Episode 2 The Clare Balding Show

Thank you very much. Thank you. Hello and welcome to The Clare

Balding Show. I hope you are full of festive cheer, relaxing and enjoying

life. Tonight's guests don't know the meaning of relaxing. They are

all champion racers who have pushed their bodies to the limit in their

pursuit of victory. They have a need for speed, so let's not hang around.

He was champion jockey for 20 consecutive years and is widely

regarded as the greatest of all time. He is the biggest superstar of

racing, AP McCoy! He had one of Britain's talented riders on both

track and road, two Olympic gold medals to prove it, Geraint Thomas!

And he is Formula 1 CV includes 14 pole positions, 32 podiums and nine

wins. He is currently World Endurance Champion. Completing our

grid, Mark Webber. My guests tonight have been getting on famously. They

are all elite racers who flirt with danger every time they compete. The

injuries they have suffered RE reminder that risk is at the heart

of crossing the finishing line in first placed. AP McCoy has it,

Geraint Thomas has it and Mark Webber has it. That special thing is

courage, and it's on display every time that they rates. With more than

4000 winners to his name, he is the most successful jockey of all time.

But it is not just records that AP McCoy has broken. In his quest for

winners, he's broken almost every bone in his body. Double Olympic

gold medallist and multiple world champion Geraint Thomas is one of

the toughest men in sport and he never let pain or injury stand in

his way. He wrote much of the 2013 Tour de France with a fractured

pelvis. Formula 1 World Endurance Champion Mark Webber puts his life

on the line every time he climbs into his car. He's been involved in

countless crashes, including slamming his car into a wall at 200

mph. Behind the wheel and in the saddle, they have gone through the

pain barrier. They are racing machines. Please welcome Geraint

Thomas, AP McCoy and Mark Webber. Very enthusiastic audience tonight.

You are very popular. You are brave men, as we have outlined. Is there

anything actually that you are scared of, that you would admit to?

I'm not good and claustrophobia. I'm getting worse with age. Horrendous.

I wouldn't want to be in a tight space. That's ridiculous, with the

job that I have, because it is pretty claustrophobic in a racing

car. That has only coming -- come on in the last five or six years. What

about you, Geraint? I am the same, now I'm getting on a bit. You are

not even 30. I'm 30 next year. Heights, I'm not good with heights.

You are not good with heights and you ride up in the mountains. You

are not good with tight spaces and you are in a tiny car. We have

tested ourselves too much. What about you? If he is getting on a

bit, I am practically dead! I'm a bit light -- bit like Mark, only

with MRI machines. When you are going in, it isn't for a very good

reason. That is something you have all been through. I find it quite

relaxing. On a lighter note, congratulations on getting a

lifetime achievement award at Sports Personality of the Year. The

reception that you got in Belfast, I have rarely felt a reception like

it. I thought it was incredibly emotional. It was, to receive it in

Belfast, being from Northern Ireland. I think the people put on a

fantastic show, as did the BBC. It was a wonderful evening. The only

thing I did say about winning the lifetime achievement award, there

isn't any more afterwards. It wasn't like winning Sports Personality of

the Year in 2010, because there is a future, things to look forward to.

When you win the lifetime achievement award, especially at

41... It is a hint. It is a message. Finding the negative even in a

really nice thing! What is the worst aspect of it? My life is over! In

sport. It is an unbelievably prestigious trophy. The names on

there, Seve Ballesteros, George best... It is nice to be on a trophy

that their names are on. It reflects an utter dominance in the sport for

two decades. Michael Schumacher won seven world titles, but could anyone

in motor racing do that for 20 years? That is tricky. In any sport,

as you say. What AP McCoy has done in his chosen field is exceptional.

Michael was probably the most dominant, in terms of championships

and wins, from 94-2008. 15 years, give or take. Well done, good

effort, that is the sure! Geraint, what would be the age span that you

can stay at the top? Late 20s to early 30s, five or six years, kind

of where I am in now, going into my purple patch. Cycling is such a team

sport. It is like football. Your role in the team changes. You can go

until you are 40, but you are doing a different job. You can be part of

the team and play a part... But you will not be the one going across the

line. Do you know in your head how many Tour de Frances you have left?

Not really. I guess I know I have maybe got four good ones. This year

was kind of a maybe got four good ones. This year

expect to be as good as I was for so long in the race. That has opened my

eyes to the future. I'm looking forward to it. You have four or five

years ahead of you. AP McCoy, basically it is over. Mark, you did

retire from Formula 1, but you took up injuries racing. Were you missing

the edge to your life? I think it is popular in our sport. Formula 1 is

the pinnacle. It is still pretty tricky to then just stop completely.

Monday morning, OK, I'm not going to race at all. You look at other

options. It is only eight races a year, which is great, but I share a

car with two other guys, so it is different mentally, less individual.

