Ivan made the Wednesday issues of the EDP compulsory reading for the area's cycle racing enthusiasts - for all disciplines and covering all ages - by giving the most comprehensive coverage of any of the local news media. But he was more than a correspondent: He was a keen and successful cyclist himself: competitor, administrator and campaigner as well as a leisure rider. He encouraged the younger and inexperienced riders; had an infectious smile and brimmed with enthusiasm for all things cycling. He built up an unmatched collection of regional statistics, plus hundreds of photographs of cycling personalities for use by the EDP.
Shortly before his death, when he was re-appointed press secretary to the Eastern Cyclo-Cross Association - where he was a very active member on the organising committee - Ivan told the EDP that since he began time trial racing with the Norwich Amateur Bicycle Club in 1956, he had clocked up 335,000 miles in the saddle.
As a lasting tribute to Ivan, the Eastern Cyclo-Cross Association has called its season of events the "Ivan Jeckell Cyclo-Cross League". A massive calendar of cyclo-cross races is scheduled across the region and there are two Ivan Jeckell trophies up for competition.
Ivan, who died at 65, was the regionšs Mr Cycling.