Bumping into random pro cyclists

[Fab Foodie]

Catasrophy.

What's that?

 

[Fab Foodie]

Catastrophe was/is a comedy TV programme, m'lud.

Oh....
If she's not racing a motorcycle, presenting Newsnight or on babe station I'm not likely to have come across her....

 

[Fab Foodie]

I expect it was on a bit too late for you, thinking about it.

Depends which time zone I'm on...,

 

[Markymark]

Depends which time zone I'm on...,

Probably around 1970.

 

[Ian193]

While I was watching a local club road race Alex Dowsett rode past on a training ride (he lives quite close to where we live)

 

[ColinJ]

One of the Yates brothers at the tea rooms Heptonstall, West Yorkshire. A great place to have a stop in a wonderful (and testing) area for cycling.

I think it was 2014. No I don't remember which one, but the names were on the bikes and I thought it was pretty cool, but I didn't want to bother him.

I ride up to that cafe quite often. I was there a few days ago and a couple of women asked me if I had just ridden up the hill. I told them that I had and they said that they were impressed, and that they normally ride there by the easier route of Lee Wood Road/Draper Lane. I told them that they would have been somewhat less impressed a couple of months ago when I fainted outside the cafe and ended up in the back of an ambulance!

I don't think that I have seen many (non-retired) pros in this country but I saw a lot on the Costa Blanca, including Marco Pantani a few months before he died.

 

[Slick]

I ride up to that cafe quite often. I was there a few days ago and a couple of women asked me if I had just ridden up the hill. I told them that I had and they said that they were impressed, and that they normally ride there by the easier route of Lee Wood Road/Draper Lane. I told them that they would have been somewhat less impressed a couple of months ago when I fainted outside the cafe and ended up in the back of an ambulance!

I don't think that I have seen many (non-retired) pros in this country but I saw a lot on the Costa Blanca, including Marco Pantani a few months before he died.

Haha, very good. I assume that's why you climb the hills slowly?

 

[ColinJ]

Haha, very good. I assume that's why you climb the hills slowly?

More a question of inadequate power to weight ratio! The faint was probably caused by concussion - DETAILS.

Other pros/ex pros encountered in Spain include Robert Millar (I borrowed a wheel off him!), Sid Barras, Marcel Wust, Alejandro Valverde, Theresa and Gary Coltman, and so on ...

 

[Smokin Joe]

And do pro riders really have to carry around their own bike? I thought the team would shift bikes around.

For the big races where the team has been entered they get full support. For the minor races like criteriums where the riders negotiate their own individual contracts getting themselves and their kit to the event is down to them.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Thanks Joe, I never knew that. Interesting!

 

[Globalti]

Yes I almost ran into a chap named Mark Cavendish; I was driving my car out of the car park at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester one Saturday evening at dusk and a cyclist in black, on a black bike flashed across in front of me on his way into the car park. We thought he had probably just ridden back from the Velodrome and was staying at the Lowry.

 

[the_mikey]

Not sure about 'pro' but it's not uncommon to see Matt Stephens in his GCN kit riding through Bath on a morning.

 

[Dave 123]

I often see Mary Beard cycling in Cambridge. Shiny gold helmet. She's not a pro cyclist. She's a nice lady from the telly.

I also see Rory McGrath cycle around Cambridge. He isn't a pro cyclist either. Not sure what he is really!

 

[nickyboy]

Yes I almost ran into a chap named Mark Cavendish; I was driving my car out of the car park at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester one Saturday evening at dusk and a cyclist in black, on a black bike flashed across in front of me on his way into the car park. We thought he had probably just ridden back from the Velodrome and was staying at the Lowry.

You see him riding around the Peak District every now and then. Can't miss him cos he has a guy on a moped following him with spare wheels etc. None of the other pros that ride around here are than pretentious

 

[Bollo]

For obscurity stakes, I claim dibs by finding myself in the company of a local ex-pro called Rob Hurd during a ride a couple of years ago. He plied his trade for various Belgian domestic teams in the 90s. He was interesting company and held certain strong and unfashionable views on the cleanliness of British cycling. Long story short, he made Paul Kimmage sound like Phil Liggett. I thought there was a hint of sour grapes at the time but at least some of his stories have since played out, particularly around TUEs.