| You might like a few more translations, courtesy of Tom Vernon, author
of "Fat man on a bicycle". I'm working from memory so cannot guarantee
the accuracy of the translations ;>)
Mon phare ne brille plus - avez-vous une pile?
My lighthouse has gone out - are you saddle-sore?
Voici donc ces raccords de graissage!
There is an interesting young lady!
Tiens! Ta potence est plus grande que la mienne!
Crikey! Yours is much bigger than mine!
Le ressort du cliquet est tout rouill� - donnez-moi un tournevis!
The seaside town of Le Cliquet is full of drop-outs - send for
the vigilantes!
re .1 Thankyou
PS JW IS a Technical Writer
re .2 No, it's the 30th - I'll keep you posted. If I say nothing,
you'll KNOW I won the fuschia-coloured tights. As for the bicycle clip,
I can only offer "pinces de v�lo" or "pinces de culotte" depending on
which bit you are keeping out of where.
re .2 & .3 Champagne + beaten egg was a well-known fastman's fuel in the
20's and 30's. Even when I started racing in the UK, there were those
who swore by beaten egg in sherry (Just imagine that by the side of a
road in the UK at 5 a.m. before starting the Wobbly Wheelers "25").
|
| Date: 23-Jan-1991 01:01pm CET
From: Robin HEMMINGS @VBO
Subject: Bernard Hinault
John
The note's not really about BH - I just like to get you going...
I take it that either my last missive has upset you too much or you have
thought of another excuse for not going out training. There is no truth in the
rumour that I have to do 200 km before next Wednesday to avoid looking like a
fat slob in front of the Great Man.
regards, Robin
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 23-Jan-1991 02:47pm CET
From: WILSON
Subject: RE: Bernard Hinault
Hello Robin
I really haven't time to go to the track, and anyway I must go to the bike shop
and begin my hint-dropping. I wonder if Danielle will get an invitation? She
wrote a cheque just before Christmas. What is the criterion? Is there a
minimum amount? Maybe I am too good a customer - I pay in cash. However I cling
fondly to the notion that W is near the end of the alphabet so my invitation
was sent out late. Or maybe the Antibes post caused the delay (that is a
serious possibility).
Don't mention Paul Kimmage.
I must give you my book for signing.
Regards
John
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 23-Jan-1991 02:53pm CET
From: Robin HEMMINGS @VBO
Subject: RE: Bernard Hinault
John
As a well-known friend of BH, I shall be only too pleased to sign your book.
Would you like me to get Bernard to put his signature before or after mine? I
must admit to using either Carte Bleu or Societe Generale cheques chez Fusberti
- perhaps this is just another of those advantages that (the attractive) Helene
Charrel has been on about. Would you like her autograph as well?
Pity about the track, I was relying on you to bring the compteur to find how
far we go, but be warned and primed with excuses because I suspect Rob will be
wanting to go on Friday after his trip this week.
regards, Robin
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
| I hesitate to inflict any more of this on the cycling community but ...
Rod - a bicycle clip is une pince a velo. However I am not supposed to
know this, as Robin must translate it in the bike shop on Wednesday.
Yes, the pilgrimage to see the Great Man is on Wednesday 30 January, so
Robin still has six days to torment me. Lest I appear vindictive about
this, the public should know that I was provoked. Robin sent me a copy
if his invitation with a rude and hurtful message written on it. I
will fill in my name and use this to effect entry to the shop on the
day, of course.
To make things worse, he has called me a technical writer, when
everyone knows that I am a sanitary documentation operative. Quel
insult! He'll be calling me a contractor next.
Anyway it's not as if I care really I mean he's only a cyclist I mean
he's only one of the Blessed Trinity of Anquetil, Merckx and Hinault
I mean WHERE IS MY INVITATION?
Still green
John
|
| Subject: I: Not only but also...
John
You should have come, I believe the invitations were incidental.
Yes, the Great Man was there, late of course in the true French tradition. It
was scheduled for 1400 - 1800, so we decided to get Angela's new glasses first
and arrive around 1600. It was held in the "shop" next door, which was laid
out with posters, LOOK equipment everywhere, plus Jos� Alvarez bikes.
Continuous videos of Tours de France, old and new.
Started with a fashion show of '91 LOOK kit, modelled by Alexandra (Coletta)
and a another local called Patrick - most of his mates were there having a good
laugh at his expense but he took it all in good part and deserves
congratulations. After all, the kit looks pretty leery on the velo, but showing
it off on the stage is something else!!
The Great Man arrived, looking pretty sharp and fit, sat on the stage while his
side-kick recited his palmares and then entered into a sales pitch + Q&A
session about the latest frames, pedals etc which went on for quite some time.
I must say he handled it all very well, was convincing and all the locals
really gave him quite a hard time.
They also gave Daniel Fusberti a good share of the action, reciting his racing
wins as well, and congratulating him on having such a fine shop, co-sponsoring
the CC Antibes, and also being a major seller of LOOK.
Drinks and biscuits came and went, during which time, several old bikies were
introduced including the great Emile Id�e, now aged 70 and looking 55 - I
wouldn't expect you to know the "Roi du Chartreuse" who was a mega-champion in
the 40's, predecessor to Maitre Jaques in the GP des Nations. Also Laurent
Biondi, the track champion, who is going to ride for Tonton Tapis this year - a
very small and insignificant bikie, especially when compared with another
neo-pro from Holland about to start with Buckler - he was about 10' high and
built like the proverbial you-know-what.
More questions and answers, BH still doesn't think a great deal of GL I think,
he was very difficult to draw on the subject, saying �well, the TdF is the
greatest race in the World and GL has won it, .....� He was very diplomatic
when asked to make comparisons with old champions and those riding today,
saying that �...conditions and sponsors are different....the pressures are
different....� BUT, he did say that he thought that Merckx was THE GREATEST!!
They then broke open the Champagne, Angela had a glass poured by THE MAN, she
also got an autograph..... By now we were thinking it was time to go, seeing
it was 7 p.m. so we went to the door to shake hands and thank Daniel, - he was
looking up and down the road and said we should hang on a minute because Biondi
had gone off to find some-one else. 5 mins later and a swifty car drew up and
out got Stephen ROCHE!!
He is apparently down at Villeneuve-Loubet doing a few miles (if I had been
quick enough I could have invited him down the track tonight!) in prepartion
for the Etoile de Besseges and the other early season Riviera races. So it was
up on the stage and more questions and answers..... Yer man is very quiet,
although it could be that he had been dragged out of his pit after a hard days
training, but he has a lot of charm and personality. You can see how people
like him and BH get on.
Angela went and got his autograph as well, telling him that we knew one of his
countrymen who would be pig-sick he missed him. He grinned....
We finally crept off just before 8 p.m........
regards, Robin
PS There is a sale in the same premises, non-stop 0900-1900 Thursday - Sunday,
should be worth a lunchtime visit - how about Friday?????
|