Another Friend Gone:
As loyal as Samwise Gamgee, as wise as Bilbo Baggins, and as determined as Frodo, my friend Noel came from a small village which could itself have been of the Shire.
We learned from Tolkien about hobbits like Noel. They like their comforts, have fun loving family souls, prefer to stay at home but when pushed have a surprising strength of character. I was reminded of these traits when I took my last bike ride with him a few years ago.
Noel was special. He was a valuable person who (amongst other miraculous idiosyncrasies) didn’t know how to play baseball but could tell you which team would win the World Series. He knew things at the drop of a hat, like how many plane changes it would take to get from Brussels to Aukland. He could also tell you [for the money] what riders were the best deals (a-la the film "Money Ball"). He discovered Greg Lemond and many other riders. And he was a formidable athlete himself, winning a World Championship and stages in all three Major Tours.
He was also my Teammate (sometimes).
I was lucky to have ridden with him and luckier to have known him. Noel has (probably) ascended to somewhere but before he left Noel lifted may of us, our hearts and our talents to a greater level.
He’s already missed.
Have a great year, full of fun and challenges;
Roger