"Legend" Sinibaldi passes away

The "Legend", John Sinibaldi, passed away in his sleep in the morning of January 10, 2006. Sinibaldi, who won the US National Championships 18 times, was 92 years old, and had a short battle with lung cancer. Luckily he was not in any pain, and died peacefully with his family by his side. Sinibaldi's legacy as a cyclist will not soon be forgotten: on top of being National champion 18 times, he was an Olympian in 1932 and 1936, and his cycling career spanned an amazing 77 years. He won his first national level race in 1928; his last national championship was this year at the USA Cycling Masters National Road Championships.

However, his cycling legacy extends far beyond his own accomplishments, as he had spent the better part of the past 30 years promoting cycling as a sport, encouraging new cyclists to participate and helping all cyclists realize their potential.

One of Sinibaldi's last volunteer roles was the annual Diabetes Challenge bicycle ride to raise money for the American Diabetes Association. His wife Betty had diabetes for the last 15 years of her life, and Sinibaldi always supported the efforts of the Diabetes Challenge to raise money for the ADA through cycling. So, in lieu of flowers, his own request was that donations be made to the American Diabetes Association, and mailed to: American Diabetes Association C/O E. J. Bradley 101 Dunbar Ave., Suite F Oldsmar, FL 34677 Services will be held on Saturday, January 14, 2006 at 1pm, in St. Petersburg, Florida.