The voice of cycling Phil Liggett still in mourning for long-time workmate and close friend Paul Sherwen

Legendary cycling commentator Phil Liggett tells how he is still struggling to come to terms with fellow commentator and great mate Paul Sherwen’s shock death this month.

Rohan Dennis on stage with commentator Paul Sherwen during the 2015 Tour Down Under. Photo: Sarah Reed

• International cycling community mourns death of Paul Sherwen

Phil Liggett has revealed his biggest fear about flying to Adelaide next week for the Tour Down Under without his “Siamese twin” Paul Sherwen and says he is still coming to terms with Sherwen’s shock death this month.

But the legendary cycling commentator says the show must go on and he is due to arrive in Australia on January 8, albeit without his right-hand-man Sherwen for the first time in nearly 20 years of the TDU and 33 consecutive editions of the Tour de France.

Sherwen died of heart failure in his sleep at the age of 62 at his home in Uganda on December 2, prompting an outpouring of grief from world cycling and the TDU has confirmed plans to honour him at next month’s race.

“My biggest fear is walking out on the team presentation stage (in Victoria Square) without him, and knowing what the crowd will do, they probably won’t stop clapping for him and it will be hard, it will be really hard,” Liggett told The Advertiser this week.

“That race has always been so close to Paul’s heart because it’s so well organised, it’s one of the few races in the world where we actually get to sit and chat with the riders, it’s our battleground for the whole year because we get to understand the people.

“The response from Australia has been unbelievable, the Tour Down Under particularly, they’ve virtually been in tears sending me emails, but people like Stuart O’Grady who sent me SMS’s which I will never delete, they were unbelievable.

Cycling commentators Paul Sherwen with Phil Liggett at start of 4th stage of the Tour Down Under in 2005.

“Paul and I would room together and laugh, telling our stories lying in bed chatting.

“I lost a twin, a Siamese twin, we were joined at the hip it’s as simple as that.”

Liggett says he hasn’t fully come to terms with Sherwen’s passing.

“We were on the deck on the river in Kruger Park and I got the phone call about 4pm and it was a friend of (Paul’s wife) Katherine’s saying ‘we’ve got some bad news, Paul is dead’, just like that,” Liggett said.

“Then Katherine came on and was obviously upset and tearful and we went through it and I sat there stunned, I couldn’t believe it.

“For the first three days I had 10,000 Tweets, and I sat down at the computer for hours just typing replies because the outpouring of love - Paul just never knew how much the world loved him.

“I just hope he knows now because he was purely and simply loved by everyone. There wasn’t a bad word in his mouth - only when he intended it to be.”

The last time Liggett spoke to Sherwen was mid-October and they signed off in good spirits.

“He phoned me from Uganda about the day after we landed in Africa and just had a nice chat, and we never spoke again.

“There’s definitely something missing now, when I looked to my left he was always there, and we had a feeling for each other, it just happened.”

The TDU plans to honour Sherwen at the team’s presentation on Saturday, January 12, the legend’s night dinner on January 19, and with a TV tribute during the opening night classic on January 13.

“He was a true professional, brought great insight to the fans, he was generous, always had a smile on his face and put one on yours,” Events SA manager Hitaf Rasheed said.

“There is a place in our hearts which will now be empty as we look back and think of all the wonderful moments we have shared with Paul ... Liggett and Sherwen, they carry so much of our story which is why a series of tributes have been planned for January.”

Liggett will still speak at the annual SA Press Club luncheon in Adelaide of which he and Sherwen have been mainstays on the Monday before the race.

“That’s going to be the first thing on the Monday, and that’s going to be very, very different, it will not be easy,” Liggett said.

The Briton, 75, also plans on continuing with his commentary duties for the rest of the year and doesn’t know who he will be working alongside.

“It’s going to be a tough job for whoever takes over, there’s been all sorts of names thrown at me - Bob Roll from the USA, Robbie McEwen, Scott McGrory, I have no objection to any of them, I like all of them.

“I worked with Scott at the Olympics, Robbie is part of the Tour Down Under anyway, and Bob was a very close friend of Paul’s and would love to do it for Paul.

“I just don’t know, there are so many unknowns. As you run into Christmas you struggle to realise it’s happened but for me the realisation won’t come until the new year.”

Liggett is helping to organise a memorial service to be held in Manchester Cathedral on February 6 and is set to include Tour de France boss Christian Prudhomme, representatives from the Tour of California and respected Australian cyclist and director Allan Peiper.