The Gentlemen of St Just

Date: 12 October 2010 19:55:16

I don't know why the local cycle races are called "Gentlemen" - the competitors aren't limited to those of the male persuasion, but there is a run of about five or six races on consecutive weekends around the area, each called the Gentlemen...

Ours was a couple of weekends back. Mr D cycled first with A, one of our English friends (doing the course in 50 minutes or so, 9 minutes better then their previous best) and then with one of the young lads from the cycle club, in about 35-ish minutes (sorry, Mr D if I've misrepresented you!) I discovered that if I'd cycled round with A -whatever time we had recorded - we would have come second in the all-female team category! Mr D promised A that she could hae a Magnum ice cream if she got round in under an hour...we girlies will do anything for chocolate! :-)

I was roped in to help prepare the meal afterwards...so I spent time mixing grated carrot, laying out lettuce leaves, popping olives on top of heaps of grated carrot, mixing macedoine of vegetables with mayonnaise, and laying out 32 slices of saucisson on plates.(Probably not a brilliant idea with my bad foot/knee, as Sunday night I was in quite some agony from doing too much standing both Saturday & Sunday.)

But generally, an enjoyable time was had by all.

Mr D was in charge of the projector as the results were called out. It was good to see so many young people taking part too - there must have been at least 20 under 18s piling up onto the stage to collect medals.

Sadly though, there were rumours of the suspicion that drugs had been taken by some of the winners. It seems sad that even at this local level drugs can rear their ugly head. Mr D has pointed out that these competitions can be the springboard to a low-level professional team for the young riders, so the pressure to perform is there, and thus the temptation to take drugs. But for a race of about 20-odd kilometres, it seems ridiculous to take performance enhancing drugs.I find it sad that the reputation of cycling has taken so many knocks with the drug scandals of the Tour de France winners - and losers. I used to admire the strength, stamina and determination of these riders, but now I just wonder if any of them are clean.

Ah well, back to the Gentlemen.

[caption id="attachment_552" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Mr D & A arrive. No need for drugs here!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_553" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Prize giving"][/caption]

Please note: I am not suggesting that anyone pictured here has taken performance enhancing drugs in any form (except possibly in the form of a white chocolate covered ice cream lolly!)

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Other news: None really.

My injuries are continuing to heal. I'm now having physiotherapy on my knee and ankle every week, but I am naughty because I'm ignoring the Kiné's (physiotherapist) advice of ice on my knee. I don't want to get cold...she whines wimpily. Also spending four hours on one's feet preparing a meal (that was the Sunday activity mentioned above) -incidentally for the Kiné and his wife! - isn't exactly helping the healing process! Never mind.

And a question that mystifies me: how did I forget about half a raspberry-and-rhubarb cake for so long that it went mouldy in the tin?! That is most unlike me. Or Mr D, for that matter.