US Bicycling Hall of Fame 2004 Induction Dinner Program

• Dinner Program
  
• Induction Ceremony Flyer
  
• Dinner Reservations
  
• Biographies
  

REGGIE MCNAMARA – Competitor: Veteran Pre-1945

Reggie McNamara was born in 1887 in Crenfell, New South Wales Australia. He began racing professionally in 1906 in local fairs around Sydney. He won his first Sydney 6-day race in 1913. He came to the U.S. and became an American citizen when he married Elizabeth McDonough, a nurse, in 1913. At the Newark Velodrome he set five unpaced World records from 1 Mile to 25 Miles between 1915 and 1917. He achieved his fame in the New York Madison Square Garden sixes. Between 1918 and 1932 McNamara won seven of the Garden races, when those sixes composed of the best International field of riders. This was considered the most prestigious six-day races. He was popular in Chicago where he won five sixes at the Chicago Coliseum. He won 6-day races in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany and England. He was called the “Iron Man of Cycling”. With 55 victories in 125 starts Reggie further proved his durability by taking the 1932 Madison Square Garden grind at the age of 45. He died in 1983 at age 96.

JOHN VANDE VELDE (born 1949 Chicago, Illinois) – Competitor: Modern 1945 - 1975

A swimmer turned cyclist, John Vande Velde was a member of the 1968 (Mexico City) and 1972 (Munich) Olympic teams. A three time National Champion in the Individual Pursuit, John also rode on the Pan American team, winning a bronze medal. After the 1972 Olympics, John turned professional and entered the lucrative pro six-day race circuit. In 1994 John built the Vandedrome, a portable track, which he patented in 1995. This track was used for the 1998 Goodwill Games in New York City. John served as Vice President of USA Cycling and as Vice President of the United States Cycling Federation as well as having served on the UCI track commission. John's son, Christian, is a National Champion and now rides as a professioanl for the US Postal Service team. His daughter, Marisa, was one of America's hopes for the 2000 Summer Olympic Games. John's youngest son, Ian, is a champion golfer.

ALEXI GREWAL (Born 1961) – Competitor: Modern Post 1975

One of America’s most colorful and emotional road racers, Alexi is most noted for his hill climbing and stage racing abilities. Although he won many of the toughest events on US soil, he is best remembered for the season he had in 1984, specifically the Los Angeles Olympics. Alexi won America's first Olympic gold medal in road racing, and the first official men's gold medal in cycling since 1912. With an estimated crowd of 300,000 lining the 190.2-kilometer route, Grewal edged Canadian Steve Bauer to claim the gold medal in the men's road race. He broke away from the field with 20 kilometers remaining and opened up a 24-second lead after 11 of 12 laps. But Bauer caught him with 10 kilometers left, setting up a dramatic final-lap showdown. The American finally put Bauer away in the final 50 meters to win in 4 hours, 59 minutes, 57 seconds. This scene, replayed many times since, is one of the most emotional Olympic victories of the Modern Games.

It has been an inspiration to millions of people worldwide and is seen as a turning point for American road cycling. Alexi went on to turn pro following the Olympics, and competed in the Tour de France.

RON KIEFEL (1960) – Competitor: Modern Post 1975

Ron is one of America’s most recognizable racers with a 20-year career of Elite cycling, 11-years as a pro. Ron was a veteran of such teams as 7-Eleven, Motorola, Coors Light and Saturn, where he amassed victories in several important European races such as Trofeo Laigueglia (1985) and the Tour of Tuscany (1987). In addition, Ron was a stage winner in the 1986 Giro d’Italia, competed in seven Tours De France, and was a Bronze Medallist in the 1984 Olympic Games. In 1983 Ron was a triple U.S. National Champion with victories in the Road Race, Individual Time Trial, and the Team Time Trial, and repeated as National Road Champion in 1988. Following his retirement from professional competition in 1996, he has been providing TV and Radio broadcast commentary and live reporting for many of the European Classics and Major Tours, for the American audience. Ron has remained active in the cycling community in Wheat Ridge, Colorado where he provides coaching and guidance for aspiring cyclists, manages a large bicycle shop, and promotes races and rides for area cyclists.

PERRY KRAMER – Competitor: BMX

Born October 6, 1959 in Santa Monica, CA., Perry was the 1979 Pro World Champion, winning the Pro Class at the 1979 JAG International World Championship. Other international championships were first place for an International Race in Japan, 1980; he won the Avro Invitational Fietscross race in Eidnhoven, Netherlands in 1980; Perry also won the New Zealand Summer Nationals in 1983. In 1976, he placed #2 for the NBL Nationals, and placed fourth as NBL Pro in 1979 and 1980. He competed for 11 years.
In 1978, Kramer assisted Scot Breithaupt to establish SE Racing, a BMX company that today is owned by Fuji Bicycles. In 1979, he created and promoted a BMX bike named the "PK Ripper", using his initials. The bike is still being produced and sold today through a different company. In 1978, Perry began BMX schools and turned that into what was promoted in 1980 as "Perry Kramer's Pro School of BMX". That year's tour was sponsored by BMX Plus magazine. Today, BMX pros are following in Perry's footsteps establishing their own BMX schools. Perry was the first to originate the idea and promote it throughout the BMX community.

JOHN TOMAC – Competitor: Mountain Biking

Born in Michigan, November 3, 1967, John was the 1991 Cross Country World Champion and World Cup Series Champion that same year. He was a World Cup Medalist, second place in 1992 for the Cross Country Series and likewise, was second place in 1993. Also, in 1993, he was World Cup Medalist , placing second, in the Downhill Series. John was the World Championship Medalist for Downhill, placing second in 1991 and 1997. He is a 5-time member of the World Mountain Championship Team. He is the National Downhill Champion in 1994 and 1997 and was the National Cross-Country Champion in 1996. John Tomac was elected to the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in 1991.

BILL WOODUL (1942-1999) - Contributor

Bill Woodul was a pioneer in every sense of the word. He created, what is today, the concept of professional racing support in North America. Bill was the first person to see the need for a professional race mechanic, and not only became that mechanic, but built the neutral support service industry in the process. Bill was born with a yearning for high adventure, which took him from his roots in Texas, to Alaska, California and North Carolina as he worked in such diverse fields as the preservation of animal skins and a header-specialist in the drag racing world. After receiving a bicycle as a Christmas gift, he opened his own shop in Florida and began a life-long love of bicycle technical support and frame building. Following a stint as an apprentice mechanic in Amsterdam, he returned to the U.S. and started the Campagnolo Neutral Support Program. Bill and his silver-blue van with the bubble top was a staple at all of the major cycling events in the U.S. during the 1970’s and ‘80’s. Hired by the USCF to serve as the Manager of National Team Support, Bill developed a program for the training and licensing of professional mechanics that bears his name today. A veteran of four Olympics and countless national and international events, it’s been said that every elite cyclist in the U.S. during his lifetime, benefited from his technical expertise. His contributions to technical support went beyond his hand-on skills, as he was personally responsible for developing, teaching and transferring the expertise that created the neutral support programs that exist today for companies such as Campagnolo, Mavic and Shimano. During his life, Bill never met a stranger and took special delight in meeting people all over the world. His involvement in cycling took him to 42 different countries in support of racers. Bill’s lasting legacy is the Bill Woodul Licensing Center at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Aspiring trade team and neutral support mechanics learn the proper methods of race support and professionalism as they embark on a career in professional cycling. In February, 1999, Bill received the USA Cycling Lifetime Achievement Award, for his contributions to cycling.