View from the sunflowers: Grand night for U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame

November 4, 6:26 PMCycling ExaminerJames Raia

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About halfway through the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame dinner last Sunday night in Davis, Calif., I realized I hadn’t seen some of the dignitaries in the room for more than 20 years.

It was a grand evening, full of celebration and reminisces. There was plenty of hope and enthusiasm for a sport enduring one of its most controversial eras.

But the Hall of Fame dinner had nothing to do with failed doping tests or rider suspensions. Rather, it was about the inductees.

It was about Cheri Elliott, the pioneering BMX and mountain biker and her still-evident zest.

It was about Mike Plant and his vision for organizing bike races around the world.

It was about Jeanne Golay, an enduring road racer whose long career and varying national titles and international wins made her one of the most versatile U.S. women stage racers in history.

And it was about deceased Jimmie Walthour, another of the overachieving members of the legendary Walthour family of six-day racers.

Held at Freeborn Hall on the campus of the University of California-Davis, the U.S. Bicycling Hall of Fame dinner encompassed the full spectrum of cycling. It was a black-tie affair for some and jeans for others. It didn’t make any difference.

With a short, red carpet entrance and reception and dinner hosted by Il Fornaio of Sacramento, the several-hour evening also featured a keynote presentation by Levi Leipheimer of Santa Rosa. And there was also a silent bid auction of myriad cycling memorabilia and equipment and a live auction for a day with a team during the Amgen Tour of California next February.

Via a slide presentation, Leipheimer detailed his lengthy career and his enthusiasm for the 2009 Amgen Tour of California as its two-time defending titlist. Leipheimer also discussed his team, Astana, and the pending return to the peloton of his former and now once again teammate, Lance Armstrong.

But the highlights of the evening were poignant moments described by the inductees.

Mike Plant discussed the last-minute, hectic nature of organizing the Tour of China and the two years of Tour de Trump planning and knowing the race's namesake.

Cheri Elliott talked about her family’s unwavering support.

Jeanne Golay told a story about her anxiety while talking to her teammate Jeannie Longo, the legendary French rider. Golay said Longo told her she was a nice rider, “but that she should lose 10 kilos.”

And then there was Jimmie Walthour’s son who talked about some of the six-day races and how famous athletes, politicians and celebrities often watched the races at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Babe Ruth attended the races one evening, Walthour recalled. And when he asked his father if he’d gotten Babe Ruth’s autograph  the reply was: “No, but he asked for mine.”

It seemed like the perfect anecdote for a night full of cycling reflection and celebration.

I’m glad I’m still a part of it after all these years. And I wish I had seen some of the people in attendance more often in the past 20 years.

For more information: Bobby Walthour biography