“Coming up soon on tonights programme, Martin visits the Space museum at Wahnheide but before that I'll be speaking with the Rheinland's own Superwoman, newly crowned double cycling Weltmeisterin, Gaby Bond. But first Maria Kniesse with 'Liebe ihr Freund'”.

“Okay kiddo?” Dad asked for the umpteenth time.
I fiddled with my dress, its the telly okay, “Not really.”
“You'll be fine.”

To be honest, I'm nervous as hell, yes i've done interviews for the idiot box before but they've always been un-rehearsed, informal if you like. This evening though I'm in the 'Rhein Abend' studio in Bonn on the actual sofa next to Gertie Schmidt! You bet I'm nervous.

One of the floor managers came over, “If you can come over please.”
“Good luck,” Dad told me as I trailed behind the TV person.

Rhein Abend? Well its our regional evening magazine programme, you know the sort of thing, local news, human interest stories, a bit of entertainment, sometimes in the studio, sometimes outside broadcasts. back in Warsop we had 'Look North' with Harry Gration, on RTL we have Gertie Schmidt. I have met her before but this really is freaking me out.

Maria was still warbling away across the studio as I sat myself down, a technician type fixed me up with one of those clip on microphones, Gertie smiled over.

“Okay Gaby?”
“Nervous,” I admitted.
“You'll be okay, couple of deep breaths and you'll be fine. I'll do a bit to camera then we'll run the VT before we do the interview.”
“Okay.”

Another floor manager came over as Ms Kniesse launched into the last verse of the distinctly middle of the road musical rendition.

He did that thing with his fingers to count Gertie in, “And five, four, three, two, one aaand live.”

Gertie was clapping now, I joined in by reflex, well I guess its only polite.

“Thank you Maria, you can catch Maria tomorrow night at Neuweid Rathaus. Now, some of you may remember our next guest from last year when she returned from the cycling championships in Denmark with two medals, one bronze, the other gold. Since then she has retained her National Jungere League title, impressed in races across Europe and just a few weeks ago took both the time trial and road race titles at the national championships in Bavaria.
That would be enough for most senior sports people, let alone a college student but last weekend, in Ontario, Kanada she not only contested both races for the National team but took first place in both disciplines.”

As she finished the monitor in front of me went from a head and shoulders of Gertie to what I'm guessing is the official UCI tape of the Canadian events. I couldn't see it that well but I was fascinated as i've not actually seen it before. Well TT's are not exactly great spectator sport, that bit was pretty much the start, the mid distance time check and my approach to the finish before cutting to the presentation, tops thirty seconds.
It segued straight into the road race, a bit more action this time, Tal and Izzy escaping, they even caught my puncture fest before taking in a very much edited last five kilometres. Then it showed my final move, the sprint for the line, in real time and this time a longer segment of the presentation. Well of course they had to show me blubbing as the flags were raised, talk about embarrasing.
 
I was almost caught out as the shot changed to a wide of the two of us in the studio.

“And here she is, our very own Weltmeisterin, Gaby Bond!” there was a bit of in studio clapping before Gertie continued, “So Gaby, you were a bit emotional at the end there.”
“Just a little, it was a hard race, we had a team tactic we only just pulled off and then at the finish, well I wasn't sure whether i'd won or not.”
“It certainly looked close,” Gertie opined.
“Half a wheel,” I advised.
“So little after how far?”
“Eighty five kilometres.”
“Is that usual, to be so close after that distance?”
“At this level it happens quite a lot, you have to be a Jack of all trades.”
“Isn't it dangerous, I understand there was a bad crash at the end of the boys race?”
“Yes, a few broken bones and some lost skin, nothing too serious.”
“So you have had crashes?”
“A few,” I admitted, “It does happen but not so often, its part of the game and if you have good skills it happens less.”
“But you have a good teacher,” Gertie suggested then to the camera went on, “For those who aren't cycle race fans, Gaby comes from a line of cycling royalty, her mother is Apollinaris professional and double Weltmeisterin Jenny Bond.”

I once again became the object of Gertie's attention, “So Gaby, did mama give you any tips before you went to Kanada?”

What do you say?

“Don't wear mascara, the Panda look is never good in photographs!” I told her with a grin.
“The voice of experience no doubt,” Gertie smiled back, “So are these your medals?”

Well they aren't chocolate tree decorations, duh!

“Yup,” I allowed, “The time trial,” I waggled one gong before doing the same with the other, “And the road race.”
“They look quite heavy?”
“They are,” I agreed, “Here.”

Standing up, I lifted the ribbons over my head then placed them over a surprised Gertie's head, before retaking my seat.

“They really are quite heavy,” our host stated as she hefted a gong, “Quite a burden for our new Weltmeisterin, as you may have seen, she isn't a big girl.”

If she says the C word I'm walking!

