Le Anorak

[Marek]

According to my insider sources a certain Mr Dave Kennett has been spotted outside of the Croydon Park Hotel all day in the rain today eyeing up the special guests that have just arrived along with their carbon fibre machinery.

He has apparently managed to wangle a training ride tomorrow with the Liquigas riders.

According to my source he also tried his best to speak Italian, Spanish and Russian in order to get tips and ideas off the mechanics. Think he was trying to blag some freebeies. He was allegedly unsuccessful in gaining any freebeies as just speaking English with a funny accent whereby you make your words go louder at the end apparently was incomprehensible to all those in earshot.

Nice try Dave, have fun on the ride tomorrow, take it easy on them.

Cheers

Marek.....

p.s. Apparently CSC are one of the teams there. If anyone has a good pair of bolt cutters can you go and pinch me a Cervelo

[Nick]

Marek I just go for the Lorry full of bikes rather than one cycle as theft is theft no matter how large if you get caught.

Hope all is well with family

Nick

[Kevin Rynne]

Is any of this true? please tell me its not so I can stop kicking myself

[-Adam-]

I am going to be skiving as much as possible off work for the next 48hrs as how often are we gonna get such an opportunity to get so close to the riders...!?

[huw williams]

The teams are staying in some pretty wide ranging places from Kent right up to London

Croydon has the honour of housing Barloworld and Liquigas up at the Selsdon Park hotel - I think they moved in last night as I saw the team vehicles going through S.Croydon at about 7pm

We've got a 3-way darts match in the cricketers at lunchtime.
Crap, sorry, make that crack 4 man teams form CW versus teams from Barloworld and Liquigas - I don't know who they're putting on the Oche just yet but Geraint (Thomas) is definitely sharpening his arrows.

I'll let you know how it goes

[Sylv]

Is this the same hotel which is hosting our diner this year? Wow two big cycling events for them this year

[jon avery]

Huw you must have one of the best jobs in the world

[jon avery]

Huw you must have one of the best jobs in the world

[mrP(Boonen)VT]

[quote]Is this the same hotel which is hosting our diner this year? Wow two big cycling events for them this year

[huw williams]

quote: Huw you must have one of the best jobs in the world

It's better than having to take drugs and ride the tour for a few weeks I'll give you that

[DavidKennett]

Marek,

All their kit arrived yesterday morning, then home for quick sandwich so I could get back in time to see the riders arrive. Any whhels or frames you need?

Who do I ride with today - Barloworld, Caisse D'Epargne, Credit Agricole or Lquigas and then CSC tomorrow with Brrett

[Mike I]

I went to an office 'bonding' session [checks carefully for typos, no, it's fine] at the Selsdon Park Hotel last year. I stayed in the Michael Heseltine room.

But what we all need to know, surely, is who has got the Jeffrey Archer suite. And whether any characteristics of the former occupant (insufferable arrogance, flimsy grip on reality, reluctance to tell the truth under oath, that sort of thing) might have rubbed off on them.

[SimonJOsborne]

My route from London 2 Paris starts off from the Selsdon Park Hotel. Maybe it will give some of the 150 riders inspiration to know they have used the same rooms.

[quote](insufferable arrogance, flimsy grip on reality, reluctance to tell the truth under oath, that sort of thing)

[Mike I]

My guess is he's lost his appetite for libel actions after last time . Anyway, he was convicted of perjury, so the 'fair comment' defence is available.

And it's not like I mentioned the allegations of insider dealing, of which he was cleared.

Is this getting off topic?