:00:27. > :00:34.Thank you very much. Thank you. Hello and welcome to The Clare
:00:35. > :00:39.Balding Show. I hope you are full of festive cheer, relaxing and enjoying
:00:40. > :00:43.life. Tonight's guests don't know the meaning of relaxing. They are
:00:44. > :00:47.all champion racers who have pushed their bodies to the limit in their
:00:48. > :00:53.pursuit of victory. They have a need for speed, so let's not hang around.
:00:54. > :00:56.He was champion jockey for 20 consecutive years and is widely
:00:57. > :01:05.regarded as the greatest of all time. He is the biggest superstar of
:01:06. > :01:09.racing, AP McCoy! He had one of Britain's talented riders on both
:01:10. > :01:18.track and road, two Olympic gold medals to prove it, Geraint Thomas!
:01:19. > :01:24.And he is Formula 1 CV includes 14 pole positions, 32 podiums and nine
:01:25. > :01:31.wins. He is currently World Endurance Champion. Completing our
:01:32. > :01:36.grid, Mark Webber. My guests tonight have been getting on famously. They
:01:37. > :01:40.are all elite racers who flirt with danger every time they compete. The
:01:41. > :01:45.injuries they have suffered RE reminder that risk is at the heart
:01:46. > :01:49.of crossing the finishing line in first placed. AP McCoy has it,
:01:50. > :01:53.Geraint Thomas has it and Mark Webber has it. That special thing is
:01:54. > :01:59.courage, and it's on display every time that they rates. With more than
:02:00. > :02:04.4000 winners to his name, he is the most successful jockey of all time.
:02:05. > :02:08.But it is not just records that AP McCoy has broken. In his quest for
:02:09. > :02:13.winners, he's broken almost every bone in his body. Double Olympic
:02:14. > :02:16.gold medallist and multiple world champion Geraint Thomas is one of
:02:17. > :02:21.the toughest men in sport and he never let pain or injury stand in
:02:22. > :02:28.his way. He wrote much of the 2013 Tour de France with a fractured
:02:29. > :02:32.pelvis. Formula 1 World Endurance Champion Mark Webber puts his life
:02:33. > :02:36.on the line every time he climbs into his car. He's been involved in
:02:37. > :02:41.countless crashes, including slamming his car into a wall at 200
:02:42. > :02:47.mph. Behind the wheel and in the saddle, they have gone through the
:02:48. > :02:49.pain barrier. They are racing machines. Please welcome Geraint
:02:50. > :03:18.Thomas, AP McCoy and Mark Webber. Very enthusiastic audience tonight.
:03:19. > :03:22.You are very popular. You are brave men, as we have outlined. Is there
:03:23. > :03:30.anything actually that you are scared of, that you would admit to?
:03:31. > :03:35.I'm not good and claustrophobia. I'm getting worse with age. Horrendous.
:03:36. > :03:39.I wouldn't want to be in a tight space. That's ridiculous, with the
:03:40. > :03:44.job that I have, because it is pretty claustrophobic in a racing
:03:45. > :03:52.car. That has only coming -- come on in the last five or six years. What
:03:53. > :03:59.about you, Geraint? I am the same, now I'm getting on a bit. You are
:04:00. > :04:04.not even 30. I'm 30 next year. Heights, I'm not good with heights.
:04:05. > :04:08.You are not good with heights and you ride up in the mountains. You
:04:09. > :04:16.are not good with tight spaces and you are in a tiny car. We have
:04:17. > :04:22.tested ourselves too much. What about you? If he is getting on a
:04:23. > :04:28.bit, I am practically dead! I'm a bit light -- bit like Mark, only
:04:29. > :04:31.with MRI machines. When you are going in, it isn't for a very good
:04:32. > :04:45.reason. That is something you have all been through. I find it quite
:04:46. > :04:49.relaxing. On a lighter note, congratulations on getting a
:04:50. > :04:52.lifetime achievement award at Sports Personality of the Year. The
:04:53. > :04:57.reception that you got in Belfast, I have rarely felt a reception like
:04:58. > :05:03.it. I thought it was incredibly emotional. It was, to receive it in
:05:04. > :05:09.Belfast, being from Northern Ireland. I think the people put on a
:05:10. > :05:13.fantastic show, as did the BBC. It was a wonderful evening. The only
:05:14. > :05:18.thing I did say about winning the lifetime achievement award, there
:05:19. > :05:22.isn't any more afterwards. It wasn't like winning Sports Personality of
:05:23. > :05:27.the Year in 2010, because there is a future, things to look forward to.
