The Englishman died at the age of 95: in 1952 he was the first world champion with the Italian manufacturer
Motorcycling in mourning for the death of Cecil Sandford, two-time world champion: in 1952 with the MV Agusta 125 and in 1957 with the Mondial 250. Sandford had raced in the world championship from 1950 to 1957, taking home 2 world titles, 42 races held , 5 wins, 21 podiums, three fastest laps. Sandford, an Englishman from Blockley, Gloucestershire, was 95 years old.
the double champion
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In speed racing since the first post-war period, he had debuted in the 1950 MotoGP and until a few months ago he was often present in revivals riding his “The Days of Courage” racing cars. Known and particularly appreciated in Italy for having given the first world title to MV Agusta in 1952 and having been an official rider, not only for the Cascina Costa company but also in the 500, of the Mondial and Moto Guzzi. Sandford also raced as lead driver for the Velocette (250 and 350), the AJS (350), the DKW (350), the BSA (500). A technical and versatile rider, he had only one goal: racing. The manufacturers liked him, especially the Italian ones, because he was capable of going fast with all types of motorbikes and all engine sizes, from 125 to 500, and because he had a passion for fine-tuning. In the historic conquest of the 125 world championship in 1952 (three victories and two third places in 7 races) on the MV Agusta Sandford had put a lot of his effort, as a rider and as a technician, beating champions of the caliber of Ubbiali (Mondial), Mendogni ( Morini), Graham (MV Agusta), Zinzani (Morini). Even more significant was the 1957 world title, won with 2 victories, a second, two thirds, a fourth place ahead of the great Mondial teammates, Provini and Miller, ahead of the trio of MV Agusta Colombo, Ubbiali, Hartle. Sandford was particularly appreciated by Count Agusta who said of him: “Sandford is the only rider who at the end of the race brings the bike in the same conditions as before the start”. After him, Agusta will say the same thing, rightly, when talking about Carlo Ubbiali.
the beginnings
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It was his father, a farmer and aviator, who introduced him to racing, first cross-country and trials because, he said: “You have to learn to fall without hurting yourself. If you hurt yourself, even better: this way you run with the pain and go faster to get to the finish line first and treat you.” In 1948, at the age of twenty, in the “minor” races of the TT and in 1949, the debut in the Manx Grand Prix of the Isle of Man with the Velocette 500. The first world championship victories, and the first world title, arrived in 1952, in the 125, with the new MV. Only by bad luck, in 1953 he did not do an encore, however in the end second behind Werner Haas on the innovative NSU “Rennfox” and ahead of his MV teammates Ubbiali, Copeta, Graham. Many international races won in 1954-55-56 in the various engine sizes. However, the best Sandford returned in 1957 when he won the 250 world championship on the innovative Mondial with a “bell” fairing. A quality rider, particularly appreciated by the big manufacturers for his technical abilities and also for his rare crashes, in an era where crashing was the norm. In particular, Cecil Sandford went down in motorcycling history for having secured the first world title for MV Agusta in ’52, the first of the 38 world championship titles for the Cascina Costa manufacturer and 37 world championships for the constructors. He loved Italy and in the 1960s he was present in races that he considered fundamental, in particular Monza and Imola.
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