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A war has broken out in the Eurosport camp over the last 5 days, a war of tweets between Producer Paul Whipps and the combined audio and visual talents of Tony Gibb and Rob Hayles. In an unashamed yet good humoured battle to outdo each others number of followers, Messers Whipps, Gibb and The Killer spent the week at the UCI World Track Championships gently ribbing each other and getting to grips with the subtleties of the Twittersphere.
The cajoling banter, feigned nonchalance and just plain daft tweeting even extended to coffee stops on our daily rides, which was about the only time I was capable of joining in the fun as on the bike, I was grimly hanging on to the back wheel of Gibby and Killer, 2 of the most entertaining and colourful of the British professional scene.
Even if my legs where being punished on the slow climb back from illness to fitness what did feel good was the ability to open up my diet a little more again and enjoy an evening meal or a spot of continental breakfast. Just as well because getting food at the Apeldoorn Velodrome was harder than it looked given the amount of time we were confined to the commentary point.
I am now on medication for the problems that effected me so badly at the start of the year and despite the fact that the treatment lasts months rather than weeks I am clearly in better health than I have been for some considerable while. 3 steady to fast rides in full Team Wiggle Tandem kit this week also confirm that I am gaining some of the endurance back that totally deserted me in the New Year.
I had to laugh as our coach, Colin Batchelor of Total Cycle Coach, had planned for me to ride down hill sprint efforts all week and I did wonder whether he had remembered I was in the flattest country in Europe for 5 days. In the event, trying to followed both Tony and Rob during their 5minute big gear efforts proved more than a match for me. There is much to do but the diary will be out when I return to the UK to start planning in regular 25 mile efforts on a TT bike as we get closer to the summer a a run on the RRA record.
Magnus Backstedt continues on his path back to the very top with 2 last week in the Wally Gimber Memorial Race and it will be interesting to see the progress I have made when we get together in London to commentate on the Tour of the Basque Country in a week’s time.
Time too, to catch up with the construction of Rocket 2 and to begin the process of course recce with Stephen Davies. There will be no substitute for riding the course, stopping every 2 minutes to plot, photograph and scrutinise each section of tarmac, highlighting camber, bumps, worn surface and anything that could effect the safe progress of a tandem travelling in excess of 60mph at times. We have a few technological innovations to showcase but realistically it will not be until Magnus and I can throw our legs across Rocket 2 that we will know how well they will work.
Until then I can at least draw inspiration for the superb GB track team and their equipment. I could do with a little their horsepower too!
Ride safe
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Or at the team‟s website, www.teamwiggletandem.com