:05:28. > :05:36.When you win the lifetime achievement award, especially at
:05:37. > :05:41.41... It is a hint. It is a message. Finding the negative even in a
:05:42. > :05:47.really nice thing! What is the worst aspect of it? My life is over! In
:05:48. > :05:51.sport. It is an unbelievably prestigious trophy. The names on
:05:52. > :05:59.there, Seve Ballesteros, George best... It is nice to be on a trophy
:06:00. > :06:04.that their names are on. It reflects an utter dominance in the sport for
:06:05. > :06:08.two decades. Michael Schumacher won seven world titles, but could anyone
:06:09. > :06:18.in motor racing do that for 20 years? That is tricky. In any sport,
:06:19. > :06:21.as you say. What AP McCoy has done in his chosen field is exceptional.
:06:22. > :06:30.Michael was probably the most dominant, in terms of championships
:06:31. > :06:36.and wins, from 94-2008. 15 years, give or take. Well done, good
:06:37. > :06:42.effort, that is the sure! Geraint, what would be the age span that you
:06:43. > :06:48.can stay at the top? Late 20s to early 30s, five or six years, kind
:06:49. > :06:53.of where I am in now, going into my purple patch. Cycling is such a team
:06:54. > :06:57.sport. It is like football. Your role in the team changes. You can go
:06:58. > :07:04.until you are 40, but you are doing a different job. You can be part of
:07:05. > :07:09.the team and play a part... But you will not be the one going across the
:07:10. > :07:16.line. Do you know in your head how many Tour de Frances you have left?
:07:17. > :07:19.Not really. I guess I know I have maybe got four good ones. This year
:07:20. > :07:24.was kind of a maybe got four good ones. This year
:07:25. > :07:29.expect to be as good as I was for so long in the race. That has opened my
:07:30. > :07:34.eyes to the future. I'm looking forward to it. You have four or five
:07:35. > :07:40.years ahead of you. AP McCoy, basically it is over. Mark, you did
:07:41. > :07:46.retire from Formula 1, but you took up injuries racing. Were you missing
:07:47. > :07:51.the edge to your life? I think it is popular in our sport. Formula 1 is
:07:52. > :07:57.the pinnacle. It is still pretty tricky to then just stop completely.
:07:58. > :08:02.Monday morning, OK, I'm not going to race at all. You look at other
:08:03. > :08:07.options. It is only eight races a year, which is great, but I share a
:08:08. > :08:12.car with two other guys, so it is different mentally, less individual.
:08:13. > :08:15.I'm enjoying it. The cars are super quick, very close to Formula 1 in
:08:16. > :08:20.terms of performance, which is good for me, because I don't have too
:08:21. > :08:26.just much. I can help the younger guys coming. And you are now a world
:08:27. > :08:34.champion. It was a good season, it went really well. But those other
:08:35. > :08:39.two. They are young. They are very young. Brendan is 24. He's got his
:08:40. > :08:47.trophies. He is a very insecure young lads, so we crack him up. That
:08:48. > :08:51.age thing is a horrible thing. I always thought I would retire if I
:08:52. > :09:00.was lucky enough to win the jockey championship. My valet, he wished
:09:01. > :09:05.one of the younger lads happy birthday and I said, what age are
:09:06. > :09:10.you? And he said he was 20. Chris Mort and to me and said, do you
:09:11. > :09:15.realise he wasn't born when you were a champion jockey? That isn't a good
:09:16. > :09:22.sign! Have you ever been disqualified from a race, Mark?
:09:23. > :09:30.Yeah. You have been disqualified, haven't you? Guests. This is back in
:09:31. > :09:34.the velodrome at the Olympic park, and it went -- and endurance event.
