In 1893 Linton entered the 24-hour 'Cuca Cocoa Challenge Cup' in London, and despite leading at one stage he was forced to retire after coming under intense pressure from the eventual winner, England's Frank Shorland.

Linton overcame a strong field to be crowned champion and was spotted by ex-champion sprinter, James "Choppy" Warburton.

[3] In the winter of 1893 Linton and Warburton travelled to France to undertake a season of competitive races at the Vélodrome d'hiver in central Paris.

Shortly before leaving for France, Warburton had arranged for Linton to undertake a challenge for the world One-Hundred Miles Record at the newly built Herne Hill Velodrome in London.

[10] In 1894 Warburton took on two more Welsh cyclists, Linton's younger brother Tom and cycling prodigy Jimmy Michael, who also came from Aberaman.

[15] Linton also found himself out of favour with the cycling authorities in France, when after agreeing to enter a meet in Brussels, he was threatened with disqualification from future French races by the Societie de Paris over a permit issue.

[18] This result of this self-imposed heavy schedule saw his health deteriorate and he was forced to pull out mid-race in both the Catford Gold Vase and the 24-hour Bol d'Or in Paris.

After taking an early lead from his main rival, Gaston Rivière, Linton's bike lost a nut from his back wheel resulting in a severe head wound and an unrideable bicycle.

In the final stretch of the race after he had entered Paris, Linton not realising that the course had been changed due to roadworks, took the wrong route over the Seine.

After an appeal, in which it was noted that the route change had been published in the French press and the riders not officially instructed, the two men were jointly awarded the title and shared the prize money.

[21] On 23 July 1896, at the home of a Mr. Michael Thomas a local contractor from Aberdare, Linton died of complications brought on by typhoid fever.

It was well known that Michael's and Linton's manager Choppy Warburton would carry a 'little black bottle' of an unknown substance to revive his flagging cyclists.

Although doping was not illegal under the rules of cycling at the time, and was common in many racing sports, it was felt that Warburton and Michael had crossed the line of acceptable behaviour.

[27] Other publications to have printed the story include Bob Goldman's Death in the Locker Room (1984), Barrie Houlihan's Dying to Win (1999), Les Woodland's Dope (1980), and The Sport Psych Handbook of 2005.