Ernest Bainbridge

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Ernest "Ernie" Bainbridge (13 December 1890 – 2 July 1984) was an Australian racing cyclist best known for competing in the 1928 Tour de France with fellow Australians Percy Osborn, Hubert Opperman, and New Zealander Harry Watson. He captained the Preston Cycling Club.

Early life and career
Born in Northcote, Victoria, Bainbridge didn’t have immediate top results. In 1911 he finished 65th in the Warrnambool to Melbourne race, and in 1914 he came 87th in the Cycle Traders 100. In February 1914 he won the two-mile Shepparton Wheelrace, starting 800 yards back.

War years
Bainbridge enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in 1916. He was wounded in France in April 1917 and discharged in 1919.

Return to cycling and peak years
He returned to racing in 1920, finishing 18th in the Goulburn to Sydney Classic. He rode well in the Warrnambool to Melbourne, posting the third fastest time in 1923 and the second fastest in 1924. The race wasn’t held in 1927, replaced that year by the Dunlop Grand Prix—a four-stage, 690-mile race that became the biggest in Australasia.

Dunlop Grand Prix and the Tour de France
In 1927 Opperman dominated the Dunlop Grand Prix; Bainbridge finished 3rd in stages 1 and 3, 2nd in stage 4, and placed 3rd overall. The race helped raise funds to send Opperman and an Australian team to the Tour de France.

1928 Tour de France
The four Australasian riders faced teams of up to 10 cyclists each, with most of the race run as a team time trial. Bainbridge’s best result was 20th on Stage 8. He had to withdraw on Stage 15 in the French Alps because of saddle sores and wounds from crashes.

Later life and death
Bainbridge lived in Victoria for most of his life and passed away on 2 July 1984 in Preston, aged 93.