Bike Guy’s Notebook from Ride Across USA & Canada

Day #42

August 11, 1972

Sleep on picnic bench in Trois Rivers which is the half way point of a race I am going to ride in one day, 172 miles from Quebec City to Montreal

Up at 6am on the road at 7:15am legs are better, tailwind into Quebec City, stop by newspaper, Le Soleil all French speaking, pissed I’ve forgotten mine. I have ridden for so long that now people are speaking another language. Neat town and women, meet 2 riders from Oak Park, MI go to where they are staying drink beer go to town meet girls get loaded and have a long walk back to their apartment.

Flash Forward One Year

Training Diary, August 11, 1973

Howard wakes me up at 9am says I must see this? “Bike Guy get up its worth seeing?”

I stumble to the hallway window & there in the parking lot is the Raleigh Team Car with a rack full of spare wheels and bike on the roof!

A good sight to bolster any team. Albert Hitchens is the driver & our manager. He is 35 and a former pro rider who was one of England’s best. He has ridden the Tour of Ireland plus many classics including a 260 miler in 12 hours & won it. Cool & confident we will be in good hands. We ride for 1 hour Howard gets his new Professional Red Raleigh bike & screws around with setting it up and measuring it for a few hours. Stan is riding OK.

We meet Phil Liggett, Race Commissar & promoter of the Milk Race. Very interesting, & Interested in US racing. A short interview with Howie and Allis and Swaim ends with a question to me.” What is your claim to fame Bill?’ I laugh say “nothing”. We have dinner with him & he talks about the Tour de France & Den Hertog the famous Dutch rider in the Milk Race.

Go sign in for the first stage of Tour of Ireland in Downtown Dublin. Buy a 13-18 cluster for $5.50pounds back to hotel. No feeding in first stage, I have been pissing every 2 or 3 hours for 2 days now and it will really screw me up. Throat better still on antibiotics but don’t feel I am fit. Hope to get stronger during this Tour.