Born into a farming family in rural Ireland, Sean Kelly would have an unusual path into the European professional peloton, first fighting his way to the head of the Irish amateur ranks before heading to France and proving his potential with a prolific spate of wins. It seemed he was on his way to a solo victory as the peloton descended the Poggio, where Maurizio Fondriest led, marked by Argentin's teammate Rolf Srensen. It was the only time he would wear the "maillot jaune" (English: yellow jersey) at the Tour. He returned to Carrick-on-Suir at the end of the season to ride the annual Hamper race. referring to his appetite for winning that spring He won all three stages in the Critrium International: the bunch sprint on stage 1, a solo victory in the mountain stage and beating Roche in the final time trial. [100] During the 1991 Tour de France, the entire PDM team, including Kelly, abandoned the race, citing illness, which later became known as the "Intralipid Affair. Kelly won ParisNice in 1987 on the last day after Roche, the leader, punctured. He is the winner of races such as Binche Tournai Binche and the London Surrey Classic. However, the spring classics season proved a disappointment, with Kelly's best result being a 12th place in ParisRoubaix after suffering multiple punctures. , money, salary, income, and assets. Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 67 years old? [68] De Gribaldy employed him as unambiguous team leader, someone he believed could win stage races and not just stages. Years later Kelly admitted that his countryman Roche's emergence during his neo-pro season in 1981, during which he had also won Paris-Nice, was one of the factors which motivated him to adjust his focus to becoming more of an all-round rider. "[44] Both parties agreed to go to Kelly's home in Curraghduff for negotiations. [51] Kelly successfully negotiated a deal, asking for 6000 in the process, which Gribaldy agreed to. Kelly was wearing it as the Tour was finishing on the Champs-lyses but lost it in the bunch finish to the Belgian, Frank Hoste, who finished ahead of Kelly gaining points to take the jersey off Kelly's shoulders. [13] And so it was, from humble beginnings, Sean soon joined Joe. The bikes were in poor state enough that Splendor decided not to ride ParisRoubaix and the manager, Robert Lauwers, was replaced. [60] Without the benefit of a photo-finish, the judge at the finish line deemed Jan Raas the winner in a sprint finish, with Kelly given second place. [123], The inaugural Sean Kelly Tour of Waterford was held on 19 August 2007. The 2009 Tour went ahead on 30 August 2009. In 2006 he launched Ireland's first professional team, the Sean Kelly ACLVBM.Donnelly team, composed of young Irish and Belgian riders based at the Sean Kelly Cycling Academy in Merchtem, Belgium. He returned to Carrick-on-Suir at the end of the season to ride the annual Hamper race. Sean Kelly has been one of the biggest icons in professional cycling for decades.The Irishman's pro racing career spanned almost 20 years and saw him take co. Kelly won this race again six years later. However, on the Spanish mainland, Kelly concentrated on winning sprint time bonuses, battling with sprinter Jorge Dominguez, the BH teammate of leader, Laudelino Cubino. After the 1984 edition of ParisBrussels, in which he had finished third, cycling authorities stated that a urine sample supplied by Kelly had tested positive for pemoline (Stimul), a result which was repeated with the testing of a B sample. Kelly stayed on Argentin's wheel. Velo Club de Metz offered him 25 a week, free accommodation and four francs a kilometre for every race he won. [10] The journey from home in Curraghduff to Crehana School was approximately a-mile-and-a-half. [12][24] In August 1975, Alain Steinhoff, a member of the Metz club,[23] travelled to the World Championships in Belgium, where Kelly was competing in the amateur road race. [110], In 1992, Kelly travelled to Colombia for the Clsico RCN, where he won the second stage. He and Simon Gerrans have both raced for Orica-GreenEDGE. [128] In December 2005, he received the Mick Doyle Golden Memory Award at the Canon Hayes National Sports Awards in Aherlow, County Tipperary. 