Tao Geoghegan Hart
cornerblock
Posts: 3,228
The young east Londoner sounds like a great prospect and a top lad, certainly not lacking in confidence. Like taking the Belgian squad out for a ride during the Olympics last year.
Tell us how riding with those guys came about?
I was on the way back from a race in Belgium. Jon Cannings [amateur racer and renowned Belgophile] knows Boonen a little bit and put out on Twitter that the Belgian national squad wanted to go for a ride from the Olympic Village. There were loads of people on Twitter up and down the country saying, “Yeah I'll take ‘em out”. I was like, “That's mine, I'm having that, they’re my local roads.”
So I got this text from Boonen saying: “We’re by the station.” I was riding round looking for them and suddenly there’s these six Belgian lads in full Olympic kit; bright orange bikes, deep section tubs, just stood outside Stratford station.
Just so we're clear: the Belgian national team?
Yes, and they loved it. In Belgium they can hardly walk down the street without getting mobbed – Boonen's like David Beckham over there. We did a little chilled loop, no team car, no cameras and then we went for coffee. It was a beautiful sunny day and there no one was hassling them. They didn't have any money and I had to buy the coffees. It was hard explaining it to some of my mates afterwards. Like, when have you ever had a kickabout with Robin Van Persie in your local park?
Tell us how riding with those guys came about?
I was on the way back from a race in Belgium. Jon Cannings [amateur racer and renowned Belgophile] knows Boonen a little bit and put out on Twitter that the Belgian national squad wanted to go for a ride from the Olympic Village. There were loads of people on Twitter up and down the country saying, “Yeah I'll take ‘em out”. I was like, “That's mine, I'm having that, they’re my local roads.”
So I got this text from Boonen saying: “We’re by the station.” I was riding round looking for them and suddenly there’s these six Belgian lads in full Olympic kit; bright orange bikes, deep section tubs, just stood outside Stratford station.
Just so we're clear: the Belgian national team?
Yes, and they loved it. In Belgium they can hardly walk down the street without getting mobbed – Boonen's like David Beckham over there. We did a little chilled loop, no team car, no cameras and then we went for coffee. It was a beautiful sunny day and there no one was hassling them. They didn't have any money and I had to buy the coffees. It was hard explaining it to some of my mates afterwards. Like, when have you ever had a kickabout with Robin Van Persie in your local park?
0
Comments
-
Toks"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0
-
TiksThe dissenter is every human being at those moments of his life when he resigns
momentarily from the herd and thinks for himself.0 -
Eh? You sound like a couple of c*ck......I mean clocks.0
-
Thread resurrection .....
3rd today in the Liège - Bastogne - Liège espoirs race. Hopefully a good sign for the year ahead. Anyone know if he's riding Tour of California again?0 -
Wow, good result.Contador is the Greatest0
-
He was third last year too.
A big win is just around the corner, I think.0 -
I saw that today -it said u 27's - cant be right..
French guy who won is 21 and Tao is 20 ?0 -
SpecialGuestStar wrote:I saw that today -it said u 27's - cant be right..
French guy who won is 21 and Tao is 20 ?
Exactly what I was thinking.
Edit: just double checked on cqranking and they've listed it as u23 which sounds a bit more like it.Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy0 -
My Man!
Hackney represent!Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
Big fan of this kid. Can't wait to see what comes of him. He looked good in that TOB stage last year until he completely effed up the last corner.0
-
One of his competitors in Liege got lost, and didn't finish until 9pm!
http://www.directvelo.com/actualite/41648-liege-espoirs-il-se-perd-et-termine-la-course-a-21h.html#.VTSnAvk7v0s0 -
fellow Hackney CCH rider Alex Peters of seg racing came second in the tour of normandy,"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0
-
sjmclean wrote:Big fan of this kid. Can't wait to see what comes of him. He looked good in that TOB stage last year until he completely effed up the last corner.
I believe the patch on the road didn't help. I was horrified when that happened.
It looked bad.
I met him as we came home from Crystal Palace when he was 15. He was dead sound, but
we never got beyond cycling, who ever does?0
