Reading Time: 2 minutes

Here is Dave with Nick and Alan, when they had all won their categories in the TLI National Champs. He was so proud of that win – and this morning there can have been few more moving sights than that of his son Mark, wearing his Dad’s national champion’s shirt, leading out about 100 friends from WVCC and many other clubs, on a memorial ride. We rode in two groups, on a beautiful almost spring-like day, along the Cheshire lanes which Dave knew so well, to one of his frequent haunts, the Ice Cream Farm at Beeston.

Mark must be very proud of his dad. Quite apart from his prowess as a cyclist, Dave was the nicest man you could meet. Everyone today had a tale about Dave – of his humour, his charm, his stories, his interest in everyone, and the way in which he would encourage everyone, young, old, male, female, fast or less fast – whether he was offering tactical advice about racing or training, or helping new riders to work out how to hang on to the back of the bunch on a club run – or in my case, just a simple “come on Ellie” when he knew I was flagging.

On the return leg today we rode together at a brisk pace, a bit too fast for chatting – and somehow he seemed to be there with us, his eyes twinkling, willing us on, taking pleasure and pride in the fact that so many people had turned out on such a beautiful day, all for him. I feel very privileged to have ridden with Dave, and whenever I’m out on my bike in the future he will, I know, be there with me, encouraging me. Our thoughts I know go to his family, for their great loss, and we hope that in their sadness, they take some small comfort from today.

RIP.