I turned up at the selsdon park hotel very early, as i didnt want to miss a thing.
infact i got there at 8 30 when most of the teams were probably still sleeping. after about an hour though george turned up, and we took a look around.
the credit agrical and team CSC had already left so we decided to go with Caisse d' Epargne team. my first time, and geroges 2nd.
i new a few names, but couldnt put any to faces. then one of the most surreal moments i have ever experienced happened....we were about to set off, and geroge said, 'hey stu, look behind you, theres the real winner of the tour de france'...i looked round and oscar was right behind me. i looked at him and i just couldnt take it all in, it was incredible!
so we set off and we took them down into coulsdon, where we met paul hone. it was amazing bieng around all these pros. well once we were in coulsdon we lost there team car, so it was just us (george paul and i) leading them around. i found this incredible, that a pro team would just put all thier trust into us. for all they new we could have lead them somewhere and nicked all there bikes!
we took them over towards box hill, but not up it as they didnt want any hills. we then went through reigate and headed back to coulsdon.
up the merstam drag they stopped for a pee stop they all together, in a line just went for a pee, right beside a main road
once we were in coulsdon one of them got a puncture. this was another surreal moment. there we were, just beyond the town centre, on the pavement with the Caisse d' Epargne deciding what to do about the riders puncture (im not sure who it was). eventually they decided he should just ride on the flat, seeming as it was a tub, and that the team car was long gone.
once we got to the entrance of the selsdon park hotel one of them sprinted off. i sprinted after him. i heard someone on my wheel. they came up next to me....it was oscar!! it was amazing. he then gave me a wink and started to sprint himself. it was incredible, i stood no chance!
once we got back we went over to the csc team. some of them were doign some turbo trainer stuff, stuart o'gradey, fabian cancallara, jens voigt, and frank schleck!! all of them togther!
then the best bit happened. when they had all finished they went back to the hotel. stuart o'gradey had left his cap on the turbo trainer bike. a gust of wind then blew it off the bike and landed a few metres away from me. i grabbed it sharpish and have kept it
what an amazing day. it was just incredible bieng riding around all these pros, like valverde and oscar, and vladamir etc etc. i still cant get over it!
stu