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Alastair Campbell’s Diary: Stage Twenty
Wednesday July 20
St Etienne time trial 55km
When Lance Armstrong charges down the hill into St Etienne at the end of the Tour de France time trial on Saturday, he will doubtless do it faster than Geoff Thomas and I did it today. But Geoff’s achievement on completing the Tour de France route three days ahead of the professionals – a task to be completed when he arrives on the Champs Elysses tomorrow (Thursday) – is in it’s own way every bit as heroic as Armstong’s.
Armstrong is a super fit athlete at the height of his powers. Geoff is 40, his scarred knees and legs testimony to a career grafting hard as one of his generation’s top midfield footballers. And just as Armstrong overcame cancer before going on to win six, and this week probably seven Tour de France, so Geoff has had to overcome acute myeloid leukaemia.
He was diagnosed just two years ago. Yet there he was today, on the kind of hill you don’t see too often round where I live, up out of the saddle, legs going like pistons as he led me up a steady four kilometre climb. I was struggling by the time we neared the top. Geoff seemed barely out of breath, Yesterday’s hill was a mere tiddler compared with some of the giants he had conquered days earlier in the Pyrenees. One stage, completed by the pros in something over six hours, took Geoff and his support riders 15 hours, with a couple of breaks. So slower, certainly, but 15 hours in the saddle – they came very close to winning the pain league.
Geoff and Alastair
Armstrong says he became the best cyclist in the world by being able to endure more pain than anyone. But even he doesn’t do 15 hours in one go. As we cycled today, Geoff admitted he had moments of real doubt. But though he has sometimes been in agony, and other times bored, and occasionally wondering why he ever embarked on this in the first place, he said he has never once been close to stopping. ‘’Once I decided to do it, that was it. I knew I would. In a way it’s a celebration of having got through the chemo and the transplant. It’s a way of showing what you can do.’’
It’s also a way of raising funds, which is why I came out to France to offer support and launch a fresh appeal for sponsorship for his efforts. And as we sat in the hotel afterwards, he was already thinking about what he might do next to promote Leukaemia Research.
I’m not a betting man. But just as I always thought Armstrong would be back for more when everyone thought five, and then six was more than enough for anyone, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Geoff Taking on Le Tour again.
With training I might even be able to join him for a ‘proper’ stage, not the time trial of today which had me rubbing away the pain in my thighs at the end, and Geoff saying that after the rigours of the mountain stages, today was a bit of light relief!!!!
Posted on Leukaemia Research website
The way that Geoff Thomas is held in the hearts of Palace fans was shown last year with the way the match against Manchester United was supported by everyone involved and I am delighted to have been asked to be here tonight as we endeavour to raise more funds towards the Geoff Thomas Foundation.
As with games of this kind you cannot help but look back on matches involving players that have come back to give their support and I would not hesitate to say that the FA Cup 1990 semi final was the most exciting game I have been involved with as a Manager.
I will always look at this game with other factors involved that season. We had previously lost 9-0 to Liverpool at Anfield and during the the home game I admit my own mistake when I made a substitution before checking on the injury of Eddie McGoldrick which meant we had to play the last period of the 2-0 defeat with ten men. This semi-final became a huge game and the main aim was to have a really good go and come off the field knowing that we had given it our best.
The first half went much to plan because even though they scored I knew if we kept it tight we could pull it back. Then walking out from the tunnel to take my place in the dugout I saw John Pemberton making an overlapping run and I was almost shouting at him to stop but he crossed the ball and we were back on level terms. From then on the game was just a magnificent blur and remains a wonderful memory. We had a specific game plan in mind and remained very disciplined and pulled off a great result for the club.
The funny thing looking back on that 9-0 defeat was a funny story around Geoff's penalty in the game. We were well and truly beaten when Geoff had the penalty and Stan Ternent alongside me in the dugout said if he scores this me and you are going to run out on the pitch and jump and down like madmen – I reluctantly agreed after being asked a couple of times. It was set to be a scene from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid going over the waterfall in the film but Geoff put the penalty into row Z so we never got the chance to do our version of the scene at Anfield.
Geoff and Steve
During his playing days Geoff was just a natural captain, he had a real presence about him and a leader on and off the field which gave me comfort when he heard he was suffering the illness. I thought if anyone has got a chance of beating this it is him- he is a strong and determined man.
He has shown this with his magnificent fundraising efforts because rather than recovering from illness and then getting on with his life – he showed he wanted to make an impact on this illness and with the setting up of his foundation will certainly help others and spread that determination to succeed further afield.
Steve Coppell – March 2007
TRIBUTES
"I got to know Geoff when he played for Wolves along with my lad, Darren, and he’s a nice guy. I have got to say that after watching him play and noting his determination, I am not surprised he has fought leukaemia so successfully’".
Sir Alex Ferguson
"Geoff was my captain and he was a true leader. I’m so proud of him having achieved what he has achieved and he has shown all the same spirit in fighting this disease as on the pitch. There’s no one word to describe his character. It’s incredible that he’s now devoting his time to helping others but to be honest I wouldn’t expect anything different from Geoff".
Ian Wright
"Geoff, from every family in the UK that has experienced blood cancers, thank you. You’re a top guy and we all wish you the very best of luck’".
Gary Lineker
'Please send us any personal stories relative to Geoff or the Foundation to info@geoffthomasfoundation.com '