947 views 1 year ago Cycling monument specialist Sean Kelly won his second Paris-Roubaix using his deadly finish to come out on top in the final. [12][27] Because of an international ban on athletes competing in South Africa, as a consequence of a protest against apartheid, the three Irish cyclists and two Scottish, John Curran and Henry Wilbraham, competed as a British team under false names. Both stalled, the chasers closing fast, Argentin gesturing to Kelly to take the front. Below the countdown to Sean Kelly upcoming birthday. Kelly competed throughout the season, from ParisNice in March to the Giro di Lombardia in October, winning both in 1983 and 1985. Kelly explained this as being the result of a worsening cough he had developed during the race: he said that between the end of the final stage and attending doping control he took a swig from a bottle of cough medicine, to which he attributed the presence of codeine in his urine sample. [10] At school, he was exceedingly shy, unsure of himself and felt intellectually outclassed by other pupils in his class. English cyclist who has raced for teams like NFTO Pro Cycling and Orica-GreenEDGE. [44] Soon they encountered a tractor, driven by a young man, travelling towards them. [28] The squad were called "Mum for Men" and managed by Tommy Shardelow. The two moved again, preparing for a sprint; Kelly launched himself and in the final 200m came past Argentin to win his final Classic. He was. Biography. "[92] He took the leader's "maillot amarillo" (yellow jersey), beating Fuerte by almost two minutes. Then in 1978 Michel Pollentier was disqualified from the Tour de France after cheating a drugs test on the afternoon that he took the race lead. Kelly won the sprint by the narrowest margin, less than half a wheel separating the first four, against cycling greats including Francesco Moser, Adri van der Poel, Hennie Kuiper and world champion Greg LeMond. Sean Kelly's birth flower is Lily of the valley. In fact, Portal was planning a trip to visit Yates at his farm. Kelly is the subject of several books, including KELLY A Biography of Sean Kelly by David Walsh in 1986 and SEAN KELLY a man for all seasons by Sean Kelly and David Walsh in 1991. The inaugural Sean Kelly Tour of Waterford was held on 19 August 2007. He caught Argentin with a kilometre to go. [57][58] He made an impressive debut, finishing tenth in the opening stage and third in the final overall general classification. Kelly missed the 1986 Tour de France due to a serious crash in the last stage of Tour de Suisse. Age 66 years old. is 1.8m and Weight 77kg. The writer Robin Magowan said: Kelly and two other Irish riders, Pat and Kieron McQuaid, went to South Africa to ride the Rapport Tour stage-race in preparation for the 1976 Olympic Games. Kelly's career coincided with Stephen Roche as well as Classics specialists including Francesco Moser, Claude Criquielion, Moreno Argentin and Eric Vanderaerden. Birthday May 24, 1956. He finished second in the Tour of Flanders and won ParisRoubaix again. Sean Kelly persuaded Velo Club Metz to sign Pat McQuaid for the 1977 season. Sean Kelly's training regime and his advice to cyclists in lock-down Coaching / April 13, 2020 Sean Kelly's training regime and his advice to cyclists in lock-down Video: Irish road racing cyclist rips it up inside his family's hotel Gardai urge cyclists dressed in "club colours" to stop training on the roads The Royal Belgian Cycling League sentenced Kelly to a three-month suspended ban and a fine. "Hunger" an autobiography by Sean Kelly published by Peloton Publishing, Road World Championships Elite Men's Road Race, points classification in the Tour de France, Vuelta Ciclista a la Communidad Valenciana, "Sean Kelly on ParisRoubaix, the Hell of the North", "CyclingRanking.com - Ranking of the best pro cyclists since 1869", "On this Day in 1956: Irish star cyclist Sen Kelly is born", "How a Hollywood couple turned Sean Kelly's Olympic dreams into a professional career", "Cycling: Roche and Deignan to take Vuelta in stages", "Extract: The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the rise of Irish Cycling's Golden Generation", "Goodwood 1982: Saronni conquers the world", "Inside Cycling with John Wilcockson: Anglos aim at the Tour podium", "Three Irishmen in yellow: the glory and tragedy of the maillot jaune", "On the eve of Tour of Lombardy, we remember King Kelly's '83 victory; his first classic win", "Bike Season's Days Are Numbered, but Kelly Isn't Counting", "Sean Kelly 'Dit jaar doe ik een gooi naar de wereldtitel', "Kelly, Roche and the 1985 Tour de France: If this Dublin guy can do it, then so can I", "Irishman Sean Kelly won the Tour of Lombardy cycle", "John Degenkolb's perfect ParisRoubaix ride", "Classics King: Sean Kelly's phenomenal 1986 season", "The agony of missing the Tour: Sen Kelly knows how Sam Bennett feels", "Loserdom's guide to the 1986 Nissan Classic", "CYCLISME: ParisNice Sean Kelly sur grand braquet", "Six of the best: Through the years at GentWevelgem", "Stage winners and yellow jersey holders of 1988 Tour of Spain", "The Irish Emigrant July 24, 1988 issue no. The day after ParisRoubaix, the French