G’s Retirement Party and his final day on the bike | Lloyds Tour of Britain Review | Watts Occurring

G’s Retirement Party, two-day hangovers and G’s final day on the bike | Lloyds Tour of Britain Review | Watts Occurring

The boys catch up fresh off their post-Tour of Britain hangovers and take a look back over an emotional week across the country.

We get a look behind the curtain at how the Welsh took on G’s big celebration. Do they both remember getting home? Do they know the words to Cwm Rhondda? We’ll let you be the judge.

G talks us through his emotions on the final race day of his career, and how fighting back tears is hard enough without having to ride 130km and finish in his hometown.

There’s also some Vuelta chat in there: does the red jersey look less nailed-on for Jonas now?

Find out more about Lloyds inspiring work with British Cycling here:
https://www.lloydsbank.com/about-us/british-cycling.html

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Watts Occurring is brought to you by Lloyds

If your your life as a professional cyclist is a bag of sand, like we say, you know, and you’re constantly poking holes in it, mate. That was that was Yeah. I was there just shaking the bag. There was nothing left in it. Cross the finish line and suddenly I was just like, “The waterwork started.” Yeah, I’m broken. And then I remember going to bed and like tapping my phone to see the time and it was 5 something. Um, and then the next day I’d arranged for BBC Wales to come over to do an interview before we left to come back here. [Music] What’s occurring, bat? What’s occurring? Brought to you by Lloyds. They’re at every stage and proud partner of the Lloyds Tour Britain Men. Lloyd’s been working to inspire people to get on their bikes and benefit from the joy of cycling. If you want to find out more about Lloyds and British Cycling Partnership, we’ll share a link in the show notes. How you doing, mate? Two-day hangover. Well, two-day hangover. Some context. It’s It’s Tuesday morning. Yesterday I was all rightish. But um age in it, mate. Two days hangovers, they’re just a thing nowadays. To be honest, I don’t feel too bad. Well, bit is the hangover, but so basically Sunday night I was sick. It all came back up. Um Oh, mate. I was no idea what time I got home. Um, I don’t think I was even drinking I think I was just drinking beers as well. Like I don’t think but obviously well I’d done a race for a start. I hadn’t eaten a lot which didn’t help and well not exactly a big drinker anyway. So it all hit me. I remember I was with a on my sofa in the house and he was like trying to get me to do something or whatever and I was just like no mate I’m happy you you do you. You do you, you go and do what you want, but I’m stay just leave me alone. I think he stayed with me just to well, I don’t know, make sure I wasn’t sick and whatever. Had a bowl anyway, then start walking to the room halfway up the stairs. I’m puking up into this bowl, go into the toilet, empty it, still sick in the toilet. I was a big one, you know. Um, and then I remember going to bed and like tapping my phone to see the time and it was 5 something. Um, and then the next day had arranged for BBC Wales to come over to do an interview before we left to come back here. So they they rock up at like 9:45. A came in around 10 was like, “Oh, the guys are downstairs if you you don’t have to do it though if you don’t not up for it.” I was like, “Oh, no. I should do really. They’ve come all this way.” Um, got downstairs for about quart 10. And luckily I know the guys anyway. You know, Dav was one of them. Was there the night before anyway. um and managed to just do this interview. Don’t know how. I had a few like these little burps which luckily they took out of it. But I was like, man, I was like just terrible. And then we had to go into town cuz we’re off to on safari in October. So I had to get some malaria tablets. They gave me a little jab as well, some other vaccine. And then was in the car coming back home in the taxi. The driver’s looking in his rearview mirror at me because I wind down the window and he’s like, “You okay?” And I was like, “Yeah, mate. Just just get us home and get home.” And then I had to go to the airport then and fly here. But so it was a long old day. Um and then I had this reaction to this vaccine then in the night was itching. Had this rash, mate. Didn’t sleep. Oh, you’ve had a shocker. But but mate in in the night out so we went to Tiny Rebel class singing the songs like so good and then you got in a taxi with Beth A and S. A load of us went to Live Lounge and then I left Live Lounge about I don’t know half past 2 and as I was walking out