Paul Sherwen, former British champion and the voice of cycling, dies aged 62

British Cycling has led the tributes to Paul Sherwen after it was reported the former national road race champion and hugely respected broadcaster had died, aged 62, on Sunday.

Sherwen's career as a cyclist got under way in 1977 at the Athlétic Club de Boulogne-Billancourt, or A.C.B.B., the club where fellow English speakers Seamus Elliott, Stephen Roche, Phil Anderson and Robert Millar, among others, also cut their teeth as amateurs before the following year signing his first professional deal with the Fiat squad.

After making his Tour de France debut in 1978 – when the 22-year-old finished 70th on general classification, the highest he ever placed in the race – the Widnes-born rider switched over to La Redoute in 1979 with whom he made a further six appearances at la grande boucle.

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Though Sherwen was largely employed as a domestique, the Briton claimed three professional wins on the continent – stages at the Four Days of Dunkirk and Tour Méditerranéen and the one-day Tour du Hainaut Occidentale – before adding the national road race to his palmarès in 1987. Strong performances in the classics saw Sherwen complete two editions of Milan-Sanremo, including an 11th place in 1980, and three of Paris-Roubaix where he finished 15th in 1983.

After hanging up his wheels at the end of the 1987 season, Sherwen moved into team management with Raleigh-Banana before later working as the public relations director for the Motorola team.

It was his voice, though, that millions around the world knew Sherwen for best. After joining Channel 4's team in 1989, Sherwen teamed up with Phil Liggett to together broadcast the nightly highlights from that summer's thrilling edition of the Tour de France into Britain's homes.

Beyond Britain, Sherwen and Liggett later also worked for US and Australian television networks making them, arguably, the most fondly known double acts in the sport. Indeed, in 2017 the Wall Street Journal said of the pair: “Their place is undeniable. Liggett and Sherwen are an institution. For many, the mellifluous melody and harmony of Paul and Phil is the soundtrack of cycling.”

Though no longer broadcasting in Britain, Sherwen, who lived in Uganda, had continued to work for overseas and in 2018 covered his 33rd edition Tour de France from the commentary booth.

No details of Sherwen's death have been revealed, though British Cycling posted a tweet on Sunday night saying they were "saddened" by the news of his death.

"We were truly saddened by the news of the passing of Paul Sherwen," British Cycling said. "A former national champion and a great voice of our sport, our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time."

Meanwhile, Lance Armstrong who rode for the Motorola team from 1993 to 1996, was moved to express his sadness at the news. "Completely shocked and saddened to hear of Paul Sherwen’s passing," Armstrong said. "Met Paul in 1992 when he worked as our press officer for Team Motorola. He was always a class act and a great friend. My deepest condolences go out to his family. RIP Climber."