cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Anonymous User
Not applicable

One of these men is Britain's greatest cyclist and the other is Sir Chris Hoy.

It was the stuff of which legends are made… 

NOW TV’s very own Mark Tinklin darted down the banking and onto the back straight, came off the back wheel of Sir Chris Hoy and flew past Britain’s greatest ever Olympian. The Knight of the Realm may have been turning off the wooden boards of the Manchester velodrome and into the tranquil sanctuary of the track centre at the time, but Mark will be claiming it as a valid overtaking manoeuvre to anybody who will care to listen.

Let’s go back to the beginning of this story that will surely go down in the annals of NOW TV sporting history.

Earlier in the week a few lucky prize winners travelled to the National Cycling Centre to meet bona fide sporting legend Sir Chris Hoy and a select band from NOW TV, of which Mark was one, tagged along for the ride. The team weren’t just going to get to ask the six-time Olympic gold medallist some questions, oh no, he’d also be sharing his racing tips as he joined them on track for a once in a lifetime master class.

After consuming a few mini pies – the perfect pre-race snack, courtesy of the good people at Sky Cycling, the NOW TV cyclists donned their padded shorts, collected their fixed gear steeds and clipped into the pedals, ready to brave the very steep and slightly intimidating banked corners of the 250m circuit.

It didn’t start too well for Mark, who was left puffing and panting having jumped on to the bike without warming up – not a good sign. This first impression was compounded by our man nearly crashing into Sir Chris while trying to grab a barrier to stop (track bikes don’t have brakes). Luckily, danger was averted and after a quick refuel all the guys were back on track, only this time they were joined by the winner of six Olympic golds and 11 world titles.

Hoy guided the team around the track, gaining height up the banking on each lap, before releasing us for an ‘effort’, which in other words meant we had to ride for the line as fast we could. Mark said of the experience, “It was amazing to think I was in the slipstream of one of the greatest cyclists of all time and was chuffed to hear him say that I looked comfortable on the bike.” Little did Hoy know what he had let himself in for.

Once the NOW TV had got their breath back they had to chance to have a quick chat with the national hero, who won gold in the team sprint and the Keirin at London 2012 before retiring in April last year. The team threw got to hang out with the ‘Big Man’ and while the time away chatting, the future of GB cycling and his ambition to drive in the Le Mans 24 Hour race.

It goes without saying, but Hoy will probably not be so keen to talk about the day he got blind-sided by NOW TV’s Sports Planning Editor.