One of the guys had had a few to drinks and came up to me when I was chatting to another group and asked what room I was in, so I told him ‘321’. He disappeared and came back to check and again I said ‘321’. He then came back with a bottle of champagne and six glasses, said it was about time I’d bought a drink and thanked me for letting him put the round on my room bill!
I then pointed out to him that I wasn’t born yesterday, had been playing professional football for 20 years and I asked him if he really thought I would have given out my room number.
It completely backfired on him and he ended up paying for the champagne himself. I really enjoyed my glass.
The only downside was the compulsory celebratory Grappa for everyone. The facial expressions for all but the hardened drinkers were like something out of a Gurning Championships and the contortions were followed swiftly by a lot of coughing, spluttering and beating of our own chests.
Today has been great. We had a relatively long lie-in until 9 o’clock and then didn’t have to rush around packing the day bag with energy drinks and powders, making sure the Garmin and Tracker device were charged up and that the rest of the bags were packed and on the bus to be shipped to the next destination.
Saying goodbye to some of the riders who had been on Stage One was bitter-sweet. Some of them were very nice and will be missed, others I was glad to see the back of – only joking. It really was quite emotional and I had to wear my Joan Collins sunglasses so people couldn’t see my tear-filled, puffy eyes.
As soon as they were gone I had forgotten most of their names and felt fine again. Then we started to prepare for our next victims to arrive.
Actually I think the bond with the Stage One riders will stay strong as we all took that leap into the unknown together on the first day and had bonded well by the end of the four long days’ riding.
Unfortunately I have a feeling I could be tasting the Grappa again tonight. Lee Dixon and I were caught in the Hotel gym on exercise bikes. We were doing the professional thing and getting some of the stiffness out of our legs when Freddie Flintoff walked in and asked us what we were doing.
When we told him and Lee asked if he wanted to join us, he replied in his broad Preston accent; ‘No thanks. Last time I looked I’d retired.’
There is a strong possibility this exchange may be mentioned to Judge Dallaglio.
Later we travelled down to a local port and had a long, lazy Italian seafood lunch, it was Bari’s answer to the Oyster Box and it was excellent.
Afterwards we stopped somewhere and the call went out ‘Who wants coffee?’ and ten people asked for cappuccinos, then the call went out ‘Who wants a beer?’and a similar number said ‘Yes’. Then Lawrence Dallaglio said ‘I’ll have coffee and a beer’. I’m not sure which order he drank them in.
One of the main sponsors of the event is Pizza Express and Harvey Smyth, CEO of the parent Gondola Group, is on the trip. I was talking to him about the fantastic location of the Pizza Express in St Brelade’s Bay and reminiscing about the St Helier restaurant.
When I was growing up I used to dream of being able to afford to go into Pizza Express. My limit was the Wimpy in Broad Street, probably the only one in the World with waitress service. Even then it was just for a coffee as that was all I could afford.
I think I finally went into Pizza Express when I was 17, just for a cup of tea and a portion of dough balls.
I am determined to get on the Pizza Express tandem at some point next week. Lee Dixon and I want to ride it together, but we are bound to argue over who sits on the front!
Tonight it is back to the hotel to meet the Stage Two riders. I am sure they will be a little nervous and they should be. There are some monster rides in Stage Two including the most difficult of them all on Tuesday.
People are already talking about it in hushed tones, but I’m having none of it. When asked I am just saying: ‘It’s Friday and I’m taking this one day at a time.’
It does look daunting but I’ll just treat it like every day and break it down into manageable chunks. We have 60 km to the first stop and then 80 km before we are finished.
