Author Topic: RIP John Eric (Rocco) Richardson (Read 18392 times)

hellymedic · « **on:** 12 June, 2012, 06:10:00 pm »

You will be missed.

LiamFitz · « **Reply #1 on:** 12 June, 2012, 06:28:41 pm »

One of the saddest things I have heard for a while. A true character who was responsible for much of what makes Audax riding special.

Liam

jogler · « **Reply #2 on:** 12 June, 2012, 06:50:40 pm »

I don't know the man,nor have I met him but I have a sense of loss based on a reputation that preceedes him.
Condolences to his nearest & dearest.

R.I.P. Rocco

hellymedic · « **Reply #3 on:** 12 June, 2012, 06:55:40 pm »

http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=48583.msg969535#msg969535

The kindness of a stranger just one year ago...

marcusjb · « **Reply #4 on:** 12 June, 2012, 06:57:53 pm »

That is terribly sad. I can not claim to have known him, but I met him on my first ever audax where he was a controller. We chatted for a while and he had good advice for a novice.

RIP and my thoughts are with his loved ones.

PloddinPedro · « **Reply #5 on:** 12 June, 2012, 07:06:31 pm »

One of the Legends; a lovely bloke, who will be very much missed by very many people. R.I.P.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #6 on:** 12 June, 2012, 07:22:22 pm »

Rocco's reputation was well-earned. He'll be sorely missed in our home.

Marmitegeoff · « **Reply #7 on:** 12 June, 2012, 07:29:59 pm »

Quote from: jogler on 12 June, 2012, 06:50:40 pm

I don't know the man,nor have I met him but I have a sense of loss based on a reputation that preceedes him.
Condolences to his nearest & dearest.

R.I.P. Rocco

Plus one I never met him except by reputation.

HK · « **Reply #8 on:** 12 June, 2012, 07:31:56 pm »

Without Rocco I'd have never ridden an audax. He and I rode there and back to my first ever event, the Paragon Potter in 1997. Little did we know it at the time, that this wonderful day of riding, including the 150km audax on road bikes would lead to me meeting and become Jon Jennings' life and tandem partner for six wonderful years and us riding PBP on the tandem in 1999. One memory from that ride was of Rocco glued to Jim Hopper's trike axle on the return to Paris. We remonstrated with Rocco for taking help from the Derby Mercury, but didn't remind him he had been caught for 6 hours!

Rocco was a great person as well as an all round cyclist. I can't think of many forms of cycling he didn't turn his hand to and wasn't good at it.

I'll miss Rocco very much. I started cycling as a teenager with my Dad in the Marlboro AC. I got too quick for Dad and as a result over the years I acquire three fabulous cycling 'Dad's' Rocco was the last of these, with John Swallow, Alan Emery and Neville Chanin all now cycling around the great cycling track in the sky. Judith

postie · « **Reply #9 on:** 12 June, 2012, 07:44:25 pm »

a true great cyclist who was one of the best i ever cycled with, look after us portsmouth lads in the early days!!
can still remember riding pbp in 1995 with him some of the best cycling ever.

you will be miss you old git!!!

Tomsk · « **Reply #10 on:** 12 June, 2012, 07:47:12 pm »

Very sad. I met Rocco when helping out at Harlow on LEL 2001, when the state of the YH left a lot to be desired. Rocco was fuming, but never lost his sense of humour! I met him a couple of times since, including at a very convivial meal after completing my first LEL in 2005. He did a lot to make our sport what it is today. Condolences to his family and friends.

Exit Stage Left · « **Reply #11 on:** 12 June, 2012, 07:50:12 pm »

Quote from: HK on 12 June, 2012, 07:31:56 pm

One memory from that ride was of Rocco glued to Jim Hopper's trike axel on the return to Paris. We remonstrated with Rocco for taking help from the Derby Mercury, but didn't remind him he had been caught for 6 hours!

Sounds like the incident recorded at 2mins 40sec in this video. That was in 83 or 87 though, Jim always seemed to have someone on his wheel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TywLn7oOLA&feature=g-upl

I only met Rocco a few times, one of which was at Lee Valley at LEL 2005. It was the voice which was unmistakeable.

YahudaMoon · « **Reply #12 on:** 12 June, 2012, 07:51:24 pm »

Oh my

My oh my.

I do hope Liz is OK ?

They both put me up for the night years ago at there house for a audax they organized years back as I was coming from Manchester. Rocco did everything to make me feel at home and made sure I got on the right tube back to Kings Cross

What a lovely couple

So sad

Salvatore · « **Reply #13 on:** 12 June, 2012, 07:53:33 pm »

I don't think I was ever fast enough to ride with Rocco, but I did once briefly latch on to the back of 'Rocco's Rocket', the tightly-controlled group of mostly Willesden CC riders who flew round PBP enjoying a good night's sleep every night. Nevertheless, I met him on many occasions, the last time being at Nev Chanin's funeral, when he told me how ill he had been. His illustration of how ill he was was the time he had taken to ride 100 km.