someone was like oh G’s around the corner. I was like no he’s not. We went in a taxi like an hour or so ago. They’re like, “No, G’s around the corner.” I was like, “Oh, Kath, let’s go check. He’s all right.” And uh we started going and then they were like, “Oh, no. Stannard and uh Swifties with him.” I was like, “Oh, all right. Sound be all right.” Went and got uh So, did you come back out or was that rubbish? I think that’s rubbish. Well, I don’t if I did, I don’t remember it, but I’m pretty sure it was in the house. Yeah, mate. I said that. I was like cuz they said G’s around the corner. I was like, “Nah, nah. He’s in a taxi now with Beth A and Sard. They’ve got it.” They were like, “No, Stanard and Swift’s with him.” And someone was left there with a bottle of water. He needs a water. He needs a water. I was like, “I’m out. I’m out.” I’m pretty sure Stanard and Swifty weren’t in my house. But wow, it was such a good night though, was it? Like since crossing the finish line. So good. It was such a whirlwind and so hectic and busy. But then yeah in tiny it was all the team there then you and yeah who else like yeah mates and some family and just a great uh good atmosphere wasn’t it I think uh so like yeah your father-in-law and his brother are both in a Welsh choir and um as soon as we got in there I was like right a when can we start singing songs when can we start singing songs I’ll give it half an hour like 15 minutes later I went over it’s been half an hour can we start singing songs now 10 minutes Luke 5 minutes later right Abe now and um they was they’re so good and I think anyone who wasn’t Welsh or doesn’t you know like your team my mates JB from my team there’s a few other people just were like what the hell it you like a normal party you don’t get 40 people in a circle just singing a song yeah yeah yeah cuz um some of the boys messaged me actually like Lucas and uh Tim and they were just like, “Oh, it was such a good night.” Like all that singing. Oh, Welsh is is great. I’m just going to have to learn some of those songs for November and um No, it was good. Fair play, mate. So, you know, few beers deep. A’s like right actually no funny one. So, the first song we sung, I’m next to M and um sung the song. I’m not a very good singer. Get to the end, he said, Luke, do me a favor for the next song. I said, “What’s that, mate?” He just said mine. But then as the night went on, me and Foxy, cuz Foxy can sing as well. And A was like, you know, if you ever want to come to the choir, you know, just come and have a practice. And me and Foxy were like, yeah, all right, sound done. Be are talking. Woke up the next morning. Foxy messaged me, right? When are we going to the choir? And I think I’m actually going to go. [ __ ] do, mate. I think it’d be cool. It’d be cool just to get like first of all, you got to learn the words. Yeah. I was joking with a all the time about like it’s easy to hide in a choir though, is it? Like when there’s like 30 of them there, but they just seem like a good bunch of lads to be able to just sing and it’s more so knowing the words, isn’t it? But to be able to go there and um yeah, so I think I’m going to go I’m going to go a couple times. Should do, mate. My old my old neighbor’s there. He’s like 80 or something now. Algan, you know, Alanos on um Cathedral Road, but he No, I don’t know what he has got to do with it, but anyway, he’s Yeah, there’s a good group of boys there. They’re all fairly old, but you know, we bring the average down a bit, but you know, um yeah, but mate, it was just just a good just a good night. Won it all around. Everyone happy, everyone buzzing. Tiny Rebel was fantastic. Uh yeah, I think that’s why I haven’t got such a sore head or I didn’t have such a sore head is because like you said, just drunk beers, beers, beers, beers, beers, beers. No, I had a couple of shots in live lounge. That was a mistake. Couple of tequilas, but uh not like gin and tonic and then vodka there. Yeah. Coke and just Yeah, just beer can still do damage, mate. Trust me. Yeah. Yeah. can still. But how was um how was the last well last day in terms of the race itself then? Well, the whole day was just mad to be honest cuz I woke up I don’t know what it was4 to 8 cuz we were leaving quite early and um it just seemed one thing after the next. Like we’re on the bus going to the drone for the star and we pulling over and um I was just like I was about to pin my numbers on. I’m like what what are we pulling over for? Like anyway thought nothing of it. Then Max and S walk on the bus and I was like, “Oh, hello. What are you doing here?” Oh, well, coming to the start with you. All right, okay. And uh