Gaby Book 28  Balancing Trick by Maddy Bell Copyright© 2023 Madeline Bell

 
Daz was already fully track suited when Josh and I got back to the Hymer just moments before the Audi and the rest of our contingent.

"So how’d it go?” I asked as I searched for some form of lower body covering in my kit bag.
"It went,” he grinned back by which I inferred that he’d taken the win.
"Excellent,” Josh offered.
"Bit less chat in there,” Dad called from outside, "We need to get to the presentation.”
"Yes Dad,” I replied as I pulled a slightly worse for wear pair of cycling tights on.

We left Mand in the camper, she really wasn’t up to even the short walk over to the race HQ for the presentation although the cramping seemed to have abated. I know that I’ve done multi day races before but this weekend has been particularly hard and the assembled riders in the HQ were all showing that weariness. Its not been the terrain, that's for sure but the timetable, particularly today, has been quite brutal.

"Wish they’d get on with it,” Daz moaned.
"Its only just half past man,” Josh advised.

The PA system screeched and the assembled masses quieted as the guy on the microphone prepared to start his spiel.

"Guten abend, sorry we’re a little late but our judges are still working out the overall classifications.” He paused and shuffled his notes, "So firstly, thank you all for taking part in this year’s Drei Tag der Wümme and thanks also to all the helpers, marshalls and officials who have made the weekend such a success in some, at times, very difficult conditions. Special thanks also to the officers of Lilienthal Polizei and of course the volunteers of the THW Wümme District without whom today's racing may have been somewhat curtailed.”

He paused whilst the gathered horde respectfully applauded.

"So, whilst we await the final classification, let us award the prizes for the individual races starting with the criterium yesterday afternoon. It was certainly a high octane race and fought hard right to the line.”

Tell me about it!

"In third place and best girl, Germany’s own Weltmeisterin, Gaby Bondt of Apollinaris Racing Team!”

My cheer team, erm, cheered and shouted, there was a bit of clapping from the rest of the crowd as I made my way forward, well its not every day they get to see a living legend is it? I took the envelopes from the woman wearing some sort of official looking chain, forcing a smile as I waited for the other places.

Look, don’t ask me to remember names, Gregor something and Armin Schwartz I think, both of them strapping examples of German youth and towering over me by what felt like half a metre! It still smarts that they got past me but I guess Dad was right, they should be the ones concerned that they only just snook past me. We did the usual mugging for the cameras before returning to the floor.

"And so we come to stage two, this mornings very wet time trial. It was certainly a race of two halves, the earlier starters having less wet on the road to contend with, the later riders less rain but the flooding at Wummensiede. You were all there, you don’t need me to remind you so without further ado, in third place, with a time of forty six minutes forty two, riding for Apollinaris Racing Team, Dawen Fox!”

Ha, its not just my name they can mangle. We cheered him up to the stage of course.

"In second place with forty six minutes thirty nine seconds, riding for SV Wilhelmshaven, Andrej Sande!”

That was fairly close, the lad that stepped up was fairly well built and close to Daz’s height, I can’t say I remember seeing him in the race this afternoon but with helmets and glasses its difficult to identify people sometimes.

"And in third place, showing all of us what earnt her the rainbow jersey in the discipline, with a time of forty five fifty eight, riding for Apollinaris Racing, Gaby Bondt!”

The cheers were more effusive this time, my smile actually genuine as I received my spoils.
 

"And so to stage three this afternoon, another action packed race with another very worthy winner.”

I really wasn’t paying attention this time as the lower steps were filled, I wasn’t featured but knew someone who was.
"In first place after riding a very intelligent race, for Apollinaris Racing Team, Dawen Fox!”

He really was made up this time, we cheered loudly and he looked near to tears as he was congratulated by the Mayor or whatever she is. I’m not sure of his palmares, I’m sure he’s won before but its certainly his first win in an Apollinaris jersey. I did get called up too, well I claimed first girl, someone has to, right?
 

"Well that’s the individual stages but of course this weekend you’ve all been competing for the big prize, the overall classification. Different races use different classifications but here in Bremen we favour the system used in all the big multi stage races, accumulated time as we think that’s the fairest and encourages more positive racing. It does make our judges work a bit harder of course but I think,” our compere looked off to the side before continuing, "Yes, the judges have now finished that task so we have a final result.”

A slip of paper was passed to him which he read before continuing.

"The full result, indeed all the results from this weekend will be posted at the rear of the venue in the next few minutes so if you want to see how you all stacked up you can. So we have a winner and podium for you, in third place after a solid weekend’s riding, riding for Apollinaris Racing Team, Dawen Fox!”

I was pretty sure of my result but I hadn’t really thought about the others, Daz was closest in the TT but he was well back yesterday, wasn’t he?