:09:35. > :09:40.You are being very friendly, talking to fans. I will do B-cell fee for
:09:41. > :09:49.you. What happens? I got disqualified. It was a bad picture
:09:50. > :09:53.on the phone. It is not like it is an Olympic discipline. It is a bit
:09:54. > :09:58.of fun. It is called the longest lap, and you can't cross the finish
:09:59. > :10:02.line until they blew the whistle. I can't really stand still for long.
:10:03. > :10:09.Some of them are really good at it. I thought I would have a bit of fun.
:10:10. > :10:17.I was doing my bit for the fans. You are a keen cyclist, aren't you,
:10:18. > :10:21.Mark? Jack of all trades. I did a lot of mountain biking, swimming...
:10:22. > :10:26.Growing up in Australia, this is what we do. Sport is top of our
:10:27. > :10:31.list. Did you train with Lance Armstrong before we know what we
:10:32. > :10:39.know? I didn't become, mate! What was he like? He is intelligent. I
:10:40. > :10:46.asked him straight up and your times, what is the score? He went,
:10:47. > :10:54.no, no, all clean. It is not organised. It is still, like... Were
:10:55. > :11:01.you shocked, because you knew him? Just disappointed. He was if the
:11:02. > :11:08.nominal, huge, massive brand. Lance Armstrong... The saddest thing is
:11:09. > :11:13.for you, Geraint, being part of that sports, because you get tainted for
:11:14. > :11:17.things you are not doing. For sure, but it was the best thing to happen
:11:18. > :11:23.to the sport. It certainly helped clean it up a lot. Nobody is too big
:11:24. > :11:29.to be caught. It is tough. I think we have to keep doing what we are
:11:30. > :11:34.doing the right way. When we die, 200 years down the line, your
:11:35. > :11:44.victories are still there. When you die in 200 years? No, sorry! I
:11:45. > :11:49.wanted to ask you about growing up and when you sort of first knew that
:11:50. > :11:56.sport would be it for you. Mark, he was a picture of you as a youngster
:11:57. > :12:03.in Australia. Isn't he sweet? Look at those legs. My friend had a go
:12:04. > :12:08.cart. The day I drove a go-kart, 12, 13, I just couldn't get it out of my
:12:09. > :12:16.head, the track, the curves, the line, the engine... That was it. We
:12:17. > :12:24.want to see little Geraint. Look at you! That is an interesting
:12:25. > :12:30.haircut... That is you, is it? Yeah, that's me. How old were you when you
:12:31. > :12:32.sat on a bike for the first time? Since I can remember. I did
:12:33. > :12:37.everything as a kid, Since I can remember. I did
:12:38. > :12:43.football, rugby, cycling. It wasn't until I was 16 or 17 when I was
:12:44. > :12:49.fully cycling. For you, who would you see that made you think that is
:12:50. > :12:55.what you would be? My first ever ride was when I was 16. I was -- my
:12:56. > :13:01.dad was friendly with a man who trained racehorses. I got friendly
:13:02. > :13:06.with a horse that my dad bread. From ten or 11, I started to go there at
:13:07. > :13:14.my weekends and school holidays. From 12 or 13, I wanted to be a
:13:15. > :13:20.jockey. Mark, in your book, you are pretty open about your relationship
:13:21. > :13:26.with Sebastian Vettel. If I describe it as tempestuous, that would be
:13:27. > :13:33.very accurate? Yes. Did you call him to let him know? Yet. I rang him up.
:13:34. > :13:37.He was in Monte Carlo. I said, I want to come down. A few got ten
:13:38. > :13:45.minutes so I can run a few things past you. How did that go? Yeah...
:13:46. > :13:48.We all do things in parts of our careers which we could maybe have
:13:49. > :13:53.done differently. We went through some tough periods. He said, I fully
:13:54. > :14:01.expect sections of the book where you will tee off on me. We took each
:14:02. > :14:05.other out once, went to the fence. Geraint, did you dish the dirt on
:14:06. > :14:13.anybody, apart from calling Chris Froome South African? I didn't. It
:14:14. > :14:17.is a completely different book to other biographies. Somebody asked me
:14:18. > :14:24.before and I don't have an X factor story about anything. I didn't get
:14:25. > :14:28.chased by hippos like Chris Froome in Kenya. Maybe the odd dog in
:14:29. > :14:40.Cardiff. You are quite funny, and so is it. Thanks. AP McCoy, three, four
:14:41. > :14:45.autobiographies about? And a novel. This year, a documentary was
:14:46. > :14:49.released called Being AP, following you through the final season and the
:14:50. > :14:55.decision to retire. There are a couple of great scenes in it. One
:14:56. > :15:01.is, when you have broken your ribs and you lie to your wife, Chanelle.