yeah, Max is sat with me putting the numbers on and stuff. And then get to the drone and have to go into the drrome then to do some interviews. Um and then the sign on was in the the track center as well, which was cool. Then we do a little lap and you know wave to the crowd and stuff and sign in things. Was there many people in there? Uh, I’m not sure. It was like, how many seats do they have? Cuz I reckon it was 2,000. Must have been close to that. It was like, it wasn’t like everyone was sat down there, but it was kind of just like people in and out and stuff. It must have been around that. Um, but I only needed tickets for it. I didn’t didn’t know. But, um, I think your brother got Dale and Han in. They didn’t have tickets, but kind of talked his way in, as you can imagine. Um, so yeah, that was that was cool. But then, you know, I’m in there signing for like I don’t know 20 minutes, half an hour and I was like, “Oh jeez, cuz then John’s like, “Right, we got to go to the start.” And I was like, I’ kind of forgotten that I had to do a bike race, mate. So I roll out, come around into the start straight, and then all the the whole palatons there then holding the bikes up, you know, spinning the wheels. I was like, “Oh, that’s that’s pretty sweet.” Yeah. Cheers, boys. right through the middle and didn’t really know didn’t feel like super comfortable, you know, like just I was a bit like I don’t know it just felt weird like it was all this attention on me um at that moment. It just a bit Yeah. Anyway, I I didn’t really know what to think of it and then it was obviously nice and then gets to the end and then Max is there at the end next to Swifty. So like Swifty, Remco, Pav, it was it was that was really nice. And then Max is there with his little bike spinning his wheels. That was cool. And then S came over. We had a little picture. Then we actually just got into the race then and I was like, man, right, okay, we got like 130k now. Um, and it was hard, mate. Like there was a few attacks at the start and then we were going through uh Risker in it. Is it Risker? And uh I just had this momentum. I was coming. I was like saw they were going to attack. I just went and I saw TV bike as well. So I was thinking, “Oh, here we go. help a brother out, you know, went I was hoping that he’d slow down slightly just to give me a bit of a tow away. Didn’t happen. I was chasing him across the road. Um, that was that was rapid. And then this UAE dude came across, what’s his name? Uh, a Scandinavian guy. He’s strong. Anyway, kicked my head in. The guy was in the break. Yeah, he ends up in the break. Yeah, we’re only away. It must have only been like two, three minute effort, but Oh, mate. That was it. That was if your your life as a professional cyclist is a bag of sand like we say, you know, and you’re constantly poking holes in it and it’s you mate. That was the last. Yeah, I was there just shaking the bag. There was nothing left in it and uh it was quite hard after that as well. It was fast lined out dragging up was it up to like Blackwood way gradually uphill. Yeah. Um so I suffered a lot then and then those cows. I loved the cows mate that saved me cuz I was in a box at that point. Do you know there was a funny moment there which very few people caught caught on. So, um, yeah, break break go. Four guys pass through and these car these cows go across the road. Races stopped, but picnic were like full throttle trying to trying to push it there, trying to split it, trying to make it a hard race. And then there’s a camera at the back of the pelon and Ethan haters five from the back and he’s like this and he just puts his hands up in the air and celebrates like he looks behind him, laughs, Dre Deont’s behind him. You could tell Greece. Yeah. See, I don’t know. Yeah, he’s just a survivor and he up the pelon down the pelon in the breakaway. But um yeah, obviously the guys at the back of the pelon are pinned and Ethan actually took his hands off the hands off the bars and put his hands in the air. Oh, I must have been close to them. Saved by the cows cuz there was a bit of a drag race into that corner. So I did that and I was like gassed and then um that’s the story of my race race. You didn’t get dropped across there, did you? No, no, not dropped, but I was like Yeah, mate. There was there was a group of 10 dropped and then another group of 15 dropped. Oh, okay. Oh, that makes me feel a bit better. Yeah, it was all right. It was It was splitting. It was guys getting dropped. Um so I used that opportunity just to move up a bit because then we were still going to go left, weren’t we? I was thinking a oh no this could be you know still could be hard but