One of the most well-known voices in the Tour de France world, Paul Sherwen, died on Dec. 2, 2018, at his residence in Kampala, Uganda. He was 62 years old and had the distinction of both cycling in the iconic race and providing commentary for it.
For 33 races dating back to 1986, Sherwen was the reliable voice of the Tour along with his broadcast partner Phil Liggett. For every stage of the three-week race, Liggett and Sherwen would cram into a “hot and stuffy” broadcast booth, per The New York Times, and signal each other when the other wanted to speak, so as to not to talk over one another.
While Liggett focused on the race itself and its participants, Sherwen would pull from his own experience as a rider to provide some insight into the deeper logistics of the contest. He was also cheeky when racers would pass famous monuments, sometimes claiming that random Kings of France had once slept there, even if it wasn’t true.
Sherwen retired from cycling in 1987. He won two British champion titles during his tenure and remained tethered to the sport following his departure from competing in it. The duo became popular over the years, with major networks using them regularly to call the race. Liggett said he “just clicked” with Sherwen.
Sherwen moved to Uganda in 1999 and ran a gold mine while also broadcasting with Liggett regularly. In an interview with PEZ Cycling News, Liggett said he loved those days in that cramped booth at the end of every stage of the race.
“You always get a buzz when you’re doing a bunch sprint, or a mountaintop finish. We’re on the edge of our seats as much as the guy watching TV is.”
Katherine Love Sherwen, Paul Sherwen’s wife at the time, said her husband died of heart failure.