*Chapter 38*

Race Day

 
 
Friday, race day, my first appearance at the cycling world championships, hopefully not my last. So okay it’s just another race, how many have I ridden this year? Twenty or Thirty I guess, but that doesn’t mean I’m not nervous as hell this morning. I’m probably not the only one but I am the only one bunking with his or her mother who just happens to be an ex World Champion.

“Come on, kiddo, big day today.”

“What time?”

“Quarter to eight, you need to shake a leg if you want breakfast.”

“I don’t know whether I can do it, Mum.”

“Do what?”

“Race.”

Jen inwardly sighed and sat herself on the bed.

“What’s brought this on?”

I sat up, inadvertently exposing a breast.

“Good job your dad’s already downstairs.” She leant over and pulled my jarma top closed, “So, what’s up, spud?”

“I’m not good enough, I’m gonna look a right idiot.”

“Whatever gave you that idea? Last week you won the biggest junior event on the calendar, rode up mountains, won a bunch sprint and from what I hear, pretty much directed how the team rode.”

“I guess.”

“So what’s changed?”

“I dunno.”

“Tell you what, let’s get some breakfast then we’ll have a chat with Caro, if you really don’t want to, you don’t have to.”

“’Kay.”
 
 

“Caro?”

“Morning, Jen, what’s up?”

“Why’s anything need to be up?”

“Come on, Jen, how long have we known each other?”

“Alright, it’s Drew, she, he doesn’t want to ride today.”

“Shit, anything we can do?”

“Not sure what, I’ll get some breakfast down her, you free for a chat in say forty minutes?”

“’Course I am, I’ll find somewhere we can talk undisturbed.”

“Sorry about this, Caro.”

“Not your fault, Jen, I’ll need to prime Dave, we might be able to put a sub in if it comes to it.”

“Sure, kids, who’d have ‘em?”

“You obviously and I think you and Dave have done a pretty good job.”

“Sometimes.”

“Whatever, see you later.”
 
 

“Who was that?”

“Just Caro, come on, there’s a rumour they have sausages.”
 
 

Jen’s hope that breakfast might lift Drew’s mood was dashed, the wunderkind just pushed the food around the plate and no cajoling made any difference. It didn’t help that the rest of the squad were happily laughing and joking a few tables away. Manda went to join them clearly sensing something was up but with a mouthed ‘later’ Jen deflected the intrusion. Drew’s choice of clothing was a clear indication to anyone in the room that something was amiss, even Jen was in bike kit but Drew had put on a t-shirt and jeans.

 
 
“So, Drew,” Caro started once they were settled, ”your mum says you don’t want to ride today.”

“Yeah, I mean no.”

“What about Sunday?”

“I dunno.”

“Well we need to know, we might be able to get a reserve over, after qualifying for five spots it’d be a waste to not use them all.”

“I guess.”

“Come on, Drew, it isn’t like you to pass up a challenge, is it something that’s been said?”

“Not really.”

“We can’t help if we don’t know, Drew.” Caro sighed.

“Sorry.”

“Well if your mind’s made up we can’t make you ride, I know everyone’ll be disappointed, the girls in particular look up to you.” She hadn’t wanted to lay the guilt trip on him but it was nothing but the truth.

“I’ll ride Sunday.”

“We’ll have to take it to Dave, if you dip out of today for no reason he might not want you potentially disrupting things more, we’ve invested a lot of time and money in getting you all ready for this weekend, it wouldn’t be fair on the others. It’d probably be best if you go home, keep the disruption to a minimum.”

“No, I mean you can’t do that, how’d I get there?”

“I’m sure your Dad’ll take you to the airport.”

“But, but…”

“I think it’ll be best if you wait up in your room until we’ve got it arranged,” I hope this works!

“But what about the others, what will they think?”

“I’m sure we’ll come up with something to tell them.”

Drew hung his head, the tears started to well up, yesterday anything was possible, this morning everything was in tatters, chucked off the squad he’d worked so hard to get onto. They wouldn’t want him back would they; he’d blown it big style and couldn’t even say why.

 
 
“What do you reckon?” Jen asked her friend after installing Drew back in their room.

