RIP Steve Tilford, Kansas cycling legend, 1960-2017

Cycling legend Steve Tilford of Topeka KS has passed away as the result of an automobile collision.

Tilford just before setting National One-Hour record at the San Diego Velodrome, ca. 1987

Steve was a fixture of the bicycle racing scene in Kansas, Missouri, and across the U.S.

Steve has been racing locally and nationally since 1975.  He has an astonishing list of accomplishments, including

• 4X US National Cyclo-Cross Champion
   
• 5X UCI World Champion MTB-Masters
   
• 3X World Road Team Member
   
• 2X World Champion Masters Cyclocross
   
• 1st US National Mountain Bike Champion
   
• Inducted into Mountain Bike Hall of Fame-2000

He was an accomplished public speaker and spokesperson for the bicycling community, ran one of the most popular bicycle racing blogs/websites about his experiences riding and racing, and was still actively racing at age 57.

Steve and his friend Vincent Davis were driving on I-70 west of Grand Junction CO just after midnight when they struck an overturned semi truck, and then another semi truck them.  Steve and Vincent were on the way home from a training camp in San Diego.

Media reports:

• Steve Tilford's web site
   
• Cycling News report
   
• VeloNews article
   
• WIBW News article

About Steve:

• Steve Tilford is Why We Ride by Bill Strickland
   
• Pez Cycling News talks with Cycling Legend Steve Tilford
   
• "Not Many People Help Each Other Any More" - one of the most popular posts from Steve's website
   
• "Raced and Won" - a detailed first-person account of Steve's last victory, in the Perry Road Race March 13th