daily sports paper, L'quipe, pictured Kelly cycling the cobbles with mud on his face and had the heading Insatiable Kelly! Doping. Kelly stayed with de Gribaldy for 1978. Sean Kelly is one of the greatest cyclists in the history of the sport. A playboy in his 20s, the papers dubbed him "Randy Andy". [17] He took a senior cycling license in 1974, passing up the opportunity to bid for a third consecutive National Junior Road title. Sean Kelly's income source is mostly from being a successful . He and Bradley Wiggins have both won the Paris-Nice race. Kelly stayed with de Gribaldy for 1977 and 1978. Birth Sign Gemini. Kelly began cycling after his brother had started riding to school in September 1969. John Morris was a British enthusiast who acted as a talent scout on behalf of French cycling clubs. In civilian life, he seems to have been intolerable. The President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, attended a civic presentation to Kelly the day before the race. At the end of the season, he won the Giro di Lombardia. Kelly Rose above it and rode for himself. So, how much is Sean Kelly worth at the age of 67 years old? His points total was nearly three times that of the points classification runner-up, the yellow jersey winner Bernard Hinault. Sean Kelly published his autobiography Hunger in 2013. 9. Sean Kelly will celebrate 67th birthday on Wednesday, 24th of May 2023. [54] Flandria required a French squad to expand its commercial interests in France, so they hired Jean de Gribaldy to assemble and direct a new team. Van Den Haute attacked again a kilometre from the race finish which was located away from Roubaix Velodrome for the first time since 1943 and once again Van der Poel led Kelly out in the sprint, enabling the latter to cross the line first. Kelly dominated the following spring. [55] The Belgian team based in Belgium contained the strongest and most experienced riders. In Flanders, Kelly rode on the front of the leading four man group in the closing stages of the race, which also included Van der Poel, Jean-Philippe Vandenbrande and Steve Bauer: regarding the final sprint, Kelly wrote that "I started my sprint early, and I knew Van der Poel was probably in my wheel as well, but I certainly gave it 100 percent." He was also a formidable descender, clocking a career top race speed of 124km/h, while descending from Col de Joux Plane to Morzine on stage 19 of the Tour in 1984. [130] In November 2019, he received a lifetime achievement award at the Cycling Weekly Awards in London.[131]. He won the points classification for the third time and finished fourth overall in the 1985 Tour de France, where his rivalry with Vanderaerden boiled over at the finish of the sixth stage in Reims: the latter veered to prevent Kelly from coming past in the final sprint, leading Kelly to push Vanderarden, and the Belgian pulling the Irishman's jersey in response. But strengthening the team had included bringing in another sprinter, Eddy Planckaert, and Kelly's role as a foreigner in the team was unclear. It was he who did all the race organising with Tony Ryan. He rides long-distance charity cycling tours with Blazing Saddles, a charity raising money for the blind and partially sighted. This may have caused him to lose his grip on the points classification in that year's Tour. Sean Kelly was born in the middle of Baby Boomers Generation. Kelly won in a sprint against Roche. Kelly finished 46th in the Tour de France just over an hour behind Pedro Delgado. Technically it's quite a feat, but compared to being on-site at the Tour it's quite weird, only seeing colleagues through FaceTime, no chat over breakfast, no walking the last 2km of a stage to imagine the finish, the weather, the food, the buzz. [42], During Kelly's stint with Velo Club Metz in the 1976 season, an impressive stage win at the Tour de Haute-Marne in Northeastern France caught the attention of Jean-Pierre Douot. [42] With the assistance of the club representative and Londoner John Morris, proposals were accepted, which would cover the two Irish amateurs in Metz for the 1977 season. [42] The bonus scheme offered was substantially better than what Kelly had acquired in his first season with Metz. He achieved his first major victory with PDM in 1989, winning the LigeBastogneLige for the second time. Sean Kelly published his autobiography Hunger in 2013. 