luckily nothing really happened. I got back up to the boys and I was like survived it. Um then it was all about going into Kafil then and um I got caught the wrong side of like Dean Cobb as he sort of finished his and he kind of took me out the back and I didn’t get to do my last 500 meters for Swifty into the climb but that was fine. And then me and Swifty rode up um Killili then like got a chance to really soak it all in you know the last 10k saw Matt Tank Hank um no not Hank what’s his nameo um Huski Huski that’s the one all dressed up so uh that was cool like the atmosphere up there was great um then the ride into Cardiff then just weird Just so surreal those roads, isn’t it? All the way in. No, mate. It was um a special day. And even throughout the day, you you probably, you know, before Philly Mountain when you’re racing, you know, you don’t see it, but in the car you do, there was it was a lot of Yeah. Yeah. It was it was unreal. And then the last sort of K then or going through Bur Grove past the birch, I was getting emotional and um I just felt the lump in my throat. I was like, “Oh jeez, like how is this happening to me now? Come on, hold it together. And um Uno X guy came up and said like, “Oh, just want to say been an honor to do your last race with you, blah blah blah.” And then that I was like, “Oh, mate, don’t don’t stop talking to me now.” And then somebody else said something similar. And then we went over the fly over and me and Swifty right to the front then. And you know that atmosphere in the last couple hundred meters was insane really. And crossed the finish line and suddenly I was just like, “Oh man, I’m I’m the broken. I’m broken and um stopped and tried to get myself together and then you know hugged the boys and then I left swiftly till last because I knew I was going to probably uh crack and then we’re hugging each other both of us crying. Oh man. And I was just like I had these the rain glasses lenses as well, you know, not the the tinted mirrored ones so everyone could still see my eyes. I was like, “Oh jeez.” So you should have been more tactical there. I know. I should have just I don’t care if I can’t see. I just Yeah. Um then S4C interview, I haven’t seen it back yet, but mate, I couldn’t speak. Um Griff, one of the one of the boys there was um saying something really nice, but saying about his kids or Max and I just I just said, “Oh, mate, just stop talking. Just shut up cuz you’re going to you’re going to keep me going.” And so he did. But oh, that was that’s one interview. I don’t think they got a hell of a lot out of me, but um then it was straight from there to the bus and then all the lads soaked me with champagne and you know we had a little drink together. Um then it was straight to the podium and then it was all like you were there weren’t you with Stanard, Swifty, Rod, Darren. That was really nice and all the crowd was sort of packed into that street and they it was quite narrow. It was good crowd there. Yeah, it was good crowd because it was quite small as well though. It kind of made it better, didn’t it? And like it was everyone crammed in like red, green, white everywhere. Yeah. And after that it was a quick Q&A over at Lloyds and then it was down to the castle where you were waiting and um we did a little well it wasn’t really a pod. It was kind of a pod, wasn’t it? Mate, they just uh there was no like uh script or anything or No, it was just up you go. Don’t talk too much about like his life and his career and what’s next. Save that for Rodri. Just keep it quite like how was today? how was the race? I was like, “Yeah, right. Sounds easy.” And it was um it was a bit all over the place, but it was good. Uh with all the flyers there and stuff gave you a 30 year main flyers uh 30 year anniversary jersey. It’s quite you got loads of stuff to put on your walls now. Yeah. Yeah. I got plenty of pictures and stuff now. You got to be selective what goes up. Um but uh yeah, that was nice actually riding into the castle. So Max and then my niece and nephew Alan Jack um rode in with me. Um, Emerson and Sophia couldn’t cuz they they’re still on stabilizers and we had the cobbles, didn’t we? So, it was like probably we could be there all day otherwise. But, uh, yeah. Yeah, that was nice rising in with them. We got on stage and then Max and Jack were just wandering around, weren’t they? Just just distracting me big time. But, choir was obviously there. They sang, didn’t they? Um, so yeah, that was amazing. Like, everyone there at the castle. Luckily, it was um, stopped raining, didn’t it? It was meant to be. It was it was lashing down and then we all got in there and boom, bright skies