Cyclist negotiates the twists and turns of the Lac de Cap-de-long

Iam trapped in a time warp. At this time of year, it’s traditional to look back over the past 12 months and reminisce about the rides we’ve done and the tales we’ve told. Except I’m aware that most of the rides we did during 2019 have yet to appear in the pages of this magazine. They are in the past but they still haven’t happened yet. Take this month’s ride. I was fortunate enough to head out to the French Pyrenees in July to tackle a route that included the climbs of Lac de Cap-de-long, Hourquette d’ancizan and Col d’aspin (see p56). It was a glorious day, the week before the Tour de France passed through the region, and people were already securing their caravan spots on the roadside to ensure the best view of the peloton. So when I retell the story of the ride, the Tour is in the future, but the story is told in the present and, when you read it, the Tour will be several months in the past.

It’s all quite confusing. As I ride, I have no idea that Britain’s Simon Yates will lead over the Hourquette d’ancizan on his way to winning Stage 12, and Julian Alaphilippe will remain in yellow, only to lose it to Colombia’s Egan Bernal in the dying days of the race. How could I know that? And yet, in the retelling I am both blissfully unaware of the result and simultaneously fully informed about what will happen.

It’s like having a crystal ball that only works in retrospect. It means I can confidently predict that in 2020 Cyclist will take on spectacular rides in Spain, Greece, Italy, Romania, Brazil, South Africa and more. I can even tell you what the weather will be like for each ride and how many punctures each rider will get.

The future certainly looks great for the coming year, unless you’re reading this after discovering a dusty copy of Cyclist in your attic in 2047. Then things get more confusing again.