We’ve featured Paul Sherwen a couple of times in our daily photo, but never his post-racing career, in particular his memorable commentating partnership with Phil Liggett. Or where he lived, because knowing that makes his life even more remarkable.
Post racing, Paul built a life in Uganda, where he had interests in and largely ran a gold mine. How he balanced that with commentating at races or in studios is an amazing story he revealed to Chris in an interview.
“I start off by going to Australia in January to commentate on the Tour Down Under with Phil, and in February we do the same for the Tour of California. Then every weekend from March to June I travel from Uganda to New York to work on a programme called ‘Cyclisme Sunday’ for Versus TV.
"We review the week and commentate on whatever race is on that Sunday. I start out on Friday and go from Entebbe airport to Amsterdam, then Amsterdam to New York. I do the return trip every Monday and I’m at my desk working every Tuesday morning.
"As well as the mining business I have another business that supplies logistics to the oil industry here. For the rest of the year I do the Tour de France, then not too much cycling after that.
”Half-way across the world and back every weekend in some commute. Chris asked Paul if he ever got jet lagged? “No, I refuse to accept jet lag,” he said.
They talked about Paul’s partnership with Phil Liggett. How did they understand when each other needs to speak? “I don’t know, we just have an understanding of when the other needs to say something. We have similar backgrounds, we both come from the north of England, and we have a similar sense of humour, which helps.”
Finally, for now, what was Paul’s favourite Liggittism?
“Oh, there are so many, and they are all spontaneous. Some people ask me if we write things down beforehand. But no, we don’t. I suppose my favourite is, "And now it’s Gerrie Knetteman breaking wind at the front." That one made it into Coleman balls.
