St Ybard bulletin Saturday 21st July 2007

What did that Scotsman say about the best laid plans of mice and men? You don’t need me to tell you that the couple of days visiting Chris Devereux at Salles Batties did not go to plan. During Thursday night we had heavy thunder storms and torrential rain that continued into the morning so our 0800 departure from base camp was delayed until 1130. Also it turned out that five blokes and five bikes and five loads of kit don’t go in one car so we took two. Driving in convoy produced further stress when certain individuals “went charging away like loonies”. Nevertheless we arrived in Chris’s village about 1.30pm to a warm welcome. After a cup of tea we went out for an excellent 25 mile ride and cracked the 13 mph barrier for the first time this week. Then we made a trip into medieval Villeneuve for an aperitif before returning to the estate Devereux for a fine barbecue which went on into the evening. The grilled duck with spinach, mushrooms, potatoes and baked leeks together with the fine selection of cheeses and 4 bottles of Laurent-Jalabert-endorsed Gaillac wines were particularly appreciated by our young athletes.

This morning we were up and out by 8 o’clock for a beautiful drive across the Aveyron to watch the TT stage of the Tour de France based at Albi. We chose the half way point at Ambialet to spend a sun-drenched rest day watching our heros speed through a tricky tunnel at two minute intervals. You know the sort of thing. After the best part of an hour the first rider shot out of the tunnel and slewed through the left hand bend to much applause and Geraint Thomas followed 10 minutes later. Before Bradley Wiggins arrived it had started to rain and by the time Charlie Wigelius arrived it was gutting down and we were soaked. Refuge was taken in a hotel’s gazebo about half a km from the course and we had left the race to its own devices by 1.30 before David Millar had gone through. Trevor and Denbo drove us out of the rain in mid-afternoon and we arrived back in Brive to listen to the news of Vinokourov’s marvellous win and Bradley’s excellent 5th place on the car radio. At 6.30 we were first in line for the evening serving of dinner in the hypermarket canteen before tearing back to St Ybard to watch on the tele what we were supposed to have been watching all day at the roadside. To add to the rich variety of the day we heard later that the alternator went on Chris’s old Citroen on his way home but despite the breakdown he was back in time to catch the overnight train back to Cheam. So now Denbo has just mucked up his last Suzuki (that’s Sudoku to you and me) and retired to his bed in a sulk because he is no longer the Suzuki King of England and the rest of us will follow shortly because tomorrow we have to drive back to blighty. “Little man you’ve had a busy day!”

Our sincere thanks go to Trevor and Chris for their excellent hospitality.