Kent Seki sent over this fun video project:
Anyone that has ever played a sport imagines themselves participating in some kind of championship event with the commentator announcing the play-by-play of their exploits. Whether it’s the game-winning shot, pass, sprint, hit, or play, the visualization of yourself doing these things is a natural phenomenon in sports. For cyclists, that takes the form of the play being called by Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen. Liggett is considered “The Dean” of professional cycling commentary, and he brought Paul on as his partner in 1986.
As a young cyclist, I would imagine Phil Liggett making the call as I crested the famous climbs in the Tour de France, doing my best impression of Greg Lemond while riding the local hills. Of course, I was, and still am, a slow cyclist, but that did not stop his voice from echoing inside my head. In those early days, Paul wasn’t part of the US coverage of the Tour, but by the time Lance Armstrong started winning, he was there.
I created this short video of me climbing Old La Honda juxtaposed to their commentary as a tribute to the late Paul Sherwen who passed away unexpectedly in 2018 at the age of 62, and as an example of what probably goes through every cyclist’s head while training.