:15:02. > :15:02.The doctor says I am grand. Then he tries to play football with the kids
:15:03. > :15:18.and this is what happens. He's in denial but I think that he
:15:19. > :15:26.has cracked his sternum, and for ribs. -- four ribs. Go on!
:15:27. > :15:32.LAUGHTER Two things out of that, playing
:15:33. > :15:39.through the pain, and also, you're in courage and for your daughter --
:15:40. > :15:44.your encouragement for your daughter! I had punctured my long, I
:15:45. > :15:56.had dislocated my collarbone... I went back riding four days later.
:15:57. > :16:00.Not my brightest move! -- lung. For review, all of you have crashing and
:16:01. > :16:06.falling as part of what you do. Did you ever get good at it? Do you want
:16:07. > :16:11.me to say that... I felt so much I got better at it? LAUGHTER
:16:12. > :16:16.You have got to be back out the next day, on the tour, if you have a
:16:17. > :16:25.full, you cannot have a day off. It is tough, but you do not think about
:16:26. > :16:29.that. -- fall. It is like taking a pin out, you learn over time, there
:16:30. > :16:37.is a time and a place to take that risk. It is quite rare to hit a lamp
:16:38. > :16:39.post, and go down a ravine after it, but you have managed to do that...
:16:40. > :16:51.Look at this! Keep your eye... And the weirdest
:16:52. > :16:55.thing is, the crash happens in slow motion!
:16:56. > :17:02.That is a notorious dissent, quite a few guys have ended their career
:17:03. > :17:06.pretty much on that dissent. Everyone knows about it and everyone
:17:07. > :17:12.is that extra bit careful. So we were going down it, minding my own
:17:13. > :17:18.business, breaking. -- descent. The next thing, from behind, two bones,
:17:19. > :17:25.and those three, four seconds... Scary, because you think, there is a
:17:26. > :17:29.lamp post... You are fairly unlucky, to have driven into a lamp post!
:17:30. > :17:34.Mark, this is interesting, you seemed to be driving upside down in
:17:35. > :17:44.this photograph... LAUGHTER Yes, that is real, that is real.
:17:45. > :17:50.1999, France, Le Mans. After this I went to Formula 1, my first time
:17:51. > :17:53.there, they were dangerous, aerodynamically and stable at high
:17:54. > :17:58.speed, that hump in the road, that is one of the fastest parts of the
:17:59. > :18:04.track, 215 mph, they are going to shave the top of so it is more
:18:05. > :18:08.gradual. I'm thinking it is all over, if it goes left or right, I
:18:09. > :18:15.have no control over the car... Nice pictures. Yes, great picture,
:18:16. > :18:29.make(!) LAUGHTER Phenomenal shot! D have that in your
:18:30. > :18:33.house? NO. LAUGHTER Food, major thing for all of you.
:18:34. > :18:40.Actually, for you to be at the peak in your sport, do you have to watch
:18:41. > :18:47.what you eat and eat you in the last year? More so, I'm trying to be more
:18:48. > :18:52.of a GC racer, power to weight is very key, on the track, it was just
:18:53. > :19:00.power, did not matter so much. Mark, you are very tall. Wrong size height
:19:01. > :19:06.wise for Formula 1 driver, 74 kilograms... Not just you, AP all
:19:07. > :19:10.this time you have thought yours was the worst routine of the lot,
:19:11. > :19:16.miserable and grumpy for not eating enough. I played that part very
:19:17. > :19:20.well(!) when I retired, having fried breakfast, eating lunch, dinner... I
:19:21. > :19:24.was eating when I wasn't even hungry, eating for the novelty! I
:19:25. > :19:29.thought it was great. Here is a little quiz, a person from each one
:19:30. > :19:35.of your sports... Which one is the heaviest and which is the lightest?