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[42][45] The three Frenchmen hired a taxi in Dublin to take them to Carrick-on-Suir. Kelly won the first Nissan International Classic beating Van Der Poel. [108][109], Kelly's first appearance and sole participation in the Giro d'Italia was in 1992. Updated on April 16, 2023 A retired Irish road cyclist who was one of the most successful cyclist of the 1980's. Sean Kelly was born on May 24, 1956 in Carrick-on-Suir, Ireland. He is known for giving great insight into races and typically commentates on all the big races including the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a Espaa. [22] Kelly's exploits at the 1975 Tour of Britain caught the eye of a Londoner, John Morris,[n 1] who had connections with amateur Velo Club Metz in Metz, France. Sign up to to get the latestnews directto your inbox daily at 1pm, Commemorating 100 years since the War of Independence, Select your favourite newsletters and get the best of Irish Examiner delivered to your inbox. Kelly confirmed his potential in autumn 1983. In an age when most of his brethren rate themselves, and are paid, according to the amount of publicity inches they have gleaned in a season, this farmer's son remains very much the exception, closed, withdrawn, and extremely suspicious. Kelly's career is remarkable in that it spanned the eras of several legends of the Tour de France, from Eddy Merckx through to Miguel Indurain. [43] Jean-Pierre informed Jean de Gribaldy, a directeur sportif from Besanon who was putting together a French squad for the Belgian professional team, FlandriaVeldaLatina Assicurazioni, of Kelly's potential. [15] He was still three minutes ahead of the pursuers when the course turned for home after four miles (6.43km) and more than three minutes in the lead when he crossed the finish line. [26] He received a swift reply, offering free accommodation, 25 per week and free replacements for cycling equipment impaired during races. [44] Dagot emerged from the taxi hailing the tractor and asked the driver, "Are you Sean Kelly?" [15] In July 1972, aged 16, he won the National Junior Road Championships at Banbridge, County Down. For five consecutive years, he was the number one cyclist in the world. [31][32][33], After resuming racing, Kelly won the Tour of the North in Ulster, Ireland and the Cinturn a Mallorca in Mallorca, Spain. Kelly was one of the 2,048. [31] Kelly and the McQuaids returned to competitive racing at the end of April 1976. Yates considers himself one of the . In MilanSan Remo, Kelly was being marked closely by Vanderaerden in the closing stages of the race. Kelly returned in April to the 1988 Vuelta a Espaa which started on the rugged mountainous island of Tenerife where his team struggled in the second stage, losing the influential rider Thomas Wegmller to dysentery and losing further time in the time-trial around Las Palmas. Kelly was behind these two in third position. The race was an eight-mile (13km) handicap, which meant the weaker riders started first and the best last. Lilies expresses purity of heart, majesty and honor. He was still three minutes ahead when the course turned for home after four miles (6km) and more than three minutes in the lead when he crossed the line. Adam Blythe's age is 33. In Kelly's case it was to mean working for the collection of underpaid has-beens that de Gribaldy habitually assembled. [76], Kelly dominated the following spring. Dan Grant, right, was the man widely credited with introducing Sean Kelly to the world of cycling. His victories in ParisRoubaix (1984, 1986) showed his ability in poor weather and on pav sections, while he could stay with the climbing specialists in the mountains in the Tour de France. Kelly attacked with three kilometres of descending left. Kelly achieved 33 victories in 1984. 2 talking about this. It attracted over 3,400 participants. [118][119][120], Kelly failed drug tests twice during his career. Fellow pupils at Kelly's school [see above] felt Kelly fell silent because he felt intellectually outclassed. In time the team improved. Dan and Bridie are the parents of Linda Kelly, Sean's wife who he has known since she was 13 years old. [7] He was born at Belleville Maternity Home in Waterford City on 24 May 1956. [34] He also won one stage at the 1976 Tour of Britain[19] and one at the 1976 Tour of Ireland. He is known for being a Cyclist. [47], Flandria were a Belgian cycling team sponsored by a Belgian company Flandria, which manufactured bicycles, mopeds and scooters. Tony Ryan's love of cycling started as a 16-year-old in 1956. Race favourite Moreno Argentin attacked from the leading group on the final climb, the Poggio. Sean Kelly Biography : Personal information : Full name : John James Kelly Given name : Sean Nickname : King Kelly Born : 21st May 1956 in Carrick-on-Suir, Waterford, Ireland Favourite drink : Cappuccino Favourite food : Pasta Favourite Bike : The one I don't have to pay for, Vitus. [2][3][8] He was named John James Kelly after his father and was referred to as "Sean" to avoid confusion at home. [121], Kelly's second positive test occurred at the 1988 Tour of the Basque Country, where he tested positive for codeine. [83], He won MilanSan Remo in 1986 after winning ParisNice. Pollentier and Splendor offered Kelly more and made him a team leader. [25] Kelly assured Steinhoff that he would consider the offer and promised to contact the club sometime during the following winter. The cause for his death has not been made public. [87] Kelly took more than 30 victories in total across the 1986 season.