Icons Notebook 008: Sean Kelly

Sean 'King' Kelly. The quiet farmer's son from from Carrick-on-Suir who became the greatest all-round rider of his era. He could out-climb the climbers and out-sprint the sprinters, capable of winning cobbled classics and grand tours alike.

Kelly was a man who let his legs do the talking, famous for nodding in answer to questions in a radio interview. He was rarely stirred in public or print, but in 1984 briefly let the mask slip after being ambushed by five breakaway companions in the Tour of Flanders, delivering his blunt prophesy:

"I Will Get My Revenge At Paris-Roubaix"

True to his word, Kelly duly crushed the field the following week - and a decade of almost unparalleled success followed.

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