sean kelly

From issue 53 • Words by John Wilcockson w/images from John Pierce

Born into a farming family in rural Ireland, Sean Kelly would have an unusual path into the European professional peloton, first fighting his way to the head of the Irish amateur ranks before heading to France and proving his potential with a prolific spate of wins. Kelly’s field-sprinting ability was enough to earn him the sprinter’s green jersey four times at the Tour and three times at the Vuelta—he never started the Giro d’Italia.

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