This is coming back into Lechlade in the 1995 WTTA '12', around about lunchtime, with approx. 110 miles done, looking okay and on my way to 217.888 miles by tea-time.
You really don't know what you had until you miss it.
It's not quite fair to say that I was 20 years ahead of my time and I'd have cashed in on the current boom in British cycling had it occured two decades earlier. I wasn't brilliant but I enjoyed it more than anything else. It brought the rewards that knowing that you've done some bloody hard work, and enjoyed it, can do.
One can take part in minority pursuits, like cycling, poetry or chess and the vast majority of people assume you must be good at them because they are not in a position to know otherwise. Let's keep that our little secret.
But, best of luck to Bradley Wiggins. Although the betting makes him a short-priced favourite apparently in the absence of opposition with obvious form in the book, it's not easy and it will actually still be an achievement to finish in the top three.
In these 12 Hour events, there were far better riders than me to bet on but they didn't complete the course. For me, having done one very full day's riding, the idea of getting out of bed to do another would have been out of the question. But Tour de France riders are getting well paid for their efforts and so they are welcome to it.
The continental journalists will not like it one bit if a Brit wins the Tour and there will be allegations. I believe there already have been. But, so far, it is Lance that is spending his retirement paying lawyers to defend him. Wiggins isn't. And my performances never aroused the slightest suspicion.