suddenly out of nowhere. And Tiny Rebel did a nice drink for everyone. Um, mic drop or something they called it, didn’t they? That was cool. So, um, yeah, that was a great way to sort of say thanks to everyone. And then it was uh, back home, quick change, tiny rebel, and yeah, kind of go blank then a few hours later. The rest is history. Uh, but um, no, what a what a day. What a special like way to sort of finish it all off really day and night. Um, do you know what? So many people put so much into it to make it that nice, mate. Jay Jay, I mean Jay and George, but Jay honestly behind the scenes has just nailed it. Fair play. Um, like A as well was on the phone a lot, I think, trying to like, you know, do stuff and mate to sort that Darren. Yeah, sort the castle. A did a lot of people did. Yeah. But um No. Yeah. So it was class and the team mate. The team. Yeah. With the jersey and the bike and everything and jersey bike just to do everything. It’s um yeah, it was amazing. Nothing you don’t deserve. Credit. Nice one. Well, it’s just like um yeah, as I keep saying, you know, just to finish when when you want is one thing, but finishing there as well with all that is just another level again. So unreal, mate. But back to reality now, ain’t it? School drop off and everything. And I had the school drop off yesterday morning, mate. And it was the first proper day of school for they went a few times last week. It’s the first proper day. And it wasn’t even that. It was it raining a bit. I had sunglasses on, my eyes were red, and you like few people outside the gates. Ah, how are you? How was yesterday? And I was like, I just can’t hold a conversation here, you know? I was like, I’m just going to drop these kids home and go back to, you know, I got to go back home, man. I’m not I’m not I’m not in a good way. I had a chip shop dinner last night. That sorted me out. Yeah. When you said that, I was like, oh, I wish I could have that now. Can’t really get it here, though, can you? Well, you can’t. Not chip shop dinner. And also, there’s Okay, if you get a takeaway like Chinese, Indian or pizza, it arrives, you eat it. But also with chip shop cuz you got to go pick it up. You get it, you get it, you order it, and then you got to drive home and it’s in the car and smell it. It’s like, oh, the anticipation builds and it’s still in the paper. Oh, mate, it was hit the spot. I bet it did hit the spot. But, um, mate, the race itself, you see how close we were to winning to Catholic. Yeah. Well, I heard I seen the picture in the in the newspaper actually. Like, it was right on the line, wasn’t it? I didn’t realize it was that close. Right on the line, mate. Mate, they uh they were in a break of four, Bastian Trojan and uh dropped one guy in Philly Mountain. On top of Philly Mountain, they literally had literally 5 seconds, but then they got to the top and it just lulled and it’s like go go just continue continued. The gap went back out. It was like 15 seconds, 20 seconds, 12 seconds, 9 seconds. And uh yeah, it was literally on the finish line. And I say how close we were to winning. Fred Wright actually would actually beat him in the sprint because Fred Wright was still third on the stage so he would have come second. But I was in the car with Kath and I said to the So all the lads had um they had flights Monday, sorry, Sunday night or Monday morning all let’s go to Bristol. Yeah. They like oh we want to go out and like all the flights are booked boys. You know it’s nothing to do with me. So like um Sunday morning before the race I was like listen if uh if we win the stage I’ll book you all new flights and we’ll all go out and uh they were like really I looked at JB and he was like uh I said well I’ve said it now got to honor it anyway 2 threek to go he’s in a break of three with 15 seconds and I’m going could be expensive. Oh [ __ ] might actually do this. Um but yeah came close but close but no cigar. They were all keen to hang around then, were they? Or they should have just done it, mate. They uh well, they wanted to they wanted to come to the castle. Um but then the cars who were taking them um had to leave. Yeah. So I said, “Listen, if you want to go to the castle, you can come to the castle, but you got to get your own way back to Bristol.” And um it’s just a bit, you know, you grown men. If you want to go out after in Cardiff, you go out in Cardiff, but it’s it’s if your own, you know, you got to sort yourself out. And it was eminent in um but they didn’t. It was funny having JB there in the night, wasn’t it? He was loving it. Yeah, he loved it. And it was like, like I said, it was it was just a mad party in terms of like it wasn’t like