We rolled into the lunch stop after 50 miles - the usual array of pasta, chicken salads with todays desert a very nice looking mandarin cheesecake. I settled down to enjoy my lunch & a quick read of my prized l'Equipe newspaper to catch up on the Tour de France. Carefully unfolded from the Asda carrier bag I began checking the previous days result & time gaps from Contador to Schleck to Armstong & Wiggins et-al - Just then a fellow cyclist - an elderly gentleman wondered over & observed that I had l'Equipe - "Ahh you have l'Equipe" he said & proceeded to sit along side me. I quickly updated him on the current situation of Le Tour & thought he may leave me in peace to enjoy MY l'Equipe. I spoke too soon, just then a slight gust of wind closed MY l'Equipe - quick as a flash he thrust a greasy hand to reopen MY l'Equipe, in the process tearing the front cover & leaving his greasy paw prints as a signature - having caught up on L Tour & past a few pleasantries he duly left without so much as a "thank you" or "sorry for tearing your l'Equipe".
Now anyone who knows me will understand how I was feeling at this point - I wont purchase magazines that have damaged, bent or torn covers or that have been thumbed on the shelf at WH Smith's - My face must have been a picture. Mike thought it was hilarious -
Luckily there is no proof that the gentleman's tyres were let down on purpose - it just seemed unlucky that he suffered two flats at the same time.
brilliant mate.... had me crying all over again
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