Summer just won’t sound the same

Summer is going to sound different.

Over the weekend, beloved cycling commentator Paul Sherwen died at his home in Uganda at age 62. The cause is suspected to be heart failure.

Sherwen, a former British cycling champion and Tour de France domestique, became well-known to American audiences for pairing with Phil Liggett to provide commentary on the Tour de France.

Though the achievements (now tainted) of Lance Armstrong captured the imagination of the American public and caused a cycling boom, the easy and entertaining commentary of Sherwen and Liggett kept us watching through the scandals and beyond.

Even while the taint of doping remains stuck to the sport, even if we seemingly can’t quite believe what we see, it has been a treat to watch the telecasts. The Tour de France — and then, later, the Tour of California — has been compelling entertainment, part grueling sporting event and part gorgeous travelogue, accompanied by the smart, funny and intelligent commentary of Sherwen and Liggett.

I met Sherwen in 2004, when I hopped onto the final week of the Tour de France, to see Armstrong break the record for most victories in the world’s most famous cycling race. I spoke to Sherwen and Liggett in the press room before the time trial up Alpe d’Huez, and — as their fans would expect — they were gracious, filling in a novice about the climb and its place in cycling history.

Liggett, 13 years Sherwen’s senior, generally received most of the credit for his emotional, witty commentary and phrases like “digging into his suitcase of courage.” Sherwen was the ballast on the team, keeping it on track, dropping in historical tidbits on both cycling and countryside (“This castle was built in 1570 on Roman ruins.” “Eddy Merckx once pulled over here for a nature break.”).

The two described themselves as “an old married couple,” traveling stage to stage in the same car, perfectly in rhythm with each other. It was such a joy to listen to them that one could tune into the Tour de France early on a July morning just to see what was happening and still be enthralled three hours later.

That’s what makes great sports commentary. The ability to keep you entertained even when the action isn’t compelling, to make you feel like old friends are telling you what’s happening.

Summer won’t be the same without Sherwen.