The family of Brian Lambert have thanked Rapha for “owning up to the false narrative” in its film documenting Lachlan Morton’s Auckland to Wellington record.
Morton set a new record in January by riding 648km between the two New Zealand cities in under 19 hours.
The Australian rider said he completed the ride in honour of one-time record holder Brian Fleck.
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However, the Chapter 1: In One Day film published on Rapha’s YouTube channel, documenting Morton’s ride, failed to mention Brian Lambert, who held the record for more than 40 years.
Owning up to the false narrative
Met with uproar from cyclists in New Zealand, as well as Lambert’s family, Rapha then published an apology, stating: “We would like to sincerely apologise to Brian Lambert’s family, friends, and fellow riders for this omission.”
Rapha then corrected its communications around the record, which it had originally intended to use to launch its new Rapha Pro Bib Shorts III.
Following the changes Rapha made, Brian Lambert’s son, James Lambert, said: “The team at Rapha have done well with owning up to the false narrative created by the film.”
Brian Lambert set an initial record for cycling from Auckland to Wellington in 1982, which Brian Fleck broke a year later.
Rapha said it focused on Brian Fleck’s record attempt because of former professional cyclist and Kiwi Hayden McCormick’s relationship with Fleck and memory of the record.
“We regret not recognising Brian Lambert’s record-breaking rides and the place he holds in history,” Rapha said in its apology.
Another chapter in the folklore
Determined to reclaim the record, Lambert began training intensely, sometimes riding more than 1,000km a week.
Lambert took the record back in 1984, cycling between the two cities in under 20 hours.
His time stood for 41 years until Morton’s ride in January, where he cut 91 minutes off Lambert’s time.
On behalf of his family, James Lambert had originally requested that Rapha remove the film from YouTube – a request Rapha denied.
But after speaking with the cycling clothes brand, he said: “We completely understand the film staying up, adding another chapter to the folklore of the history of the record.”
Brian Lambert died after a long battle with Parkinson’s in 2022. His family requested that any monetisation of the film be donated to the Parkinson’s Society of New Zealand.
Rapha has said the film will not be monetised.
James Lambert described the film and the ensuing back-and-forth with Rapha as “bizarre” and said he hopes Rapha’s apology and actions “puts everything [to] bed once and for all”.
