BOYCE PENS TRIBUTE TO CYCLING HERO GERAINT
ONE is Wales’ greatest living singer-songwriter and the other its newly crowned sporting king. So it seems only natural that Max Boyce – after a long career penning well-loved tunes about this countrys’ hard-fought achievements on the rugby pitch, such as Hymns and Arias – should turn his attention to this year’s Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas.
Thrilled by the double Olympian from Cardiff becoming the first Welshman – and only the third ever Briton - to conquer the punishing Gallic cycling competition, the 74-year-old icon from Glynneath put pen to paper and wrote The Boy Who Climbed a Mountain in praise of the yellow-jerseyed hero. And here it is... There’s a pillar box in Cardiff, where the mayor has arranged
To buy some tins of yellow paint, and have the colour changed
And down in Cardiff city heard the he council say
We’ll change the name of the Severn ern Bridge, to the Geraint Thomas Way
Now Whitchurch High are justly tly proud, and they love e to tell the tale
How he carved his name in n the wood of a desk, like ke Warburton and Bale
And where his yellow jersey hangs, beside the wooden n beams
This boy w h o climbed da a mou n - hall, I I’ve ve tain, and dared to chase his dreams But there were some who doubted, ‘he doesn’t stand a chance’ There’s never been a Welshman, who has won the Tour de France But he’s more then just a domestique, I’ve known it all along The boy deserves a knighthood and his bike deserves a gong Now the Grogg shop up in Ponty, are working night and day But people are complaining, such a long delay The kilns are full of Geraints, with a Welsh flag shouldered high But people have to understand, his hair takes time to dry So I’ll buy a Grogg of Geraint, though I know they don’t come cheap And I I’ll ll sell my one of Elvis, and an one of Lynn The Leap ‘Coz when G rode throug through Paris, and he waved to all the c crowd He climbed more than a mountain, he made a nation proud So I hope it’s fine fin next Thursday, to welcome Geraint home They say the Pope is coming, he’s flying in from Rom Rome And Donald Tr Trump is coming too, h he said it should b be fun Thi This guy dese deserves a medal, so I’ll come there’s on Air Force One
So I hope it’s fine on Thursday, but I think it’s still in doubt
So Derek has suggested, we keep our brollies out
So I’ll stand outside the city hall, with its gilded marble dome
And sing like England soccer fans, that Geraint’s coming home
Meanwhile, full details of the plans to welcome Thomas back to Cardiff have been revealed.
Thomas will be honoured with celebrations in the Welsh capital – his home town – this week when he returns from his home in Monaco.
The celebrationn will start at the Senedd before culminating outside Cardiff Castle from 5pm until 5.30pm on Thursday.
Before the main public event in Cardiff city centre, Thomas will be formally congratulated on behalf of the nation by the First Minister, Carwyn Jones AM, and the Llywydd of the National Assembly for Wales, Elin Jones AM, at 4.15pm until 4.30pm.
The Tour champion will then be brought to the bottom of St Mary Street in Cardiff city centre by 5pm.
Accompanied by a peloton of young riders from various cycling clubs, Geraint will cycle up St Mary Street before going onto a stage, located outside the castle walls, to speak to the crowd.