“Its a burden I'm happy to have,” I stated in an attempt to cut her off at the pass.
 
“So where do you go from here Gaby, you've conquered the world, what next?”

What indeed?

“Well I qualify for the under eighteens for two more years so I'll be trying to retain my titles.”
“And after that?”
“Well obviously i'd like to go to the Beijing Olympics in 2008 although I need to pass my college course first.”
“You are studying towards a business degree?”
“Well thats the idea, I guess it will depend on how the cycling goes, for now I think I want to just enjoy wearing the Rainbow stripes.”
“For those who don't know, in cycling the Weltmeisterin, or Weltmeister wears a special jersey, with rainbow bands, so if you are out and about in the Eiffel look out for Gaby in her distinctive strip. Well thank you for coming to see us this evening, and for making me, just for a short time, a Weltmeister too, thank you Gaby and good luck for the future.”
“Thank you.”
“Well from the cut and thrust of the cycle track to the slightly slower pastime of stargazing, lets go over to Martin at the Space Museum, Martin.”

The monitor changed to a view of Gertie's sidekick, Martin Schneider stood outside what even I recognised as the German Space Centre out near the airport.

“Thank you Gertie, quite a young lady eh, well here at the Space Centre things are little less cut and thrust.”
 
I was being 'unwired' even as Schneider spoke.

“Well that went nicely, oh you'd better have these back,” Gert told me as she slipped my medal ribbons back over her head.
“Yeah, after all the effort to get them i'd best look after them.”
“I'm sure there will be many more Gaby, how's the Kiosk going?”
“I hope so,” I shrugged standing, “Bit quiet now but we were busy all summer.”
“That's good to hear, well take care and I'm sure we'll share the lens again soon,” she suggested leaning in for a friendly hug.
“I guess its a possibility,” I allowed as we seperated, “I'd best get out of your way, Dad'll be wanted to get home for his dinner.”
 
“That wasn't so bad was it?” Dad queried as we made our way back out of the RTL building.
“Guess not,” I allowed.
“So you ready for some food?”
“We not going home?”
“I'd rather eat before midnight, your Mum has taken Manda to the velodrome.”
“Okay,” I shrugged, “If you're paying, where we going?”
“I asked one of the production bods, apparently there's a place down by the river they recommend.”
“Fair enough, lead on MacDuff.”
 
The RTL studios are just around the corner from the Telekom Tower out at Bad Godesberg, its not far down to the river, we'd ended up parking down the hill anyway so the few metres further to the restaurant, the Goldene Anker were not even out of our way. Despite the name it turned out to be a Chinese, a fairly busy one at that but we only waited a couple of minutes before being seated.

I know Dad enjoys a Chinese occasionally, me, I can take it or leave it, it can be a bit bitty and messy.

After placing our drinks order, Dad had a quick look at the menu, “Fancy sharing a set meal?”
Well given I usually end up with Sweet and Sour, “Yeah okay.”
The drinks arrived, “You ready to order please?”
“Yes, can we get the set meal B but just for two?”
“B is for three, A for two.”
“I know,” Dad patiently replied but we'd like the stuff in B.”
“B for three, price for three,” our waiter repeated.

I just rolled my eyes.

“Tell you what,” Dad went on, “Just do us B as it comes.”
“But you are only two.”
“I know but we're hungry.”

The waiter departed shaking his head, goodness knows what will turn up.
 
“Lets have a look at these gongs then, you waved them about yesterday but then they were spirited away.”
“Er sure,” I allowed digging into my Handtasche to retrieve them, “Wish you'd been there, in Canada.”
“You seemed to do okay without me,” he pointed out as he took the precious metal from me.
“Yeah, but it wasn't the same.”
“Frank and whatshername, they looked after you no?”
“Annika,” I filled in, “Yeah, I guess.”
“So what difference would my being there have made?”
“Dunno,” I admitted.
“Look kiddo, sooner or later there will come a point where I won't be able to be at all your races, another year or so and you'll be moving up to the senior ranks, whether that's with Apollinaris or someone else, I won't be there. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy what I do, looking after you and the others is mostly a pleasure but life goes on, circumstances change, we might wish for the status quo,”
“Or T Rex,” I interrupted.
“Indeed, where was I, oh yeah, if I can be at your races I always will but as your father, you'll have different managers, coaches and so on, like you had at BC, you don't need me to succeed kiddo.”
“I know, but still...”

Our waiter chose that moment to arrive with our soup, yep three bowls of Won Ton, he looked confused after placing a bowl in front of each of us.

“Here,” Dad suggested taking the remaining bowl from the tray.
“Ah, hungry,” our server beamed in some sort of understanding before more happily retreating.
“Eat up, we'll split this when we've got some space,” Dad suggested.
“At least the rest of it is easier,” I noted.
 
Maddy Bell © 25.11.2018