This weekend, the new Multi-Trillion-Billion-Squillion football season kicked off here in the UK, now, I have been a HUGE (Pardon the pun) Soccer-Ball fan since I was a kit, but something’s changed…..Last week I was musing over my own personal transformation, that of someone who went from a 40 stone dead man, to someone who cycled to work daily to that of a compitant “Sprinter” to someone now , who climbs well and is much more of a “Classics” rider, but more on that next time.
For years I have been a huge football (Soccer) fan, I have gone though the ecstasy of Euro 1996 with England and “That Night In Barcelona” in 1999 with Manchester United.
But ever since then, things have never been the same , see ever since The Glazer’ started to suck cash out of Manchester Untied my love for them has dwindled as its just not “Felt the same” the passion the closeness etc just isn’t there, with the huge huge amounts of money (£80 Million for Ronaldo or £250.000k a week in wages to Rooney) and ever since Euro 96 the England nation team have been little more than a JOKE, the same HUGLY paid players, failing to get past others that are barley even pro’s , with no spirit, no togetherness, its an utter disgrace.
So, we need to look forward, I do GENUINLEY Believe, that after this SUPER SUMMER of SPORTS, that football will no longer be the number one in the UK.
The England Football Team once again failed to shine in the very biggest scale, yet Bradly Wiggins , the very biggest scale won the Tour de France becoming the first brit ever and then won an Olympic Gold Medal just a few days later.
The GB Track cycling team, both men’s and women’s are not only hovering up gold after gold (and others too) but they are collecting a whole host of WORLD RECORDS along the way too.
Rowing, is bringing us many more gold’s too.
British Olympians do it best when sitting down :0)
All I have been watching since it started was the Olympics, I have become TOTALLY hooked, despite being a little bit “Meh” at the start.
The best thing about all these sports? ANYONE can do them, to ANY level they like, whenever they like, there are no restrictions on them.
Forget your Soccer Ball, Give us cycling as the new national sport from this day forth and lets galvanise it help us end the obesity epidemic gripping the UK.
It’s time to get behind Chris Froome now too, can he get a GT win in Spain to match that of Wiggo ?
After all, my story and the pictures below, prove that ANYTHING is possible.
If you want to share in my success then pop down to your local Argos Store, Argos provide a wide range of bikes
and get yourself cycling this summer, You WONT regret it , I CAN PROMISE you that.
Before (Sort of )
and Now….
For comparison on salaries – did you see the Cycle show last night?
They were talking to Lizzie Armistead, amongst others. Obviously the conversation drifted to the team she’s currently riding for as they have lost their sponsorship for next year. She mentioned that £450K would sponsor the team for the year. Hopefully with the Olympic’s sucess they’ll be able to attract a sponsor.
Never really been a football fan myself so I’ve avoided that anguish, still plenty of mountain stages on La Vuelta to keep me entertained.
I missed that, sounds crazy
I understand a pro tour team costs £20 million a year, once riders, bikes, buses, cars
Bargain
If only……There’s a lot of discussion there. If it wasn’t for footie would there be a team SKY? I used to love playing footie and am on the waiting list for a top club, it’s how I was brought up. However, now, I despise it and everything it stands for. (Un)fortunately Sky are setting (trying to) the trend to be more footie like. More modern/brought to the next level, if you like. They can learn a lot from it just as long as the mistakes aren’t repeated and the fans are given the respect they deserve. The current sponsors, I think are trying desperately to keep their teams funded as something big might be over the horizon? Wishful thinking?
Hey Gary,
Stumbled upon your blog on google, this is something I have been searching for a long time. Would want to have a chat with you, your story and journey certainly has given me strength and confidence in my journey towards fitting into a bicycle jersey..:-) .In short, my story is similar to yours, just that I have been thinking of biking for a month now but haven’t had the courage to buy one thinking I might be too much for a bike to hold. After reading your article, “am I to heavy foyer a bike”, I certainly feel I can blindly get one asap and start cycling my way through. I have lost 16kgs so far and want to add cycling to my daily routine of 1 hr swim and 2km walk. Want to quit using my car as much as possible and I desperately need some help and suggestion from someone who can understand me and been though this road before. My email is raj_pai89@yahoo.co.in
Looking forward to have a chat with you asap.
I’m happy to give advice here on my blog to try and help you and all my readers, what type of advice are you looking for? You have taken the first step, welcome to the start of new beginnings
Please reply on my mail, I am desperate for a change and I am even more desperate to succeed.. Hope to see your mail soon..
Please see last comment
Thanks for the reply. The very first and biggest doubt I have is about the choice of bike, am new to biking. I have cycled a lot when I was a kid, but those days were a whole lot different from today. Now, when I go to a bike dealer I get bedazzled and confused bylooking at the range of bikes. I have set a budget, and I feel I should pick up a hybrid. Please suggest if you feel this is wrong. Secondly , what are the things I should check out in a bike (material, any specific minimum number of wheel spokes, frame shape, etc) when I visit the dealer concerning to the fact that I am 158kgs.
Looking forward to your reply soon. Thanks once again!
Regards
Raj