An Evening With Phil and Paul

During the Tour of California, Phil and Paul came to a fund raiser for the Hellyer Junior Program @Testarossa Winery. Fantastic time.  Here are a few notes I took.

Phil is against race radios (or at least everyone transmit on same frequency if they are used). Paul is for them (safety issues).

What brings the top teams to the TOC: standard of the organzation. They know it will be safe. A hard course. Bike riders don't race for money. They race for results or to do a performance.

 
Argy bargy- an English dispute. They have a lot of them!

When did they first meet: phil spoke at a dinner when paul was an amateur. 1977. In 1978 paul raced his first Tour de France and phil used to ask paul for 1/2 grapefruit at the beginning of each stage. No village depart in those days.

1985 last year paul raced the Tour. Rode US Pro Champs in Philly (14th). Had to sleep @ JFK over night and missed connection to france. New bike which didn't fit. Finished 2nd last in prologue. DeWolf was last and was lantern rouge (missed start by 7 min and was eliminated). Found out later that the bike paul rode was stephen roach's bike.  Every time he overtook a guy in the standings, that guy would pull out which kept dropping paul to lantern rouge.

 
Phil heard paul was quitting riding so went to the final TT and found paul and asked if he'd want to work w/phil. 37 yrs later...

Paul's imitation of bob roll_spot on.

How hard is it to call a race when you are not on site? Live commentary is the best but they are usually in the trailer. They only see the monitors. Never anything that is going on outside.

Only one time in all the years that paul remembers phil calling the stage wrong (live on versus). And that rider still gives phil crap about it.

Who is the greatest cyclist of all time? Eddie M. says phil. Paul agrees. Lance is the greatest Tour de France rider. Eddie was won everything.

What is your worst experience coveing a race? 3x cars blown up. 

Basque country 1975--explosion outside hotel @2AM. Death threats against the Basque team. Another time, Basque separatists--set fire to all French cars, including theirs. Paul's blues CD collection was burned. Another time by the IRA in Belfast.

Both are huge Apple fans and Paul has 5 cell phones (he pulled them all out of his pockets!) 

What a fun evening!