I first remember Rocco when he took over as AUK's chairman in the late 1980s, following the disputes of c 1987, when the club needed a period of stability. He had his own somewhat unconventional style as chairman at the AGM. He didn't try to hide his exasperation at times (e.g. mudguard debates).

At the other end of the scale, when the toilets were found to be blocked at the Potters Bar 'London' control on the 1993 LEL, it was Rocco who rolled up his sleeves and set about the task of unblocking them.

Here is a lovely photo of Nev and Rocco by HK, taken at the 2002 AGM weekend.

Redlight · « **Reply #14 on:** 12 June, 2012, 08:10:28 pm »

Lovely man. I recall him holding court in his lounge at the end of a 300 one evening with a series of pithy comments on various rides and various riders. I hope Liz is OK and look forward to riding the (surely inevitable) Rocco Richardson Memorial

RIP

ChrisB · « **Reply #15 on:** 12 June, 2012, 08:20:39 pm »

I watched Rocco's rear wheel disappear in many Audaxes at the turn of the century and then on the 2002 Baxter Pyreneen Raid had the pleasure of meeting Rocco & Liz who guided us around.

It was great fun watching him trying to keep his temper with the various disparate cyclists who would not behave as he wished. My abiding memory however will be his ride briefings where he highlighted, clearly another love of his life, where we would be passing funicular, single track, steam, recently restored or particularly interesting rail tacks oblivious to the eye rolling from the self same group of disparate cyclists

fin · « **Reply #16 on:** 12 June, 2012, 08:28:55 pm »

Very sad to read this. I was fortunate enough to meet Rocco and ride with him on a few occasions. He certainly was one of Cycling's characters.

Roberto · « **Reply #17 on:** 12 June, 2012, 08:43:33 pm »

Sorry to hear such sad news, the only time I met him was on my first PBP in 2007 where he was the Baxters rep on the coach I was on.

Passed on a lot of knowledge to a newbie like me and was always heplful and had kind words to offer on what was a rather challenging intro to PBP.

Condolences to his family

john jackson · « **Reply #18 on:** 12 June, 2012, 09:19:37 pm »

Sad news. I remember Rocco when I first rode Audaxs in the 1980s.
Condolences to his family

HK · « **Reply #19 on:** 12 June, 2012, 09:42:04 pm »

Quote from: postie on 12 June, 2012, 07:44:25 pm

a true great cyclist who was one of the best i ever cycled with, look after us portsmouth lads in the early days!!
can still remember riding pbp in 1995 with him some of the best cycling ever.

you will be miss you old git!!!

No, Rocco was a SMOG - super miserable old git!!!!

Also, forgot to mention a Willesden pre-Christmas IOW trip. Tripping the light fantastic with Rocco on the dance floor, he muttered 'wish I was 30 years younger' I think it was the same one where Helly Medics bikini top came flying off as she came down the slide in the swimming pool. I wasn't a witness to this; I was out riding my bike, Giraffe can vouch for this!

Pip · « **Reply #20 on:** 12 June, 2012, 09:47:21 pm »

Misery was only a facade and even then only really directed at hills.

He was a top bloke. Finished one of his 600 qualifiers in 2003 and dropped the brevet card in at his house. He asked me in for dinner.

Don't think he ever realised the risk he was taking....

Canardly · « **Reply #21 on:** 12 June, 2012, 09:49:37 pm »

Rocco appears to have been held in high esteem in this place. RIP.

HK · « **Reply #22 on:** 12 June, 2012, 10:19:09 pm »

[/quote]

Sounds like the incident recorded at 2mins 40sec in this video. That was in 83 or 87 though, Jim always seemed to have someone on his wheel.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/6TywLn7oOLA&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/6TywLn7oOLA&rel=1</a>

[/quote]

That's it. but in 1999 when we saw Rocco, he was what seemed less than a couple of mm away from Jim's axel!

Ivo · « **Reply #23 on:** 12 June, 2012, 10:25:22 pm »

I had the chance to meet Rocco several times, both in London and in France. An inspiring personality who will be missed. Working in his team before LEL 2001 was great. Just like the way Rocco started helping at the 2009 LEL start. He never kept standing around when work had to be done.

sbseven · « **Reply #24 on:** 12 June, 2012, 10:58:23 pm »

That's very sad news.

I've known Rocco since the late 80s. A true audax legend.

Like ChrisB I also did a Raid Pyrénéen with Rocco and Liz. Mine was around 1997/98. They were perfect guides.

Condolences to Liz.