An old friend of 44|5 passed away recently. I’m not sure how yet, but he was too young to go, I can say that much.
Carlos was also a key component in 44|5 Cycling Tours’ story. I met him in 2012, when he was near Nimes with a few friends from Colombia. They were looking for a guide to do a few local rides out of Uzès, plus a supported climb of Mont Ventoux. At the time I was running an information website called Cycling Languedoc that led to the occasional guided ride. There was no hint of a tour company yet, but all that was about to change, largely thanks to Carlos and his friends.
After our 3 or 4 rides in 2012 were done, Carlos asked me if I thought I would be able to organize a tour with a few more friends in the Alps the following year. Having never done anything like that before, with no idea of even where to start, and of course no company structure at all, I said ‘of course’! His ‘few more friends’ ended up being 18 people; still the largest group I’ve ever guided. This is when John #1 came on board and when my first tour company began (under the ill-fated name of Cycling Languedoc). Carlos & Friends took a real chance on me.
John and I had a Col-de-la-Loze-steepness of a learning curve in 2013, thanks to Carlos and his mountain-mad Colombians. The following year 44|5 Cycling Tours was born, but I am far from certain that it would have if it hadn’t been for the boost (confidence, experience, a few extra euros) we got the previous year from Carlos. And for that I am eternally grateful.
RIP Carlos
The Vicious Cycle 
Sounds like your friend was an adrenaline junkie. I hope he died doing something he loved particularly as he left too early.
I think he loved adventure. I should have added that he was actually a professional car racer, not just a guy who loved to drive fast!
Gerry, this is a wonderful tribute to Carlos. Thank you for writing it. The additional context of Carlos’ role in helping make 44-5 a reality is part your history that I never knew. From the sounds of it, we all owe Carlos a debt of gratitude for helping to make 44-5 a part of our lives. Thanks Carlos. I never knew you, but your role in 44-5 made my life better!
It’s funny how ‘stories’ go, Eric. I’m sure he never gave me or 44|5 much thought after 2013 (we did keep in touch, but very superficially), but the fact remains that he had a big impact on my business, and therefore many friendships, yours included.
Isn’t that the truth, Gerry. Without Carlos, we wouldn’t know each other. Quite a legacy.
You never know what impact you may have on someone’s life, even if it is only tangential to what you are hoping to do. A good reminder to give others the respect they deserve. It certainly seems like Carlos was that sort of person!