I'm enjoying it. The cars are super quick, very close to Formula 1 in

terms of performance, which is good for me, because I don't have too

just much. I can help the younger guys coming. And you are now a world

champion. It was a good season, it went really well. But those other

two. They are young. They are very young. Brendan is 24. He's got his

trophies. He is a very insecure young lads, so we crack him up. That

age thing is a horrible thing. I always thought I would retire if I

was lucky enough to win the jockey championship. My valet, he wished

one of the younger lads happy birthday and I said, what age are

you? And he said he was 20. Chris Mort and to me and said, do you

realise he wasn't born when you were a champion jockey? That isn't a good

sign! Have you ever been disqualified from a race, Mark?

Yeah. You have been disqualified, haven't you? Guests. This is back in

the velodrome at the Olympic park, and it went -- and endurance event.

You are being very friendly, talking to fans. I will do B-cell fee for

you. What happens? I got disqualified. It was a bad picture

on the phone. It is not like it is an Olympic discipline. It is a bit

of fun. It is called the longest lap, and you can't cross the finish

line until they blew the whistle. I can't really stand still for long.

Some of them are really good at it. I thought I would have a bit of fun.

I was doing my bit for the fans. You are a keen cyclist, aren't you,

Mark? Jack of all trades. I did a lot of mountain biking, swimming...

Growing up in Australia, this is what we do. Sport is top of our

list. Did you train with Lance Armstrong before we know what we

know? I didn't become, mate! What was he like? He is intelligent. I

asked him straight up and your times, what is the score? He went,

no, no, all clean. It is not organised. It is still, like... Were

you shocked, because you knew him? Just disappointed. He was if the

nominal, huge, massive brand. Lance Armstrong... The saddest thing is

for you, Geraint, being part of that sports, because you get tainted for

things you are not doing. For sure, but it was the best thing to happen

to the sport. It certainly helped clean it up a lot. Nobody is too big

to be caught. It is tough. I think we have to keep doing what we are

doing the right way. When we die, 200 years down the line, your

victories are still there. When you die in 200 years? No, sorry! I

wanted to ask you about growing up and when you sort of first knew that

sport would be it for you. Mark, he was a picture of you as a youngster

in Australia. Isn't he sweet? Look at those legs. My friend had a go

cart. The day I drove a go-kart, 12, 13, I just couldn't get it out of my

head, the track, the curves, the line, the engine... That was it. We

want to see little Geraint. Look at you! That is an interesting

haircut... That is you, is it? Yeah, that's me. How old were you when you

sat on a bike for the first time? Since I can remember. I did

everything as a kid, Since I can remember. I did

football, rugby, cycling. It wasn't until I was 16 or 17 when I was

fully cycling. For you, who would you see that made you think that is

what you would be? My first ever ride was when I was 16. I was -- my

dad was friendly with a man who trained racehorses. I got friendly

with a horse that my dad bread. From ten or 11, I started to go there at

my weekends and school holidays. From 12 or 13, I wanted to be a

jockey. Mark, in your book, you are pretty open about your relationship

with Sebastian Vettel. If I describe it as tempestuous, that would be

very accurate? Yes. Did you call him to let him know? Yet. I rang him up.

He was in Monte Carlo. I said, I want to come down. A few got ten

minutes so I can run a few things past you. How did that go? Yeah...

We all do things in parts of our careers which we could maybe have

done differently. We went through some tough periods. He said, I fully

expect sections of the book where you will tee off on me. We took each

other out once, went to the fence. Geraint, did you dish the dirt on

anybody, apart from calling Chris Froome South African? I didn't. It

is a completely different book to other biographies. Somebody asked me

before and I don't have an X factor story about anything. I didn't get

chased by hippos like Chris Froome in Kenya. Maybe the odd dog in

Cardiff. You are quite funny, and so is it. Thanks. AP McCoy, three, four

autobiographies about? And a novel. This year, a documentary was

released called Being AP, following you through the final season and the

decision to retire. There are a couple of great scenes in it. One

is, when you have broken your ribs and you lie to your wife, Chanelle.

The doctor says I am grand. Then he tries to play football with the kids

and this is what happens. He's in denial but I think that he

has cracked his sternum, and for ribs. -- four ribs. Go on!

LAUGHTER Two things out of that, playing

through the pain, and also, you're in courage and for your daughter --

your encouragement for your daughter! I had punctured my long, I

had dislocated my collarbone... I went back riding four days later.

Not my brightest move! -- lung. For review, all of you have crashing and

falling as part of what you do. Did you ever get good at it? Do you want

me to say that... I felt so much I got better at it? LAUGHTER

You have got to be back out the next day, on the tour, if you have a

full, you cannot have a day off. It is tough, but you do not think about

that. -- fall. It is like taking a pin out, you learn over time, there

is a time and a place to take that risk. It is quite rare to hit a lamp

post, and go down a ravine after it, but you have managed to do that...

Look at this! Keep your eye... And the weirdest

thing is, the crash happens in slow motion!

That is a notorious dissent, quite a few guys have ended their career

pretty much on that dissent. Everyone knows about it and everyone

is that extra bit careful. So we were going down it, minding my own

business, breaking. -- descent. The next thing, from behind, two bones,

and those three, four seconds... Scary, because you think, there is a

lamp post... You are fairly unlucky, to have driven into a lamp post!

Mark, this is interesting, you seemed to be driving upside down in

this photograph... LAUGHTER Yes, that is real, that is real.

