Born Subiaco, W.A.
29 April, 1953
Perth’s “Flying Fireman” was the first Western Australian to win a world professional cycling championship.
In the final of the 5000m pursuit in Zurich in 1983, he caught his opponent, Switzerland’s Robert Dill-Bundi (the 1980 Olympic pursuit gold medallist) three laps from the finish, a feat almost unheard of in world-class cycling.
The powerfully-built Bishop rode a Malvern Star machine specially built for him in Switzerland. Featuring aerodynamic tubing to lessen wind resistance, it also had a smaller, more rigid frame that made it extremely responsive to the rider.
Bishop rode the race of his life to achieve his greatest ambition and then decided to retire from competitive cycling while on top of the world.
In 13 years as a senior from 1971 to 1984, he won 12 Australian professional track titles, including the 5000m pursuit no fewer than eight times.
The first Australian to break six minutes for the 5000m pursuit, he set a personal best time of 5min 51sec in Zurich.
Bishop won the historic Westral Wheelrace six times from 1975 to 1984 and showed his all-round ability by winning the first two running of the griffin 1000, which was then WA’s richest and longest road race.
At the age of 19, Bishop represented Australia in the 4000m team pursuit at the 1972 Munich Olympics.
In 1983 he was awarded the Oppy Oscar for the best performance by an Australian cyclist, amateur or professional, in Australia. His world title victory brought him the WA Sports Federation’s Sportsman of the Year, the Caltex and Lindy awards.