Brown Cycling's Coach has Passed Away

Mark Louis Francis Nicholson

I know that this is partially a personal blog and a sort of announcement to the ECCC and beyond. With that in mind, the title says it all.

Coach Mark L.F. Nicholson died a few days ago from brain cancer. This was Coach Nicholson's second bout with the disease since his undergrad years (yes, he was an ECCC alum from UNH!) in the late '90s, and one that none of his friends or teammates knew was so deadly.

Mark came to Providence about 3 years ago to study at RISD's grad school. Upon his graduation, Coach N set up his business City of Industry and worked as Brown Cycling's fully-volunteer head coach.

Coach N had some invaluable points, both explicit and implicit:
-Smarts are more valuable than fitness - always!
-Don't adjust your seat ten minutes before a race (direct advice to me)
-All experienced team-members must give fruitful and friendly support to newer teammates
-Never, ever, ever, ever get dehydrated
-Finally...always, ALWAYS, have AT LEAST TWO teammates in any breakaway with you!!! :)

It hasn't fully hit me yet that Mark has passed away. He was a friend, a teammate, and a coach to me. This came as an extraordinary surprise, though. The last time I saw him, he was on his bike riding through the East Side from a group paceline. The last time he rode, Mark freaking smashed everyone into irrecoverable oxygen debt on his own smack down ride, just days before his death. It's so weird to believe that somebody I rode with so many times in previous months, and who taught me so much via kicking my butt in that time, isn't here anymore.

To read Mark's obituaries, they are here, here, and perhaps the best obituary from Brent.

Coach Nicholson's first win in cyclocross.

This upcoming year, the saying on the rear panel on the Brown Cycling shorts (which we consider special, ie What Cheer? and Hope!), will read Mark L.F. Nicholson.