:19:36. > :19:40.We have three-time world champion Lewis Hamilton... Five foot seven,
:19:41. > :19:45.by the way... Richard Johnson, this year 's leading jump jockey, in the
:19:46. > :19:51.absence of AP could be going to win his first championship, five foot
:19:52. > :19:55.seven. Two-time Tour de France winner, Chris Froome, six foot
:19:56. > :20:01.one... Who is the heaviest of the three, and what does he wait? Lewis
:20:02. > :20:12.Hamilton is the lightest... With or without jewellery? LAUGHTER
:20:13. > :20:18.APPLAUSE I think Lewis Hamilton would be...
:20:19. > :20:25.66 kilograms... Lewis Hamilton is the heaviest. Really? But Chris
:20:26. > :20:34.Froome, six foot one... Look at his arms! Same as his bicycle! LAUGHTER
:20:35. > :20:46.You think Lewis Hamilton is 66 kilograms... This room, 67... 63,
:20:47. > :20:53.64... The heaviest, Chris Froome, cities Evan kilograms. There is not
:20:54. > :21:03.much in it. The second heaviest, Lewis Hamilton, 66. -- 67 kilograms.
:21:04. > :21:06.You got it right, mate! And we rang Richard Johnston this morning, this
:21:07. > :21:17.morning he was ten stone ?4, 65 kilograms. That is the order, very
:21:18. > :21:22.good! -- he was ten stone for lb. -- ten stone, four lb. Aiming to be two
:21:23. > :21:26.kilograms lighter for the beginning of the season. Loads of room to
:21:27. > :21:31.move, he will be fine. When you are in the middle of the good of France,
:21:32. > :21:34.taking on so many calories as you go, burning them as you go, can you
:21:35. > :21:41.feel yourself getting stronger as the race goes on? Or is it the
:21:42. > :21:44.reverse? Not really, Commonwealth Games, two years ago, came out of
:21:45. > :21:47.the Tour de France, felt terrible all race.
:21:48. > :21:53.I did not feel better at the end, it was as like everybody else got
:21:54. > :21:59.worse... You are just there alone, you feel good and you win. It has
:22:00. > :22:03.not been your turn to lead the team yet, you play the support role to
:22:04. > :22:09.Chris Froome. Is it going to be your turn soon? I do not know but for
:22:10. > :22:16.sure, I would hope so, talking about crashes, Chris Froome is prone to a
:22:17. > :22:23.crash or two, you never know, he may fall off and I might get a chance(!)
:22:24. > :22:28.you're not(!) you are happy enough being a support rider, Mark, with
:22:29. > :22:32.you, Sebastian Vettel, much harder, was it the British Grand Prix when
:22:33. > :22:39.you said, not bad for a number two driver...? In practice we had this
:22:40. > :22:42.new front wing, which was being developed, in the practice session,
:22:43. > :22:47.Sebastian Vettel damaged his wing, not his full, it failed in a way, we
:22:48. > :22:52.were down to one win, and they took my wing, which was fresh, they took
:22:53. > :22:55.it to the other car, I was not happy about that, because I was leading
:22:56. > :23:01.the championship at the time, nip and tuck. I had won a few races, we
:23:02. > :23:06.were 50/50 on everything up to that. I realise I had to win the race
:23:07. > :23:11.tomorrow just to show what I think! And I said, not bad for a number two
:23:12. > :23:17.driver! As elite racers, I would imagine you do not do the full
:23:18. > :23:21.caring sharing romantic, your life is my life romantic thing, but if
:23:22. > :23:24.you are going to be professional sportsman, and that is what your
:23:25. > :23:29.life is committed to, you have got to be selfish, surely. I was much
:23:30. > :23:35.more selfish in the early part of my career, the last five years, I was a
:23:36. > :23:41.much better person, to everyone, not just my wife. But it has gone full
:23:42. > :23:46.double now! I am a complete yes husband now, I have no control
:23:47. > :23:54.whatsoever. -- but it has gone full circle now. I'm longer selfish.
