Geoff Thomas Foundation

STAGE FOUR

VILLERS COTTERETS TO JOIGNY 193 km

TODAY saw the Tour turn lumpy for the first time and, as skipper of Team
Thomas, I took an executive decision for a late start to allow everyone riders
and support team to get some much-needed sleep. And, as we sit here eating
dinner at 11pm in Auxerre at the end of a long and tiring day, I think that
decision was fully vindicated!

I had one regret about the late start. My good friend Gio, who rode with us
in London on Monday, used to live around these parts and had got a large group
of friends together for a surprise party in a beautiful town called
Theil-sur-Vanne about 20 miles from the finish.

Gio and his pals did the same thing two years ago and rode with us to the
finish line and he wanted to do the same thing again this year. Sadly, because
of my late start decision, we got there so late that many of the party go-ers
had gone home and only a couple of guys had time to ride with us to the finish
line.

That was a shame because they had made a special effort but I think everybody
benefited from starting at 11.15 this morning although we aimed to start at 10am
and the departure was delayed by the usual messing around associated with any
Team Thomas project!

As it was, everyone rode really well and, after a 'conflab' between us and
the support crew the night before, our support was fantastic.

At the moment, we have our nutritionist Tom, our masseuse Danielle, our
driver Mick and the guys from Ridley Scott Associates who are long-time cycling
pals of mine and are out here making a documentary about us.

Cat, Laina, Dave and Markus have mucked in as support crew while we're a
little short-handed and all the lads appreciate the help they've given us,
especially as it means they're effectively doing two jobs. It sounds crazy
perhaps but I sometimes think they have a harder time than we riders do. They
have to drive and concentrate on navigation all day long, stay up into the small
hours planning the next day and get up an hour or more before we do.

Navigating, especially, is very difficult in some of these French towns and,
rarely, two days after the proper Tour has been through is there evidence of
which way to go. The support guys and girls are under tremendous pressure to get
it right and 99 per cent of the time they do. Of course, the one mistake in 100
that they make, we moan like mad but I'm sure that's what they'd expect of us!

But it's not as though their responsibilities end with looking after us on
the road.

Markus, for example, had to drive our van from the start line to the finish
hotel this morning, check us into our rooms, put all our bags into our rooms, DO
OUR WASHING (!) and then sort out the evening meal when it was obvious we were
going to be back late. Oh and he was also editing hours of video footage the RSA
team have been shooting. Markus was easily today's man of the match and we
rewarded him by putting a couple of well-earned beers on his room tab when he
wasn't looking (only joking, Markus!)

But, seriously, this sort of thing couldn't be done without this sort of
volunteer help and I'm eternally grateful and flattered that people would give
up their hard-earned holiday time to come and join us.

Today seemed very quiet without Wrightie though he texted all the lads a good
luck message which was typical of him and we hope to welcome him back at least
once more before the end. He's threatening to come out to the Pyrenees which
would be interesting to say the least.

But if our spirits dipped because of the absence of Wrightie, they were
raised by superb weather, baking temperatures and a nice cooling breeze.
Unfortunately, as we headed south through Champagne country, that breeze was a
gale-force wind and blowing into our faces which made life tough and Pete
Slater, from SIS, bore the brunt of it as we sheltered behind his wheel all day.

Some of the scenery, the rolling countryside and the picture postcard towns,
was breathtaking today and, after some drab weather, this really looked like the
proper Tour de France. We also rode well, which was pleasing after completing
the longest stage of the Tour yesterday, so five days into this monumental
challenge, things are going pretty well.

The only slight problem was that we couldn't get into the town centre of
Joigny because of all the celebrations being set up for Bastille Day tomorrow.
But, having been lost a couple of times (told you the support guys didn't ALWAYS
get it right!) we stopped just inside the town boundary.

And who did we call to bring the van and collect us? Why, Markus of course!
We reckoned he hadn't done enough so we dragged him out one last time.

Now, after a small taste of hills (three cat fours today) we face some of the
real things tomorrow, across the Morvan region, with no fewer than eight
categorized climbs. It's not the Alps yet, but they're on the horizon.

And now, if you'll excuse me, I have to make another executive decision about
our departure time tomorrow!