Dave Lloyd Complete Coaching

My Rock For 35 Years

08-10-2007

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• CHRIS, MY ROCK..

What can I say about Chris, my wife, partner and best friend for the last 35 years? One thing is for sure.. I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for her!

I am so lucky to have her, that's for sure, as she has been my support, inspiration and sounding board for all that time. Cycling is a very selfish sport, especially at the highest level, and as I was a Pro bike rider when we met, I guess Chris always knew what she was in for! She has never given me ONE WORD of negativity in all that time and has always been positive and behind me all the way. You just can't do it without that type of support and I am so thankful to her for being who she is !!

We met in 1973, at a cycling club dinner of all things. Her dad was a mad keen amateur bike rider and Chris was from a ballet dancing background. So she knew what bike riding was, and she certainly knew what training was all about. She had obtained a scholarship to attend the Royal Ballet School at White Lodge in Richmond Park and boarded there from the age of 11 to 16. So hard training and discipline was no stranger to Chris.

What I love about Chris, among many things, is her pure , down to earth, common sense! I could give so many anecdotes about our times together , I could write a book, but I'll just give you a few instances.

When we first met I was a first year Pro, trying my best to make a living in this country. I was getting so many second and third places it was boring, but that elusive win was taking a long time. Chris came to all the races with me and she noticed something about my sprint... She said " You are only sprinting to the line and sitting up too soon and they are coming past you. You should sprint past the line and keep going and they won't see you!" Wise words.. I tried this the very next race and won the thing !!

Chris also had to put up with so much. When I was a second year pro we based ourselves in Holland and we had only just set up house for about three weeks when I had to go to ride the Paris Nice and Milan San Remo. I was away for 3 weeks, leaving Chris in a strange house and with no friends around her,and not able to speak Dutch. Well, I got a fantastic reception when I eventually got home! She was so pleased to see me. This is what people don't see about life as a Pro bike rider's partner. All the sacrifices and the long spells away from home. When Chris gave birth to our lovely daughter, Holly, she had to bring her up single handedly, as I was always away racing. But, what a job she made of that, as Holly has turned out to be the same as Chris. A really lovely person, with great interpersonal skills and oodles of common sense. Having said that, neither of them suffer fools gladly !!

There are just too many examples of the sacrifices and hardship Chris went through when I was a Pro, but when Peter Post (our Director Sportive) was trying to crack me in 1975 as I was the only Brit left in the team and he wanted me home, it was Chris who pushed me on and told me not to give up on my dream to ride the Tour de France and show Post who was the boss !! So I persevered and was given my chance to ride in the Tour in 1976 and help Hennie Kuiper in the mountains. I had proved to Post that I was a great climber and he wanted me in the team.

Then tragedy struck in the winter of 1975/76 when my heart condition deteriorated and I eventually was told I couldn't ride as a Pro any more for fear of my heart fibrilating on a Tour climb and the dire consequences that would have. I so clearly remember coming home to our little house in Holland from the docs after being told this, and crying like a baby! If Chris hadn't been there to support me at this black, black time for me, I am convinced I would have topped myself. Chris kept me sane and we planned a different future for ourselves...

I could go on... and on.... but I'm sure you get the picture by now. Chris has been by my side all through the good times and the bad. BUT she never gets to stand on the top of the podium as I have so many times and taken the plaudits for winning big races. No-one sees the times when she has put me back together again when I have been in bits....

SO THIS PIECE IS FOR CHRIS... ( and we all need this sort of support at whatever level we race at, otherwise it won't work)

THANKS FOR BEING THERE FOR ME!...

NONE OF WHAT YOU SEE ON THIS WEBSITE COULD HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT HER!

I LOVE HER ...

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