John Chiselko, winner of the 1954 Tour of Summerville bike race, has died of complications from coronavirus.

He was 83.

In 1954 as a 17-year old high school senior, John Chiselko outrode, outlasted and outsprinted a national class field of older and more experienced cyclists at what is now America’s oldest and most prestigious race, the Tour of Somerville, in Somerville, New Jersey.

Coached by legendary “Pop” Kugler, who started the Tour of Summerville in 1940, Chiselko is the only local cyclist to win the race in its 80-year history, immortalizing him in local lore.

Chiselko is also the youngest winner of the Tour of Summerville, a record that still stands today.

He went on to win the USA Junior National Championship and Best All-Around Rider two years in a row.

For the first time since World War II, the annual Tour of Somerville has been cancelled for 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic and will not take place on its traditional date, Memorial Day in May.

Check the GFDN Worldwide Gran Fondo Calendar for the most accurate and up-to-date listings of current, cancelled and rescheduled events