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Tragic 1960s cycling star Tom Simpson to be focus of this year's Hammersmith Cyclists' Film Show

Vin Denson to be guest speaker at event on Sunday 29 January commemorates 50th anniversary of death of one of Britain's greatest cyclists...

Tom Simpson, the first British man to win the road world championship and wear the yellow jersey at the Tour de France, is the focus of this year’s Hammersmith Cyclists’ Film Show, with 2017 marking the 50th anniversary of his death on Mont Ventoux at the age of 29.

> Tom Simpson memorial being restored to mark 50th anniversary of his death

The highlight of the programme at the Phoenix Cinema, East Finchley on Sunday 29 January will be the screening of the film Something To Aim At: The Tom Simpson Story.

Vin Denson, a close friend of Simpson’s and his Great Britain team mate at that ill-fated edition of the Tour de France in 1967, will be a guest speaker on the day.

The afternoon’s programme will also feature the first screening of footage of the re-dedication of the Mont Ventoux memorial to Simpson in 2007.

Tickets cost £11 for adults, with reductions for children, senior citizens, students and the unemployed.

They can be ordered through the Phoenix Cinema website.

Here’s the full programme, which runs from 1.30pm to 5.30pm.

Premiere of 40 years on: The re-dedication of the Simpson memorial (Ray Pascoe) 10 minutes. Film of the ceremony in 2007.

Premiere of Notebook from the Tour 2016 (Ray Pascoe) 50 minutes. Ray Pascoe’s personal experience of last year’s Tour.

Before Simpson: early Brits at the Tour (extract from The Britpack). 10 minutes. Other British pioneers in the Tour.

Something to Aim At: The Tom Simpson Story. 75 minutes.

Memories of Tom by his team-mate and friend Vin Denson.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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