[85]. He also participates in charity cycling endurance events in Scotland (notably with the Braveheart Cycling Fund), England, France and Ireland. Eddy Merckx, Laurent Fignon, Bernard Hinault, Roger De Vlaeminck, Claude Criquielion, Stephen Roche, Martin Earley, Acacio Da Silva and Paul Kimmage were among 1,200 cyclists present. A leading group of 18 entered Como in the Giro di Lombardia after a battle over the Intelvi and Schignano passes. They were racing again when the International Olympic Committee banned them from the Olympics for life. [91], Kelly maintained the gap between himself and Fuerte and started the time trial on the second last day 21 seconds behind. He won ParisNice seven years in a row and the first UCI Road World Cup in 1989. In 1992, Kelly travelled to Colombia for the Clsico RCN, where he won the second stage. Legends: Sean Kelly GCN Plus 37.8K subscribers Subscribe 0 Share 4 views 58 seconds ago #gcn #cycling Dan Lloyd heads to Ireland to meet Sean 'King' Kelly - the greatest Classics rider of. Kelly is a commentator for the English-language services of Eurosport and has established and is involved in the Sean Kelly Cycling Academy in Belgium. Kelly competed throughout the season, from ParisNice in March to the Giro di Lombardia in October, winning both in 1983 and 1985. Evidence of Kelly's dominance can be seen from his three victories in the season-long Super Prestige Pernod International competition (predecessor to the World Cup). From turning professional in 1977 until his retirement in 1994, he won nine monument classics, and 193 professional races in total. The race saw him battle for the last step on the GC podium with Stephen Roche: although Roche finished the Tour in third position overall, the duo's performances saw interest in the race expanding gradually in the Irish press. Kelly returned in April to the 1988 Vuelta a Espaa which started on the rugged mountainous island of Tenerife where his team struggled in the second stage, losing the influential rider Thomas Wegmller to dysentery and losing further time in the time-trial around Las Palmas. [43] Later, Kelly's win at the end of the season on 2 October 1976 in the Piccolo Giro di Lombardia[26] left an indelible impression, which convinced de Gribaldy to act upon Douot's earlier recommendation. [10] His education ended aged only 13 when he left school to help on the farm at home after his father went to a hospital in Waterford with an ulcer. We have estimated Joe rode and won local races and on 4 August 1970 Sean rode his own first race, at Kennedy Terrace in Carrickbeg, County Waterford, part of Carrick-on-Suir. [42] Converset, Kelly's teammate at Metz, was taken to Ireland to identify Kelly and assist in the recruitment process. [117] He finished fourth in the Tour in 1985 and won the points classification in 1982, 1983, 1985, and 1989, the first to win four times, a feat he repeated in the Vuelta a Espaa. From this stage, Fuerte had moved into second overall and later took the jersey from Cubino on the 16th stage to Albacete when the leader got caught on the wrong side of a split caused by cross-winds. Willy Voet, the 53-year-old Belgian masseur who was arrested . [53] He shared with four teammates, Nol Converset, Marcel Tinazzi, Ren Bittinger and Dominique Sanders. In 1978, he started in the Tour de France, in which he also won a stage. Kelly tested positive twice during his career. [51] Kelly now had a professional contract with Flandria. [57][58][59] On 19 February 1977, in the first stage of the Tour Mditerranen, Kelly was denied his first professional victory. Kelly finished third behind the German, Rolf Glz, in the Nissan Classic that year Kelly finished third in the sprint at the rainy world road championship of 1989 at Chambry, France, behind Dimitri Konyshev and Greg LeMond. Eddy Merckx, Laurent Fignon, Bernard Hinault, Roger De Vlaeminck, Claude Criquielion, Stephen Roche, Martin Earley, Accio da Silva and Paul Kimmage were among 1,200 cyclists present. Proving his salt as a major star of cycling in races other than the classics, Kelly won the 1988 Tour of Spain, Paris-Nice