CQ22-Digital

he needs to change his bike. Yep, that’s right, his bike is of course on the
top of our car. And we have just manoeuvred ourselves to the opposite
end of the race. Of course, turning around and heading back is not really
an option! All we can do is find a lay-by, pull over and wait.
The old heads around me immediately take advantage of the lull in
proceedings to exit the vehicle for an opportunistic nature break. I think
about it for a fraction too long and by the time I’ve decided to join them
they are already zipping up and heading back to the car. With visions of
the team car speeding away while I’m stood there with my old feller in
hand, I decide to hold it in. The mechanic gets Ethan’s spare bike off the
roof and waits patiently at the roadside as the peloton and its entourage,
that we battled so stressfully to overtake for what seemed like an age,
pours past us in a handful of seconds.
Still sat in the passenger seat, terrified to move, my eyes probe the wing
mirror for a sign of Ethan’s arrival behind, but nothing. Matt is constantly
on the team radio reassuring Ethan we have his bike and are waiting on
the left side. What seems like an eternity passes before Ethan calmly
appears. He seems physically OK following his tumble, but his cleat has
become twisted and he cannot continue until it’s resolved. Adrenaline
pulses through my own veins as all I can think about is the ever-growing
gap that Ethan is now going to need to work extremely hard to close to
get back to the rear of the bunch. But he’s the coolest customer in town
as the mechanic tweaks his cleat and re-tightens the bolts. But it’s not
quite right. Inside I’m yelling “GO MAN GO...THE GAP IS FUCKING
MASSIVE!” But undaunted by the situation Ethan calmly feeds back to
the mechanic how the cleat needs further adjustment and waits patiently
for the mechanic to complete the task. Only once his shoe and pedal are
once again perfectly aligned does he coolly climb on board his new bike
to chase down the peloton, setting off seemingly as relaxed as if he were
pedalling to the shop for a packet of Yorkshire Tea.
We spend the next relatively uneventful portion of the race following the
main bunch. There are some nice moments after the feed, when the race
appears to have settled down a little following the early frantic moments
of the break establishing itself and a glut of crashes and collisions. A few
of the elder statesman of the WorldTour spot Matt driving and swing
across the road to say hello. Bernie Eisel, smiling as ever, shares a joke
and Nathan Haas is keen to offer Matt the benefit of his motoring advice.
“Yer almost killed us all back there mate,” he playfully yells through
the window – huge grin on his face. “Almost,” replies Matt smiling, but
without ever taking his eyes off the road ahead.
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