Cyclocross Footage ©British Pathe
The British Pathe was established in 1902, and the organization produced bi-weekly newsreels and film programs for over 60 years, resulting in a film archive of 90,000 pieces and 3,500 hours. Dive into that archive, and you’ll find a handful of great samples of cyclocross videos from the late 60s.
Here are two of the clips, a National British Championship from 1967 and an Amateur Championship from 1969. I love the “barriers” in that latter race, and apparently the sport had some legitimacy in the UK at the time – the course runs through a town, and the mayor presents the awards. These time capsules provide a brilliant look at our sport “back in the day.”
1967 National Cyclo-Cross Championships, Birmingham, West Midlands:
1969 Amateur National Cyclo-Cross Championships, Allesley Park, near Coventry, West Midlands:
