Cycling's (witnessed) memorable moments, 2008: Cipollini to Cavendish (Part 2)

December 23, 10:25 PMCycling ExaminerJames Raia

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Like mainstream sportswriters who vote for MVP award winner and Hall of Fame inductees athletes in football, baseball and basketball they haven’t witnessed compete, it’s unfair for me to select end-of-year moments on athletes I didn’t see ride.

I wrote often often about but didn’t attend any Grand Tours in 2008, but I viewed start to finish the Amgen of Tour of California, Tour de Georgia and Tour of Missouri. And I also attended the Tour de Nez, Sea Otter Classic and few other cycling-related events like the U.S. Bicycle Hall of Fame dinner and induction presentation in Davis, California.

As such, I’ve made two end-of-the year lists: The moments I viewed in person and the things I didn’t see but nonetheless remain memorable during the past 12 months:

Here’s Part 2 of the memorable moments I witnesssed in 2008:

6. (April 26) — Kanstantin Sivtsov won the Tour de Georgia. Who? The native of Belarus is a former under-23 world road titlist, and he finished 32nd is his 2007 debut in the Tour de France. But he was an unknown rider on American soil because he’d never competed in the United States, but after outsmarting the field in the previous day’s mountain stage to Brasstown Bald, the highest elevation in Georgia, Sivtsov, 25, claimed the overall title over Australia’s Trent Lowe and Leipheimer, the pre-race favorite.

7. (Sept. 11)  — Michael Barry (High Road) nearly left cycling after a faltering career and a tough-luck hospital stay for pneumonia. But the articulate Canadian returned to top late in the season with a strong performance athe Beijing Olympics and World Championships road race. He capped his season with a solo stage 4 win in Rolla at the Tour of Missouri. Nice guys do finish first.

8. (Sept. 13) — Mark Cavendish (Columbia) of Great Britain is now arguably the world’s best sprinter. At the Tour of Missouri, he dominated. He won three stages, including stage 6 win in St. Charles. Cavendish is young, brash and extraordinarily talented. He won about two dozens races in 2008 and with any good fortune will do the same in 2009.

9. (Sept. 14) — Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Chipotle) of Lemont, Ill., first rode in the Tour de France a decade ago as young, talented rider in Lance Armstrong’s shadow. Like others, when riding for Armstrong, he was nearly always in the background and twice was part of Armstrong’s overall titles (1999 and 2001). But after a few unheralded years, Vande Velde had his career season in 2008. He climbed with the sport’s best and finished fourth overall in the Tour de France. And at the Tour of Missouri, he rode to a dominating time trial win in stage 3 in Branson and retained his margin en route the overall title in St. Louis. Vande Velde is a refreshing study. He seems unaffected by his successful and was gracious to a fault during and after his season-ending stage race win in Missouri.

10. (Sept. 14) — Michael Sayers rarely rode in glory. But Tour of Missouri organizers did something nice after the final day of Sayers’ career. They called the 38-year-old rider (BMC) to the awards ceremony and wished him a farewell after his decade-and-a-half in the peloton. Sayers of Carmichael, Calif., didn’t win many races (two since the 2006 season), but he was a consummate team rider. He rode long and hard and withstood the typical dilemma of aging pro cyclists — weary bones and crashes.Sayers thanked a handful of teammates and the team directors he rode for and with through the years. He cried a few times and concluded by saying he rode hard in every race in which he competed. It was a nice send off for an unheralded, long-time pro.

Read Part 1 of cycling's most memorable moments of 2008

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