:23:55. > :24:06.Graeme recently married. A couple of months ago. This is to Sarah. --
:24:07. > :24:10.Geraint. I was nervous about that, picking her up... Not that she is
:24:11. > :24:17.fat... LAUGHTER She is lean, but you have had a view
:24:18. > :24:26.to drink, but it went all right. Was it a lovely romantic day? Did you
:24:27. > :24:32.feel emotional? I did, I cried! I did not know what happened, it was
:24:33. > :24:36.weird, man! At the church, walked in, sold cousins that were going to
:24:37. > :24:44.sing, the uncle, and I began crying... With happiness? LAUGHTER
:24:45. > :24:50.That is what I tell people now! So bad, so wrong! It was probably the
:24:51. > :24:58.realisation that I was about to lose 15% of everything... LAUGHTER
:24:59. > :25:05.APPLAUSE How are you adjusting to life out of
:25:06. > :25:09.the saddle? It is OK, I'm better than I thought I was going to be, it
:25:10. > :25:13.is something I have done for pretty much all of my life, a lot of things
:25:14. > :25:17.I do not miss, I do not miss the diet, do not miss the travelling, do
:25:18. > :25:21.not miss being in ambulances, going to the hospital... The only thing I
:25:22. > :25:25.miss is winning. That is something that cannot be replaced. A lot of
:25:26. > :25:34.sportspeople that retire look for something to replace that buzz.
:25:35. > :25:37.Hopefully I can find something that I really enjoy doing, I do not know
:25:38. > :25:41.if I have yet found it or whether I will ever find it. Forget about the
:25:42. > :25:45.winning, but the actual rush of competition, can you replace that,
:25:46. > :25:52.the speed, the excitement, all of that? Can I find something that
:25:53. > :25:56.would give me that again? No point looking for it, it will never
:25:57. > :26:02.happen, what can I do to replace that? I can do lots of other things
:26:03. > :26:07.reasonably well, but it will still be a bit frustrating, I cannot quite
:26:08. > :26:12.do it at that level. We do not do things I half measures, in terms of,
:26:13. > :26:16.when we get in the car, it is pretty much as fast as you can! As quick as
:26:17. > :26:22.it will go, we always have the stopwatch. In cycling, you have to
:26:23. > :26:29.train... When they race, it is on. With us, testing, we are
:26:30. > :26:34.generally... It needs to be flat out. Always, pushing the boundaries.
:26:35. > :26:41.If you are in control, you are not going fast enough, that is what they
:26:42. > :26:48.say. On the edge. You have all been sensational, and Geraint, you must
:26:49. > :26:51.be thinking, you can still do it for a long time, so good luck at the
:26:52. > :26:55.Olympics and in the Tour de France. The round of the show, we thought we
:26:56. > :26:59.would have a bit of fun and played your competitive instinct, you get
:27:00. > :27:04.to spray champagne all of the time, winners enclosure, you must have
:27:05. > :27:07.some pretty good cork skills... I would like you to come this way...
:27:08. > :27:17.APPLAUSE We have all of us got a bottle of
:27:18. > :27:24.champagne, to be honest, it is cheap fizz... The idea is to hit that red
:27:25. > :27:27.cup off the top with the cork, I will go first, because I am useless
:27:28. > :27:31.at this, that will make you feel really good.
:27:32. > :27:39.It came out a little bit quicker than I had intended... LAUGHTER
:27:40. > :27:46.LAUGHTER I think that you should go next,
:27:47. > :27:52.Mark, you should go last. He has got to be the best. It will just come
:27:53. > :28:18.off... CHEERING That has done flying up into the
:28:19. > :28:20.roof! Mark, it is up to you, you are the only one who may get it close.
:28:21. > :28:37.It is worth a go... APPLAUSE We have reached the end of the show,
:28:38. > :28:41.next week we will be joined by one of the greatest football managers in
:28:42. > :28:44.Britain, David Moyes, Kate Richardson-Walsh, hockey captain,
:28:45. > :28:49.and the most lovable ski jumper, Eddie the eagle Edwards, huge thanks
:28:50. > :28:55.to my fantastic guest, AP McCoy, Geraint Thomas, Mark Webber. We will
:28:56. > :28:58.see you soon, good night!