Saturday, October 3, 2009

Savouring The Tour: 15 Years of Glory

Like any good Italian red, the flavours of The Tour de Cullman linger long after the glass is sipped. It's not just a super day of bike racing, its role as the finale demands a savoured experience. As the sun sets on another season of bike racing...

We can reflect with a few photos of the very first Tours, as we head into number fifteen. Its always been a clash of the titans for the King of the Mountain, from the very first it was epic.

Richard Prewitt was the King for the early Tours, his first victory was in '94. He came back and won it again. The above photo shows a battle between former champions of Alabama bicycle racing. Arthur Patrick raced with the best at nationals in the day, shown sprinting up the final 200m of the climb up Skyball. James Hall can be seen unsuccessfully trying to stay attached to the surge of "Big Daddy Big Gears" and "Smokey the Beast".

After the climb as every year the ride is replayed. Richard Prewitt won the tour several years then disappeared.

Shane Emplaincourt drops the hammer! He is shown above in one of the most dramatic Tours, playing the field like a master. Sucked in behind all the egos, he waited until it all fell into place and easily dropped the contenders on the final step of Skyball. Jacques Emplaincourt told me that this was one of Shane's greatest career victories. Shane went on to win many Tour de Cullmans with his streak only to be broken by none other than "Country Al" Mittlesdorf.

8 comments:

Eddy said...

Écriture de Magnificient, très bonne

Anonymous said...

sounds like a rematch! Arthur, Earl....if only Shane and BDBG Richard would show up. Is it time for a special "masters of skyball" trophy?

Anonymous said...

A cup to be passed?

Anonymous said...

I am in if they are in!

jim e said...

IN!

Carson said...

Arthur is rumored to be back on the bike...There will be a special trophy for the "Masters of the Past".

Harry S Ballard said...

Can't wait till the tour. 95' was my favorite. Although I regreted running tubulars.

Anonymous said...

The designers of this course can only be described as assassins!

 

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