crazy as if we did crazy stuff. It was just amazing in the sense that we just sat in good vibes. It was great, you know. Yeah, it was good vibes. Of course, everyone’s happy and everyone’s buzzing. Everyone’s buying who’s ever at the bar just gets the round in and it was um yeah, it was just a great atmosphere, but you know, for for anyone who hasn’t been out with us before or isn’t Welsh would just be like, “What is going on?” It’s a bit like you said with Lucas Hamilton and AJ and Tim, they must have been like, “What is this, man?” Yeah. Yeah. And I did I’ve hurt my neck as well. So, we This was just after you left. We did a scrum in the street and we did like we did like 3v3. So I I was loose and uh three two one go like pushing and uh like Lucas Hamilton I was with Lucas Hamilton and there was three other people Foxy or my brother maybe or whatever mate I woke up the next morning you know you like you can’t turn my neck doesn’t turn. Oh, mate. Yeah, I’m not destined for rugby. Not destined for rugby. Gee, what you know, we said you went from this to that. This was amazing. This was special. What was the one moment that you’ll think back for that last stage of tour Britain and go that was the moment? Oh, don’t know. It’s hard to pick cuz there was so many. But I think probably the last couple of minutes of the race, you know, going through Birch Grove and then finished crossing the finish line and just the yeah the crowd just mental the the atmosphere there like Swifty was behind me giving it the big one, you know, ginger him up even more and um probably that moment. Yeah. Just crossing the line and just Yeah. It’s just a weird thought now though, is it? Like Yeah. Done. That will never race my bike again. like be on that bus afterwards. Like that’s one thing I’ve been asked a lot, what will I miss? One thing I haven’t said is you know when you finish and you just sit down on your chair and you’re just like and you go and have a shower and then you’re just like oh you have your food there and you’re just like just like suddenly you just like relax. That’s such a nice feeling that no matter how the stage has gone in the initial few months when you now you’ll you’ll see races you know there’s there’s more races out there start of next year you’ll see races and it’s also a bit of the sense of I don’t know for use of another word but like togetherness you know when you finish the race and you’re like or you start in a race and all you’ve got is each other you got nothing else you got your your five or your six or your seven or your teammates you know you got the staff and you go out and you either succeed or you fail or somewhere in the middle and then you come back on the bus and you talk about it and you just you’re in this little bubble of just that togetherness and you know sometimes you can have a week or 10 days or two weeks racing and it’s it’s just one bad day after another and all you got is each other. On the flip side, it could be 20 days of greatness and you, you know, you achieve amazing stuff. But it’s just that sense of that camaraderie, belonging, togetherness, camaraderie, good times, bad times, blood, sweat, tears, and it’s just that you’ve only got that group. You know, there’s all the external stuff, but honestly, when you when it’s hits the fan, it’s just it’s just you guys on the road, isn’t it? Yeah. I know. It’s so true. That’s that’s what I’ve been saying I’m going to miss the most. It’s just that the whole thing going out together with your plan and you go and try and execute it, do it for each other, you know. So, um yeah, but yeah, but on the flip side, like just being around, being home more, bit more relaxed, doing what you want, not so regimented, and you know, the grass is always greener in it. So, you you lose that, but you get that. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. I [ __ ] love retirement. I’m sure you will as well, mate. But uh mate, it’s time for our final Lloyds upstaged of the Tour of Britain. Lloyds are partnered with British Cycling to help inspire a nation to get moving. They believe everyone should turn the pedals more often and plan to be there at every stage. If you want to find out more about what they’re doing, search Lloyd’s British cycling. And a huge thank you to Lloyds for supporting the pod across the race and for helping to make G’s goodbyes event at the castle happen on Sunday. Let’s start here, mate. The castle. We spoke about it briefly already, aren’t we? like how amazing it was. Yeah, that was just the crowds all day and then to finish off with the castle was um yeah, I run out of things to say about it, but it was just unreal. It was so good. 