unbeatable on the track in the pursuit and in road time trials in the UK for a quarter-century, she won the world road race title twice (in Leipzig in 1960 and Heerlen in 1967) and the world 3,000m pursuit five times (Liege 1959, Leipzig 1960, Milan 1962, Liege 1963 and Frankfurt 1966).
Between 1959 and 1983 Mrs Burton achieved a record 25 consecutive wins in the British best all-rounder time trial competition (combining season-long best time trial times at 25 miles, 50 miles and 100 miles).
Beryl Burton cheered British cyclists by winning a long battle against cancer a few years ago; it's saddening that she should now die in cycling action relatively young.
I'm [ROGER] absolutely outraged by BBC Radio 4's casual approach to this event. The brief mention in the 7am news has not been followed up or even repeated on any subsequent news report.
I turn to my bookshelf where I find the official programme (price "sixpence") for the Polytechnic Cycling Club's Dunlop Cup Meeting at the Gosling Stadium track, Welwyn Garden City, on Saturday 20 May 1961. I was 15 at the time. On the front of the programme is a pencilled autograph. It reads: "Best Wishes Beryl Burton". Inside in neat capital letters that I can hardly identify as my own handwriting I have carefully recorded the results of all the races:
"Event 10 3,000 metres Ladies Individual Pursuit, Final B. Burton (4.10.01) beat D. Whitwam (4.33.08) New British Record by 7 seconds"
Police said she had been riding a racing cycle in Skipton Road. The circumstances were not yet known but they were anxious to trace a man in a green shirt who asked local people to call them.
A police spokesman said Burton was wearing black cycling trousers, a multicoloured top and dark peaked cap. Anyone with information was asked to call Harrogate police on 01423 505541.
She is survived by her husband Charlie and daughter Denise.
In 1973 mother and daughter were both selected to ride for Britain in the world championships at Barcelona.
Burton, one of Britain's greatest woman athletes, rode competitively as recently as last October when the centenary of time trials was celebrated in Bedfordshire.
The unbeaten champion of Britain for 25 years, her records for time trials over 25, 50 and 100 miles still stand as does her distance record of 277.25 miles over 12 hours, set in 1967.
She was also world 3000m pursuit champion five times and road racing world champion twice. (By the way, my reference to BBC Radio in my first report should be dated May 6, not May 5).