seven years straight from 1982-88, and he finished as high as 4th overall at the Tour de France. Competing in the same [42], Kelly travelled to France in late January 1977 and lived for two years at 18, Place de la Rvolution (formerly, Place du March) in Besanon, de Gribaldy's home town. [39] Not long after returning home, Kelly contacted Pat McQuaid, asking if he'd be interested in going to Metz with him. Discover Sean Kelly's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. He was crushed by the passing of Ineos sport director Nicolas Portal, who died in March, at 40. Kelly twice won bronze medals (1982, 1989) in the Road World Championships Elite Men's Road Race and finished fifth in 1987, the year compatriot Stephen Roche won gold. The day after ParisRoubaix, the French daily sports paper, L'quipe, pictured Kelly cycling the cobbles with mud on his face and had the heading Insatiable Kelly! [46] Sean, who wasn't at home, was out driving a tractor. He is from Ireland. Everyone is praying that God grants those mourning this death the strength and the courage to the . De Gribaldy employed him as unambiguous team leader, someone he believed could win stage races and not just stages. Kelly rode with the second section, based more in France because Flandria wanted to sell more of its mopeds, scooters and bicycles there. To this end, de Gribaldy encouraged Kelly to lose weight, convincing the latter that he could target the overall win at ParisNice: Kelly won the "Race to the Sun" and four of its stages. [69] At the end of the year, Kelly married his girlfriend, Linda Grant, the daughter of a local cycling club official. Kelly was recruited as a domestique for Maertens in the main team for year's ParisNice shortly afterwards he won his first race, the opening stage of the Tour de Romandie. Kelly set off three minutes before the backmarkers. From becoming a professional in 1977 until his retirement in 1994, he won 193 professional races, including nine Monument Classics, ParisNice a record seven years consecutively and the first UCI Road World Cup in 1989. Despite that, that season he went on to win another of objectives set by de Gribaldy: the points classification of the Tour de France, where he took five second places on flat stages before winning a reduced bunch sprint in Pau after climbing the Col d'Aubisque. [26] Kelly accepted the proposition and travelled to Metz in mid-June 1976. Former Irish professional cyclist Sean Kelly ira is dead. His second win in the Nissan came after a duel with Steve Bauer, who took the yellow jersey after Kelly crashed numerous times. [13] He joined the schoolboy league, began winning races, and joined the Carrick Wheelers Road Club as a new member. [106], Kelly won the Giro di Lombardia for a third time in 1991 but started 1992 regarded as past his prime. Mario Beccia attacked on the race's final climb of the Poggio di San Remo and was followed by Greg LeMond. When the FICP rankings became established in March 1984, Kelly was the first cyclist to be ranked World No.1, a position he held for a record five consecutive years. [11] At 16, he began work as a bricklayer. He won ParisNice for the third successive time beating Roche as well as the Tour de France winner, Bernard Hinault[77] who was returning after a knee injury. Join Sean Kelly on June 25th for an easy 50k or slightly more challenging 100k cycle around Wicklow to help over 600,000 Migrane sufferers throughout Ireland. He broke clear after several attempts and reached the top eight seconds before the rest. Cyclist. [124] Kelly was one of the 910 participants. [43] Douot, a former amateur cyclist, was a mechanic and talent scout in eastern France. [86] He returned to Ireland and won the Nissan Classic again. The Flandria team was in two parts: the strongest riders, such as the world champion Freddy Maertens, were in the main section, based in Belgium. Waterford City and County Council had refused the couple retention permission for the change of use of the property at Ballnevin near the village of Mothel, Co. Waterford. [64] On 11 May 1977, competing with the French squad, Kelly won the first stage of the Tour de Romandie in Switzerland and finished tenth overall in the final general classification. But Splendor was new and logistic problems became obvious. He later explained this as partly due to the influence of Jean de Gribaldy, who reasoned that he might as well race if he was going to have to train on his bike if he didn't compete, and because of new sponsor Kas, a Spanish soft drink manufacturer, who were primarily concerned with success in Spain, and uninterested in winning the Classics, meaning Kelly had to compete in both types of races.