4,000 tickets gone in an hour. Yeah, that’s mad, isn’t it? Um so yeah, I think that for me it’s not one person that stands out. It’s just everyone that came out, you know, um in Cardiff on the roads all over the place, you know, even the start of the week there was huge amount out. So, it’s got to go to them, haven’t it? I got a contender. Give it to the Mandy Flyers. Yeah. Bit more specific. I mean, everyone who it was some [ __ ] weather as well. Everyone went out and braved it. But mate, when I was sat there and we were on the stage and there was cuz there was loads of them as well, weren’t there? you know, 100 m flyers. They rode you into the um castle and then they were just all buzzing around and you know, just they like the organization said, “Oh, just sit down there in front of the stage wet cold.” They all just sat down with a cycling kit. And I thought, credit to them and hopefully there’s someone in there or or a number of them will go on to do something, but if they don’t, just enjoy what you’re doing and be part of that. You know, that that togetherness that they’ve got a bit of that, haven’t they? Yeah, for sure. you know the with the Mandy Flyers. So yeah mate all the crowd I’m I’m happily happily give it to them. There we have it then. The winner of Lloyd’s upstage for the last stage of tour Britain the main flyers I reckon. Right then Luke. Um as well as tour Britain there has been the VA going on as well. Um so it’s time for our chapo of the week from the second week. Any front runners? Honestly, I’ve been focused quite a lot on Tour Britain as of you, so I haven’t seen a great deal. Try and watch the highlights in the night. Check out how the team’s getting on, see the highs and lows of the stage, maybe watch a highlight video. Pitchcock Pitcock’s obviously had a decent week. I think he lost a bit of time up Anglaroo, but you know, we gave him Shapp of the day, didn’t we? He’s still in there battling. Um but you know your own ass is still there defending the jersey taking the odd seconds here and there if he can. Um but for me I think Almeida we’ve um we’ve given him shap of the day already but he’s making this welter exciting now in he like he’s gained a bit of time. I don’t know what is the gap but it’s less than a minute so it’s going to keep this Welter entertaining for the final final week mate or we don’t give it to a rider we give it to a team UEE have won four stages in the second week I mean four out of six that’s just it’s just ridiculous it’s ridiculous there was and you know one of them was neutralized Mads Pettison won one stage and it’s also won by so vine won a stage. Uh, Soler won a stage. I used to won a stage and Ala won a stage, right? I think so. F Yeah, you got eight riders on the start line and just in the second week alone, four different riders won a stage. So, I don’t know if we’re allowed to do that. Give it to a tier instead of a rider. Yeah, we do what we want. That’s pretty incredible. That is mad actually. Like, cuz I heard Janetti apparently um the team boss is like wants 100 100 wins this year. So go and fall for that. But what are they on? Low mid mid 80s is it? Yeah, I think yeah, low 80s. But um well, it’s one thing saying it, it’s another thing like going out and doing it in it. But yeah, fair play to them cuz they beat HGC’s record last year, didn’t they? So they trying to beat their own record essentially, but to get to triple figures. Yeah, pretty incredible. So if it’s all right with you, G, our Continental tires chapp of the week, team UE Emirates. Chappo. So, what’s next, mate? Well, I got my brother’s stag in two days, mate. In and out. Where are you going? So, um, so that’s Portugal flying to Farro. Got to get two flights there. Um, but yeah, that’s going to be I think that’s going to be pretty messy. But I’m only I’m only there for two days though cuz I got to get back. Got to get back for Saturday. But I think that’ll still be enough at the the state I’m in at the minute. Um, so yeah. And then after that it’s a bit more dayto-day then really um there’s some boat race in um Sanrope going on and uh I know one of them from this whole um in the Britannia America’s Cup Malaki when they were involved um and I might might go down there to see them like on Saturday afternoon. I got to be here in the morning but then in the afternoon I can go there and they’ve invited us to go and go on the boat and see it. They said I could go for a sale with them if it was Friday, but I was like, “Ah, not ema.” But that might be quite good. Take Max down there. And yeah, I’ve never watched boat. Have you You went to America’s Cup, didn’t you? Or something or No. No. No. Um, so I’m not