Before bikereg, cyclingnews, and finish line cameras, most races only picked and posted five or ten placings in a given race. The only recognition you were likely to get after everyone had gone home from an event was maybe an obituary sized listing in the fine print at the back of the printed version of Velo-News. Except at Putney/West Hill's Tour of the Valleys. The race finished on a steep hill and the organizers cared enough to score and record each and every rider, without a camera. A few weeks after the race we'd all get printed finish results in the mail. Stuff you take for granted today.
Some of you were lucky enough to have participated in this annual epic road race. I know this because you're listed in these printed results from (coincidentally) the 18th running of that race, held in 1988. Click, zoom, and peruse for your pleasure. Notables would be Zencycle getting beat at the line by Dorrie Bowley in the citizen's race, several of us in the cat 3's, and Gewilli's college roommate in the juniors. Also FYI, "Veterans" was 35+ and "Masters" was 45+ in those days. See if you can find your name and placing.
Sadly, The Tour of the Valleys is no longer with us, a victim of selfish racers who could not seem to follow simple rules of community decency. Luckily, we still get to make our annual pilgrimage to the true heart of New England cycling once a year for the cross race. See you Sunday. Thanks for reading.
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