Pete Sullivan 16/10/33 – 15/9/25

Former Club champion Pete Sullivan passed away earlier this week, aged 91. He started his cycling career with Benfleet & District Wheelers, formed between 1948 to 1964.

Pete’s best TT distance was 25 miles, and as one of the 20 fastest 25 milers in the country, he got the call to ride in the Solihull Invitation 25-mile TT race, where he came 11th. Tommy Simpson was two minutes behind Pete but didn’t catch him that day.

This event had started pre-WWII, and all the top 25 milers raced it in their career. Pete’s best year with the Wheelers was 1961, when he was the 25-mile champion, 50-mile champion, and Club TT champion.

He was also the club 50-mile record holder for 13 years between 1961 & 1975 with the first sub-2-hour ride of 1:59:40.

He extended his racing career as a Vet and won the Vets Handicap TT championship in 1980.

His wife Pat played a significant role as a club timekeeper and committee member and extended the family focus on 25-mile TT’s by being the organiser of the Wheelers' staging of the 1985 RTTC 25-mile Championship at Basildon, won by Darryl Webster (Manchester Wheelers).

His daughter Jacqui, also had a short racing career as a Wheeler.

Lower right: Pete is pictured starting Mick Ballard (Unity CC), 1985 RTTC 25-mile Championship at Basildon.