sure what it’s like watching a boat race really cuz it’s Well, it’s all happening out there, isn’t it? So, I don’t know what it’s like for spectators, but I think it might be a bit boring. Yeah. Well, you’d think you’d be a bit It’s quite slow, isn’t it? Yeah. I don’t know. So, it’ll be different, won’t it? Sorry. boat racing. I don’t want to speak badly, but I don’t know. You know, like if you’re watching a sport like you’re looking for a goal or something, but that it’s like they’re quite far away and it’s like, yeah, boat number three has taken the lead. Well, they kind of go like different. There’s certain boys they got to go around in it, but they can take a different line through it with depends on the wind and all that. Almost hit each other. So, I see a crash maybe slow speed crash. Remember when we did sailing as um Oh, yeah. Team Sky as a as a building team. Yeah, that was good fun. Junk, was it? Did you not like it? No, I hated it. It was terrible. I quite liked it. Absolutely. At the end pulled Nigel Mitchell, the nutritionist uh life fest, didn’t we? Did you actually enjoy that boat racing? Yeah, we just had like this. They were tiny, weren’t they? And just had like four people on a boat or something. Yeah, I thought it was pretty good. Like it depends on the skipper you had. I think cuz the one we had was pretty good. He was quite engaging in that. But do you know our problem? He was explaining like what to do in English and we I remember we had a couple of Spanish guys who just joined the team who didn’t understand English and you you rely on you’re only as strong as your weakest can you? She was like right go. No one had a clue what to do like twist that pull that. Um yeah we just bobbed in the water for a bit. I think I pushed some because the weather wasn’t great from what I remember. Was it either? But no, it’s terrible. Terrible. You going to ride your bike? Uh, yeah. I would have ridden today, but I had busy morning. But um Oh, you’re going to be one of them, aren’t you? You’re going to be one of them. No, won’t let it go. 15, 20 hours a week. I think it would just help clear the head a bit, you know, a bit of fresh air and go have a quest on somewhere and ride home. It’ be quite nice. What’s the weather like over there? Lovely, mate. Blue skies. Yeah. Yeah. Still got sore neck. See when I turn there, I had to turn my whole body. Yeah. But yeah, so the next few weeks then is a bit more well normal life. Take Max to school, few things to do, but yeah, just enjoy being off, mate. You you got any more racing then? I’ve got one more race left. Uh Parours. So it’s obviously quite a classics angle. It used to be um bit more of a sprinters race, you know, maybe some crosswind thrown in the mix, but um yeah, now there’s 10 gravel sections. So nice. Yeah, it’s a bit of a messy race. So gravel uh sorry, classics focused squad there. So, but that’s not for that’s not for a month. So, it’s just the next month really to start working on on next year. Looking at the classics next year and try and try and get some stuff in place for that and then um yeah, work towards Parol. Nice, Swift. And then um team camp and all that and back into it. Stan told Swifty um they had to go to Pars actually last week. That’s not a bad race. Yeah, but it’s just like when you think you’re going to be finishing midseptember and then you got to go for another two or three weeks for Pars as well, you know. But you know, Swift is like he loves it anyway. So yeah. No, it’s one of them races. It’s if you don’t think you’re doing it, you’re thrown in last minute. Yeah. It’s quite uh I mean it’s a proper one day classic is it? 10 sections of gravel. Yeah. Spicy though. And last year with like abysmal weather and Yeah. I mean it’s not the nicest race in the calendar but it’s great a great one to win but if you if you go there and just taking part it’s could be a bit grim. Yeah. Swifty loves it. Yeah. Do you remember that arm wrestling? No but John the press guy sent me a video of me arm wrestling Rod. Yeah. I honestly did not remember that. I won though, didn’t I? He beat you. Did you win? Oh, did you win? About a minute and a half video. I was like, “Bloody hell.” This It’s not a spectator sport, this is it? Cuz I went against Rod earlier as well and I beat him as well. So, me and you both have a good night. Um, and then I went against my brother and he smashed me. But, uh, and then I did a scrum and hurt my neck. Good times. Um, all in all, a great night, mate. Great. Great day, great week. All right, mate. Enjoy uh enjoy your downtime. We’ll do. Have a great Have a good stag and uh see you in a bit. Catch you soon. Tada out. Tada out. [Music]