stay calm and go as hard as possible - Cadel Evans - Sydney Morning Herald (Sat 23 Jul 2011)

"All you have to do is stay calm and go as hard as possible" (*) - Cadel Evans - Sydney Morning Herald (Sat 23 Jul 2011)
From today's Sydney Morning Herald (*), Cadel Evans (*, *) told Rupert Guinness (*) before last nights epic stage:..

All you have to do is stay calm and go as hard as possible from the start to the finish. It's quite simple, [..]

You are only riding a bike from point A to point B, but in terms of technique there is so much in terms of pedalling and breathing, and there are the corners. Just concentrating and riding out beyond your limit is very taxing.

Cadel's pre-stage words were almost prophetic.

Brillant ride by Cadel last night. He had a mechanical (*) and did not panic or get upset (as most of Australia did). He worked out the problem, kept riding until his team car caught up with him. Unlike David Millar from a few years ago, Cadel gently dropped his old bike and quietly mounted his new bike and got on with the job. Inspiration stuff and a lesson to us all.

Cadel, is doing this on his own. No French or Spanish friends in the Peleton like the rest of them.

Love the transformation in your attitude Cadel. All the best for the Time Trial (*) - the Race of Truth (*) - tonight.

Go Cadel - you are on the Edge of Glory (*).


Random Recollections: Reminds me of the poster and a book I bought in Ealling, London back in Sep 2009 (I bought the book just after taking the photo of the Pink Bike - it's a classic book - had not laughed so much in a long time) ..

Keep Calm, Carry On Poster (*)

One Day Like This - Elbow (TDF 2008 highlights)

SBS Tour de France 2008 Final Closer
SBS's Tour de France 2008 Closing Highlights to One Day Like This by the Elbow.

Favourite Photo: Col de Portet d'Aspet/France - Sep 2009 - Fabio Casartelli Memorial

Geoff and Joanne at Fabio Casartelli's Memorial - "we stumbled upon it by complete accident" – Col de Portet d'Aspet - Wed 23 Sep 2009 [1] (picasa)
Just a photo of Joanne and I at a Memorial in the Pyrenees in South West France. Sometimes photos are just records and keepsakes of events and moments in our lives. This is just one of those photos. The photo has a nice little touch [1] with the Shadows on the Wing of the Memorial. Some background ..

Tonight's Stage of the the 2010 Edition of the Tour de France starts in Pamiers and finishes in Bagnères-de-Luchon. Along the way it will pass through St-Girons (near St-Lizier).

Last September, we travelled much of tonight's route, but in the reverse direction. Along the way we stumbled across a Memorial for Fabio Casartelli on the Col de Portet d'Aspet. He was an Italian Bike Rider who died in a crash near the Memorial in the 1995 Edition of the Tour de France. Fabio was a member of Lance Armstrong's Motorola Team.

There is a moving account of the impact Fabio's death had on Armstrong in his book, It's not about the Bike. I read the account to Jenny twice in Hospital last year. If you read the account here, you will see it has also had an impact on me through all that has happened and the path that allowed us to stumble across the Memorial (the book does not even mention where it is located - so it was a sheer fluke that we "stumbled across it" - I knew what it was as soon as I saw it - just from the description in the book). I hope to go back at some stage. Though for now, I will make sure I am awake tonight as the Tour passes the Memorial.

[1] I would like to think the two shadows on the “Wings” of the Memorial represent the spirit of Jenny and her life as a twin with Joanne. There we are, Joanne and I, counterpoised by the twin shadows of the Joanne and Jenny. Jenny overlooks us and is there with us, Always.

Stage 15 Route Map - 2010 Tour de France - Mon 19 Jul 2010

An End has A Start - Editors (TdF2007 highlights)

SBS's Tour de France 2007 Closing Highlights to An End has a Start by the Editors - "have this on my PVR and have watched it a 1000 times!!"