“Talk about a curve ball, Jen, I just don’t know what to say, you spoken to your Dave?”

“Not yet, thought we could try subtle before I told him.”

Caro checked her watch, “Bum, I’ve got to get the others to the circuit for the training session, you got to get out there too?”

“I’ll miss it if I have to.”

“Don’t be daft, you can’t afford not to do the recce.”

“She’s my child.”

“And my god child. Look I reckon we’ve got until about ten thirty, Dave can take the others, we’ll just say Drew has a stomach upset, I’ll have another bash when you lot are clear. If it’s still a no I’ll have to get Boss man involved, we’ve probably blown it for subbing today but we can get Gethin on the line for Sunday.”

“You think pulling Drew from the road race is necessary?”

“Sorry Jen, but I do. Firstly I don’t want to risk a repeat, if the kid isn’t committed all our efforts could go up in smoke. Secondly, if we make a tactical withdrawal it leaves us options going forward, there are some at BC who’ve been questioning Drew’s inclusion on the squad, we don’t want to give them fuel for the fire.”

Jen nodded to herself, “Okay Caro, I’ll leave it with you, I know she trusts you.”

 
 
Drew stared out of the window, a few pale grey clouds scudded across the otherwise blue sky above the patchwork of parched meadows and cereal fields just visible beyond the railway line.

It’ll be a good day today, the forecast keeps it dry with a dropping north westerly, Dad said the circuit loops out towards the coast before returning to Roskilde for the finish – should make it pretty rapid. Maybe I can get that eleven sprocket going, should make some mega time up if I can, there’s no real climb or anything so there’s nothing to gain or lose, it’ll be raw power!

But I’m not gonna be there am I? Caro pretty much told me I’m kicked off the squad, going home – I won’t even get to see Mum ride.

The beeping of a mobile phone is always difficult to ignore, when its your own doubly so. Drew resisted the challenge long enough for it to stop; it was in young Bond’s hand to check the caller ID when it started afresh.

“Tag, Bond,” he answered before realising he was supposed to be ignoring the damn thing.

“Drew? Is a Toni.”
 
 

“Didn’t see your young un this morning Jen, she alright?” Lizzie enquired as they rode towards Roskilde and the time trial course.

What could she say, No, she’s got cold feet and won’t be riding? Best go with the party line.

“Wasn’t feeling so good, something she ate I think, Caroline’s acting as nursemaid.”

“Probably a bit nervous too.” Sarah offered.

“Yeah,” Jen absently replied, I hope so.
 
 

None of the other three time triallists seemed overly concerned about Drew’s absence, so okay it wasn’t the best news in the world but Caro’s cover story of him resting up was readily accepted. Bond senior wasn’t so easily gulled but sensing there was something going on the others didn’t need to know, agreed to take mechanic Darren along on the reconnaissance ride.

 
 
“Well he did look a bit peaky at breakfast.” Sal observed as they waited to join the other riders on the course.

“That was a big pile of that herring salad stuff he had at dinner.” Gethin noted.

Hope she’s alright didn’t look like stomach ache to me, Mand mused, “Yeah the thought of it turns my tum.”

 
 
Caroline absently pushed her coffee cup across the table, glancing for the hundredth time at the church clock just visible through the trees, five to ten, I’ll go up at ten, I’m not looking forward to breaking this to Dave and Steve.

“Thought you were supposed to be taking the testers on the recon?”

Caro almost jumped off her chair, “Dave.”

“Recon?”

“Dave and Darren are taking them, something came up that I needed to sort out.” Sugar, I’m lying to the Boss now, I’m dead meat when he finds out.

“I trust that this ‘something’ has to do with our business here this weekend?” Mr Brailsford pressed.

“Yes, just a loose end, you know me always making sure everything goes to plan.”

“Do I need to know any details?”

You’ll know all too soon. “Er no, its just about sorted now, slight technical hitch, nothing to worry about.”

“Now I am worried, we’ll talk later.”

 
 
“Isa big decision,” Toni opined, “if it eez the right one for you I cannot say.”

“I think it is,” Drew told the Italian, “guess I’d best find Caro.”

Maddy Bell © 23.05.2014