"And in second place by the smallest of margins, riding for Lübecker Endspurt, Johannes Twerenbold!”

Once again there was a big cheer with the applause as I recognised one of the other lads from Saturdays great escape, a lad who’d spent today close to the head of things.

"And so to our winner of the two thousand and seven Drei Tag der Wümme. She has been consistent in every stage, third, first and fourth on the stages, and has shown us all that she is a great talent and worthy champion. So please, our winner, riding for Apollinaris Racing Team, the current junior German and Welt meisterin, Gaby Bond!”

He got it right this time, miracles do happen. I returned to the stage to get my trophy, an obnoxious bit of silverware whose size seemed a bit ott for what is, at the end of the day, an event of minor import in the real scale of things. Okay, I’ll admit that it still feels good to get the accolades, its different to being in a concert hall with BlauHase, I actually feel that I’ve done something to earn the cheering and applause today.
 

It was well after five when we got back to the camper to find a freshly laundered de Vreen asleep on one of the couches.

"Well done everyone, I know this weekend’s been a bit of a strange one but you all rode well and consistently,” Dad told us as we finally got a cup of coffee.
"You think Manda’s okay like?” Josh asked.
"I think so, its been a fairly intense couple of weeks which I think has caught up with all of you to varying extents.”
"You’ve had a lot of racing, back when ah were a lad, juniors were mostly restricted to forty milers,” Joe told us, "What’s that Dave, sixty kilometres?”
"Around that,” Dad concurred.
"Aye, well yous are doin’ like a hundred, hundred twenty kilometres most of the time, ah know you train for it but it stacks up like. They used to like doing split stages on the Milk and some of the other big stage races, proper killers even for grown men like.”
"So are we gonna eat anytime soon?” I enquired, "My stomach thinks my throats been cut.”

A rumble from someone else’s belly emphasised the requirement to feed.

Dad looked at his watch, "I was gonna suggest stopping on the way home, Joe?”
"I’m fine either way, the three of us can get something at ma bruthers if need be like.”
"Da-ad,” I whined.
"Ga-aby,” he retorted, "Okay, okay, you all right taking the shelter down, the lads know where it goes, I’ll see if someone can point us to somewhere.”
"Cool!”
"You young lady can make yourself a bit more presentable.”
"We’re a bit mucky too like,” Josh noted.
Dad sighed, "Okay, fifteen minutes to shower but we need to get a move on, some of us have got a long drive ahead.”
"More reason to eat first,” I pointed out.
 

Our little convoy departed the campus about twenty minutes later, one of the locals having pointed us to a traditional style restaurant all of five minutes away. Zum Platzhirsch was literally just off the road that we used to get to the campsite last night, dang, they even had crazy golf next door! It was fairly early still really and they were easily able to find the six of us a table which, if you were looking outside, gave a bit of a view of the canal thingy across the lane.

"So come on Daz, what happened?” Manda prompted once we’d ordered.
"Yeah man, we know you won but ya can’t leave us hangin’ like,” Josh added.
"Well, I dunno if I should,” Fox teased.
"I’d quite like to know too,” Dad opined.
"Okay, I was gonna tell you anyway,” the hero of the afternoon advised. "Well after Gab took off I was a bit p’ed, after all the talk of me getting a shot and then you go on the offensive.”
"It was meant to help you out,” I offered in my defence.
"Well it didn’t seem like that, it looked like a pretty keen move and you have gone on long un’s a couple of times recently.”
"Josh knew.”
"But I didn’t so like I said, I was calling you some rather unpleasant things. It was only when we caught you back that I realised it might’ve been a ploy. Anyway, I did what you said and the others that were with me seemed quite keen to give it a go. I must admit that I was surprised when the service came up so quickly.”
"Oor impression of an anchor worked quite well like,” Josh put in.
"Well anyway, we were working quite well, I’d say we were doing equal turns which might get us to the finish but I’m not exactly known for my sprinting.”
"Join tha club man,” Josh mumbled.
"So anyway we kept going, turn and turn about but to be honest I was thinking they’d both best me in a sprint. We were nearly back to the bridge when I came up with the idea, go for broke a couple or so kilometres out, if it worked great, if not, well I’d still get third unless you lot caught up and given we still had the service I gambled on that not happening.”
"Another ten K,” I suggested.

Daz ignored me and went on.
"I wasn’t sure where exactly, it needed to be before the long straight bit really, it was too close to the finish, which is when I thought about the narrow bit? You know with the concrete?”
"Snap!”
"Eh?”
"Tell you after, go on,” I encouraged.
"So anyway, I feigned being more tired, missed a couple of turns, that sort of thing then when we got to the narrow bit I banged it in top and just kept going. Luckily I must’ve surprised them both, neither could hold my wheel and I had about fifty metres when I got back on the tarmac.”
"Weren’t you worried they’d come back?” Mand asked.
"Course, but I had to try. I just put my head down and kept going, I’m sure if they’d kept working together they’d have reeled me in but maybe they panicked, I dunno. The rest is history.”
"Twenty seconds wasn’t too shabby,” Joe noted.
"It didn’t feel that much,” Daz told us.”
"You avoided the sprint and got onto the GC podium by it,” Dad observed.

