It has taken some time to get around to posting this because it is still close to impossible to believe that Steve will not be showing up on our doorstep again or that we’ll never see each other at a bike race or bike show or some special event where he was to be the main attraction. If you couldn’t make it to Steve’s celebration of life on April 23rd, what you missed was not sad event. Quite the opposite. The mood was festive and the Tilford Tales being exchanged brought as many laughs as tears.
Three speakers MC’ed the night. Michael Asnier, the promoter of America’s most iconic bicycle stage race, the Coors Classic, and Ned Overend were long-time friends and their tributes reflected their love for Steve. The surprise speaker was Seth Davidson who had only known Steve for a short time. His eulogy was a thing of beauty and luckily, you can read it on Steve’s Blog (click here). Please take the time to read it. Out loud. To a few friends.
Professional photographer and Tour de France winner Marianne Martin captured the event with remarkable photos. They are on her Facebook page (click here). I have no idea if those photos are accessible to all (Facebook still baffles me). While no match for the magic that Marianne captured, here are a few of my snaps.
What’s wrong with this picture? Riding in Topeka with sunny skies, warm temps and no wind! Steve would not approve of this memorial ride. He’d want wind, rain, sleet or snow (plus a gravel surface) to make things interesting.
Marianne Martin photo bombing Paul Biskup and Michael Fatka.
