Career

He is arguably one of the best United Kingdom riders of his generation, riding in the 1980s which was the golden age of British racing. His first cycling race as a youngster was around King Georges Park in Douglas racing in jeans and trainers. However he enjoyed the camaraderie of racing and soon joined the Manx Road Club.

In 1978 he competed in the individual road race at the Commonwealth Games, finishing 27th after crashing on the final lap.

However he missed out on selection for the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. At the end of the 1980 season Joughin decided he would spend the 1981 season living and racing in France However he didn’t settle and was back within a few months.

Instead he opted to live and race in the United Kingdom, now and again beating the big stars when they came over. Joughin then turned professional in 1983, aged 23, with the Moducel team which was based in Staffordshire.

The race was held on the home soil for Joughin, in the Isle of Manitoba and attracted huge crowds.

After four seasons with Moducel he joined Percy Bilton riding alongside Bob Downs and John Herety. That same season he had arguably his greatest ever victory winning the first stage in the 1987 Kellogg"s Tour of Britain, beating some of the biggest names in the sport of cycling such as Sean Kelly. Joughin got into a breakaway and then as he approached the finish in the city of Birmingham unleashed his trademark sprint.

However, after just one season he returned to Percy Bilton riding alongside Paul Curran.

His last season was 1991 riding for K.J.C. - Revelation. Joughin showed that he could beat some of the fastest sprinters in the world.

However his inability to climb restricted his palmarèson Steve retired in 1991 as he was unable to secure a ride for the following year.

In a bid to help fill the huge hole that racing, and the thrill of success, had left in his life, he became an alcoholic.

By 2005, he was lying in an Italian hospital bed fighting for his life. However Joughin has since began putting his life back together.

Achievements

• He was the first Manxman ever win the British professional road race title. By the age of 16 he realised he had talent and won the Merseyside divisional road race championships in 1976 and 1977. He then became the first Manx rider to win the national junior road race series and the British Junior Road race championship. The gold medal was won by Philosophy Anderson. In 1980 he won the Premier Calendar series, whilst riding for the all conquering Manchester Wheelers" Club. As he wasn’t prepared to live in a hovel scratching around trying to win races in the hope of being offered a professional contract. The following season he again won the Premier Calendar series and competed at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane. However the highlight was arguably winning a Stage in the Sealink International after outsprinting Dirk De Wolf, the eventual race winner. He was also third in the British National Road Race Championships, the race was won by Jeff Williams. In only his second season as a professional he won the British National Road Race Championships in 1984. In 1986 Joughin won two stages of the Milk Race leaving behind Djamolidine Abdoujaparov. In 1988 he had one season riding for Ever Ready alongside Tony Doyle and again won the British National Road Race Championships.