"So what did you mean when you said snap Gab?” Daz asked as we tucked into our food.
"She picked the same spot to chase after yous three,” Josh filled in.
"You were chasing us down?” Daz queried.
"Well not really,” I told my audience, "It was more protecting the GC really. I wasn’t sure how much you were in front by, you’d not been in sight for a lap but I reckoned it was like a couple of minutes at least. I didn’t want to drag the whole peloton up but I thought I should try to get a few seconds advantage if I could. Brilliant minds obviously think alike cos I picked the same place to go.”
"Aye you blew tha race apart like, everyone was pretty much on the rivet,” Josh stated.
"Some of us more than others,” Mand added.
"Well less chatter, more eating,” Dad prompted.
"Puddin?” I asked in my best innocent voice.
"Go on then,” he sighed.
"Yes!” another slice of cheesecake will beat the dust!
 

It was turned seven when we left the restaurant.
"Thanks for helping this weekend Joe,” Dad stated as we reached the transport, "Its much appreciated.”
"Ah enjoyed it Dave, it wuz good to be back in the thick o’ things again like.”
"Well thanks anyway, I’ll ring you about the other thing Tuesday.”
"Ah should be aboot a’ll day.”
"Right girls, lets get going, great ride today Darren, I’ll speak to you both during the week.”

The evening was drawing in as we headed for the autobahn, by the time we’d cleared Bremen the light was almost gone, Mand was curled up and heading for la la land and I probably wouldn’t be too far behind. Yeah its been a tough weekend physically and I have to be up at silly o’clock to go to college – well maybe. Hmm, wonder how the others got on, I know I was a bit miffed for not being picked but they are my team mates, its hardly their fault I’ve been chasing around Niedersachsen rather than Brandenburg,

"You okay kiddo?” Dad enquired as I stifled a yawn.
"Yeah, might join Mand in the back, get some zees.”
"I’ll be stopping at Münsterland again, you want waking?”
"Best had or I won’t sleep when we get back.”
"Put the radio on before you go back, something gentle.”
"I could put BlauHase Live on?”
"I said gentle not mental.”
"Huh! A girl could go off someone.”
"Remission at last!”

Just then a phone buzzed, Dads in fact.

"Get that kiddo, it might be your mother.”

I picked Dads brick of a phone off the dash tray and pressed receive.

"Bond.”
"Jenny?”
"No Gramps, its Gaby, we’re just driving back from Bremen.”
"Did I ring the wrong number?”
"No, its Dad’s phone, but you know, driving.”
"Sure, so how did you get on?”
"I won the TT and the overall.”
"Well done, a chip off your mother if ever there was.”
"So you want Daddy?”
"Not while he’s driving just ask him to give me a call when you get in.”
"Will do, give my love to Nanna.”
"I will, bye love.”
"Bye Gramps.”

I ended the call and dropped the Handy back on the dash.

"Grampa Bond I take it?” Dad suggested.
"Yeah,” I agreed, "Can you ring him when we get back.”
"Did he say what about?”
"No, sounded a bit vague to be honest.”
"Maybe I’ll ring when we stop, you bedding down for a bit?”
"Yeah,"I agreed, unable to stifle the next yawn.
 

When I woke up we weren’t moving, I could hear Dad talking, not from the cab but from outside, I guess he didn’t want to disturb me and Mand’s slumber. Whilst I could hear his voice, I couldn’t hear what was being said, not that it sounded like much was being said. It went quiet and it was fully five minutes before the door opened and Dad came back inside.

"You rung Gramps?”
"I did,” Dad was looking nearly as pale as Mand had earlier.
"What did he want?”
"Its your Nanna.”

My veins turned to ice.

"She okay?”
"She’s not kiddo, she’s very much not okay.”
"She back in hospital? She’ll be alright won’t she?”
"I’m afraid she won’t kiddo, she died this afternoon.”
"But she can’t have. Why didn’t Gramps say earlier?”
"He thought it’d be best coming from me or your Mum.”
"But, but,” I started to tear up, how could Nanna be dead?

I’ll admit that my relationship with Dad’s mum, Nanna Bond has had its ups and downs and I know she’s been quite ill this last year but dead? I’ve never really told her how much I love her and now I’ll never get the chance.

Dad eased me away from the hug we were sharing, "Come on, lets go get some coffee, I certainly need one.”

I managed a snuffly nod by way of reply.
 
Maddy Bell © 15.06.2023