We started out in the morning and went off last as we had a little surprise for all the other riders. We had all our full riding gear on and then put on white shirts and bow ties and had a tray attached to the front with holes in it into which you could place Champagne flutes. As we had been guests at Bollinger last night they had kindly given us some bottles so as we passed each group we served a glass of Champagne to any rider who wanted some. It really was the most fantastic feeling sitting on the back of the tandem opening bottles of Champagne and watching the corks disappear into the vineyards that it came from!
It was really well received, but we did look rather bizarre like flying wine waiters. It was fun until we got to a really steep hill that everyone struggled with and I had a half-empty bottle of Bolly in one hand and I really needed both hands on the handlebars. Having found a way of holding the bottle by the neck with one hand and pressing down on the handlebar at the same time while trying to keep it stable I suffered a bit of a sense of humour failure and we called time on the Bollinger delivery service.
Not long after that we shed all the props and got back to the day’s ride in earnest. And it was a long 160 km. I haven’t seen the stats from the Garmin yet but considering we were on the tandem I think they would be pretty impressive. We really attacked it and kept each other going. It’s fair to say we were both exhausted, and Lee said it was the hardest thing he had done in the 22 years he has played football.
We were glad to reach the finish without breaking it this time. It was a bit disjointed from a team point of view because you get a lot of momentum on the tandem on the flat or downhill, but when you are climbing it feels like somebody has left the handbrake on. So at times we left the rest of the group behind, and at others they went off ahead of us.
Apart from one guy, who earned the nickname ‘Limpet’ because he was stuck on our back wheel ‘drafting’ for over four hours of the ride. Eventually he lost his suction and fell off the back wheel and was nowhere to be seen until we suffered a puncture. Everyone in the group stopped while we fixed it, which took five or six minutes, during which time ‘Limpet’ came over the hill and cycled on without even stopping! He should be fined for that. But we soon caught him up again and we all finished at more or less the same time.
The tandem is like a train, once you get going it is very hard to stop. Looking at the Garmin as we were going I thought we were being very professional and sportsmanlike and working very hard. I would go as far as to say that any cyclist worth his salt would have appreciated the effort and standards we were setting on a tandem – and then I caught a glimpse of us in a shop window in our white shirts and bow ties and thought we looked like Statler and Waldorf – a right pair of Muppets. I must admit I got the giggles on the back of the bike.
At least all of our team members gave us huge credit when we got off the bike after 160 km and said they couldn’t believe how we had kept working so hard for that long.
Bollinger treated us like royalty last night, they were terrific hosts. We had a tour of the cellars and the process of making Champagne was explained. The House of Bollinger does not open to the public so it was a real privilege. As a group of some 130 we were the largest number ever to visit and be served there. We were treated to two different Champagnes and a red wine from a vineyard the company owns in Burgundy and it was lovely. I would love to return again.
Unfortunately when the buffet was served everybody was ravenous and I had to apologise to the Bollinger representative on our table for our lack of manners as were all just starving from having completed a 166 km ride and were very keen to tuck into some food.
Well, I know I needed the rub down this evening in Saint Quentin, especially with the last stage, for me anyway, tomorrow being 152 km that includes 50 km of cobbles.
Graeme Le Saux is cycling 1,700m across Europe on the Dallaglio Flintoff Cycle Slam 2012, supported by Virgin Media, to raise £2.012m for charity, with the help of Halfords, the Official Cycling Partner. Donate now through http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=GraemeLeSaux
Cycle Slam: Dallaglio vs Flintoff airs on the Discovery Channel on 5th and 12th July at 9:00pm, where viewers will be able to see the whole tour.
