12 of Graham Watson's favourite ever photos 📸
From black and white images from the 1980s, through to LeMond, Indurain, Contador and Cooke
Hi Subscribers,
I grew up with cycling posters on my bedroom walls. There was Miguel Indurain on the boards during his unsuccessful Hour Record attempt in 1995, Evgeni Berzin in the maglia rosa at the Giro, and Alex Zülle going head-to-head with Lance Armstrong at the Tour de France in 1999. There were others as well, but the main constant was that every single photo was captured by the legendary photographer Graham Watson.
After a 40-year career, Graham retired and moved to New Zealand in 2017. Recently, I was fortunate enough to speak with him about his time in the sport. He kindly sent me a batch of his favourite images - approximately 30 in total - and I faced the nearly impossible task of narrowing them down to the final 10. Ultimately, I was only able to reduce the number to 12, as they were all so remarkable.
Graham then guided me through each photo in great detail, not just recounting how the shot was taken but also sharing fascinating anecdotes and backstories. Without further ado, here’s Graham in his own words.
Thanks
Daniel 🫶
Sean Yates in Milan-San Remo, 1983
So this is Milan-San Remo 1983, and Sean Yates's debut in the race. The story behind this photo is that it was only the second time I had shot this race, so I was pretty young as well. The chaos of races like Milan-San Remo usually means that stopping for food is almost impossible, so I ended up at the start with only breakfast inside me, and at the first feedzone, Sean drifted towards the back. He asked if I was hungry, and my response was ‘I’m always hungry’, and he offered me his food. This was before the Turchino pass, and then came the last feedzone, just before the last set of climbs. Sean started drifting out the back of the peloton, and this time he wasn’t looking so good. He’d bonked because he hadn’t eaten his food at the first feed. He didn’t need to say anything; his face said it all. That’s when I took this shot. I had no food to offer him, but that would never happen today in the modern peloton. There was a little clan of British riders in the peloton back then, with Sean, Paul Sherwin, John Herety, and Graham Jones, who all used to look after me.
Bernard Hinault leads Hennie Kuiper in Paris-Roubaix, 1981
This was taken at Paris-Roubaix in 1981, and it shows the then-world champion Bernard Hinault leading on the cobbles, with Hennie Kuiper in pursuit. I believe this was the only time Hinault won Roubaix, and he did so wearing the rainbow jersey. I wasn’t on a motorbike during that race, but I wanted to ensure I had a clear shot of Hinault. So, I went to the very last part of the cobbles sector in Hem, and naturally, Hinault was at the front in that sector; I was really pleased to have captured the shot. There wasn’t anything particularly special about the photo from a technical standpoint, but when you have so few chances to see the riders in the race, getting a clear shot of the world champion meant a great deal to me. From the photo, one can sense how gritty and determined he was as a rider, and it’s clear why he went on to win so many other races. He had already secured quite a few victories, but he was truly unique. It took me many years to come to terms with the whole job of being a race photographer. You’d turn up to a race and receive this rather flimsy road book, but there was no opportunity for research in the days prior, so you had to wing it on the day. Most days it went smoothly, but there were certainly days when it didn’t. Therefore, if you returned with a picture like that of Hinault once every few years, you’d be quite content.
Alberto Contador climbing Plan de Corones in 2008
Contador was somewhat akin to Hinault in that he was extremely formidable on the bike. I love this shot of him at the Giro d’Italia in 2008. It was taken during the Plan de Corones mountain time trial on what we’d refer to as a gravel stage these days. The Giro had never utilised the climb before, but when Contador ascended, the crowds went wild. One particular detail I appreciate is that you can see his long-time mechanic, Faustino Muñoz, on the back of the first motorbike, who is shouting at Contador to go faster while carrying a spare bike on his shoulder. The atmosphere was wonderful. It’s probably my favourite picture of Contador that I captured. I worked for a Spanish magazine during my career, so Contador was familiar with me before he became a major star, and he was always very gracious whenever you sought access. He was undoubtedly a star, and he embraced the role of a diva, but if you had him to yourself for a photoshoot, there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for you. In a race, he was one of my favourite subjects because he always gave his all. That day on the Plan de Corones, I began on the lower slopes and gradually worked my way up throughout the stage. I wanted to get shots of the leading riders towards the end of the time trials and be positioned where I could see the riders coming from a long way out. I could see Contador approaching from a distance, allowing me to capture him with a long lens, and then I had time to grab my other camera and photograph him against the backdrop of the mountains.