When I was young, the Tour of Luzon was very popular. It was the summer's biggest sports event which comprised of 15 laps that were held in different provinces in the Luzon mainland of the Philippines. There was this cyclist named Cipriano Mariano who was second placer several times. And although he did not win the tour, he remained to be a formidable name in that tour for several years.
When we moved to this home in 2001, we didn't know that the neighbor named Mariano was that guy. He used to chat with my husband in the morning. When he died a few years ago, that's the only time we learned that he was the cyclist. It's just sad that we didn't have the opportunity to let him know of his fame that we were part of the audience of that tour.
It's nice knowing a local professional cyclist from your area. They sometimes share tips on being a better cyclist. It's sad that you haven't let him know of his fame especially when he has placed second several times. That must've hurt, but at least he was determined to keep on riding.
