Hi guys,
Maybe it has been posted before but I can't see it on the threads so I'll post it here. This is a radio documentary of the 'Iron Man' Mick Murphy. It's a fascinating story of his life and racing in Ireland in the late 1950's.
Breaking a collarbone, escaping body-snatchers, stealing a bike, drinking cow’s blood. Mick Murphy’s story is an extraordinary one which details how after taking up racing only in 1957, he won Ireland’s premier cycle race the following year.
They said he trained with weights made from stone, that he made a living as a circus performer, that on one stage during that Rás – when the freewheel on his bike had broken – he stole an ordinary bicycle from a farmer and chased down the leading pack. They said that he rode for four days with a broken collarbone, that he would cycle for 40 miles having completed a gruelling stage just to cool down, that he drank cow’s blood and ate raw meat. He was indestructible.
This is the link for the documentary; http://www.rte.ie/radio1/doconone/convict.html
The only problem for non-Irish people could be understanding Mick's strong accident
So maybe to enjoy the story a little better this link will be better as the producer of the documentary discusses Mick The story of Mick begins just after the 10minute 20sec mark
http://thebikeshow.net/legends-of-the-ras/
Enjoy
Maybe it has been posted before but I can't see it on the threads so I'll post it here. This is a radio documentary of the 'Iron Man' Mick Murphy. It's a fascinating story of his life and racing in Ireland in the late 1950's.
Breaking a collarbone, escaping body-snatchers, stealing a bike, drinking cow’s blood. Mick Murphy’s story is an extraordinary one which details how after taking up racing only in 1957, he won Ireland’s premier cycle race the following year.
They said he trained with weights made from stone, that he made a living as a circus performer, that on one stage during that Rás – when the freewheel on his bike had broken – he stole an ordinary bicycle from a farmer and chased down the leading pack. They said that he rode for four days with a broken collarbone, that he would cycle for 40 miles having completed a gruelling stage just to cool down, that he drank cow’s blood and ate raw meat. He was indestructible.
This is the link for the documentary; http://www.rte.ie/radio1/doconone/convict.html
The only problem for non-Irish people could be understanding Mick's strong accident
So maybe to enjoy the story a little better this link will be better as the producer of the documentary discusses Mick
The story of Mick begins just after the 10minute 20sec mark http://thebikeshow.net/legends-of-the-ras/
Enjoy
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