Sample Sunday #2

Waiting for the race to begin at Ghyvelde 1 May 2011

My Fella and his Bike

Preface

How it all started was rather quick. I had never imagined in a million years that when I moved to France to live with my fiancé, that I would be replaced by a bicycle.

 Franck approaching forty years old and a keen cyclist in his youth said,

“I’m going to take up cycling again to loose weight,”

“Ok dear,” I replied without thinking anything of it.

 Then as the weeks and the months went by, Franck spent more and more time on the bicycle. It wasn’t until he bought a new bike did his passion for cycling really begin to take off.

 “I’m going racing,” he said.

“At your age,” I exclaimed.

“Yes at my age, I know I can do well, I raced when I was in my late teens and early twenties and won.”

“Ok.”

 That was it!!!

 First cycling competition at 41 years of age, Veille Eglise 26^th July 2009…

 On the day of the cycling competition we had to get their early. Franck wasn’t a member of a cycling club. He had to go to the doctor to get a doctors note and buy a race pass of €12 in order to take part.

 Now prepared with his race pass, and having seen the officials for his race number, he was ready to go.

 The first twenty minutes Franck was doing well, he kept up to speed with the leaders until the third tour of the course. At this point there was a fall of about half a dozen cyclists all on top of each other. Franck cleverly missed it and made his way back towards me and stopped.

 “Why did you stop?” I asked

“Because I didn’t want to break my new bike,”

 It’s true. His bike cost him over €4000. It would have cost a fortune to repair if he was also involved in the fall.

 After the race and with his friend Ange he decided to join the cycling club in Guînes and start training with the club for the following year cycling season in 2010.

 This was a new start for my man. The mid life crisis had finally struck, and it was cycling that struck his accord.