1999, France, Le Mans. After this I went to Formula 1, my first time

there, they were dangerous, aerodynamically and stable at high

speed, that hump in the road, that is one of the fastest parts of the

track, 215 mph, they are going to shave the top of so it is more

gradual. I'm thinking it is all over, if it goes left or right, I

have no control over the car... Nice pictures. Yes, great picture,

make(!) LAUGHTER Phenomenal shot! D have that in your

house? NO. LAUGHTER Food, major thing for all of you.

Actually, for you to be at the peak in your sport, do you have to watch

what you eat and eat you in the last year? More so, I'm trying to be more

of a GC racer, power to weight is very key, on the track, it was just

power, did not matter so much. Mark, you are very tall. Wrong size height

wise for Formula 1 driver, 74 kilograms... Not just you, AP all

this time you have thought yours was the worst routine of the lot,

miserable and grumpy for not eating enough. I played that part very

well(!) when I retired, having fried breakfast, eating lunch, dinner... I

was eating when I wasn't even hungry, eating for the novelty! I

thought it was great. Here is a little quiz, a person from each one

of your sports... Which one is the heaviest and which is the lightest?

We have three-time world champion Lewis Hamilton... Five foot seven,

by the way... Richard Johnson, this year 's leading jump jockey, in the

absence of AP could be going to win his first championship, five foot

seven. Two-time Tour de France winner, Chris Froome, six foot

one... Who is the heaviest of the three, and what does he wait? Lewis

Hamilton is the lightest... With or without jewellery? LAUGHTER

APPLAUSE I think Lewis Hamilton would be...

66 kilograms... Lewis Hamilton is the heaviest. Really? But Chris

Froome, six foot one... Look at his arms! Same as his bicycle! LAUGHTER

You think Lewis Hamilton is 66 kilograms... This room, 67... 63,

64... The heaviest, Chris Froome, cities Evan kilograms. There is not

much in it. The second heaviest, Lewis Hamilton, 66. -- 67 kilograms.

You got it right, mate! And we rang Richard Johnston this morning, this

morning he was ten stone ?4, 65 kilograms. That is the order, very

good! -- he was ten stone for lb. -- ten stone, four lb. Aiming to be two

kilograms lighter for the beginning of the season. Loads of room to

move, he will be fine. When you are in the middle of the good of France,

taking on so many calories as you go, burning them as you go, can you

feel yourself getting stronger as the race goes on? Or is it the

reverse? Not really, Commonwealth Games, two years ago, came out of

the Tour de France, felt terrible all race.

I did not feel better at the end, it was as like everybody else got

worse... You are just there alone, you feel good and you win. It has

not been your turn to lead the team yet, you play the support role to

Chris Froome. Is it going to be your turn soon? I do not know but for

sure, I would hope so, talking about crashes, Chris Froome is prone to a

crash or two, you never know, he may fall off and I might get a chance(!)

you're not(!) you are happy enough being a support rider, Mark, with

you, Sebastian Vettel, much harder, was it the British Grand Prix when

you said, not bad for a number two driver...? In practice we had this

new front wing, which was being developed, in the practice session,

Sebastian Vettel damaged his wing, not his full, it failed in a way, we

were down to one win, and they took my wing, which was fresh, they took

it to the other car, I was not happy about that, because I was leading

the championship at the time, nip and tuck. I had won a few races, we

were 50/50 on everything up to that. I realise I had to win the race

tomorrow just to show what I think! And I said, not bad for a number two

driver! As elite racers, I would imagine you do not do the full

caring sharing romantic, your life is my life romantic thing, but if

you are going to be professional sportsman, and that is what your

life is committed to, you have got to be selfish, surely. I was much

more selfish in the early part of my career, the last five years, I was a

much better person, to everyone, not just my wife. But it has gone full

double now! I am a complete yes husband now, I have no control

whatsoever. -- but it has gone full circle now. I'm longer selfish.

Graeme recently married. A couple of months ago. This is to Sarah. --

Geraint. I was nervous about that, picking her up... Not that she is

fat... LAUGHTER She is lean, but you have had a view

to drink, but it went all right. Was it a lovely romantic day? Did you

feel emotional? I did, I cried! I did not know what happened, it was

weird, man! At the church, walked in, sold cousins that were going to

sing, the uncle, and I began crying... With happiness? LAUGHTER

That is what I tell people now! So bad, so wrong! It was probably the

realisation that I was about to lose 15% of everything... LAUGHTER

APPLAUSE How are you adjusting to life out of

the saddle? It is OK, I'm better than I thought I was going to be, it

is something I have done for pretty much all of my life, a lot of things

I do not miss, I do not miss the diet, do not miss the travelling, do

not miss being in ambulances, going to the hospital... The only thing I

miss is winning. That is something that cannot be replaced. A lot of

sportspeople that retire look for something to replace that buzz.

Hopefully I can find something that I really enjoy doing, I do not know

if I have yet found it or whether I will ever find it. Forget about the

winning, but the actual rush of competition, can you replace that,

the speed, the excitement, all of that? Can I find something that

would give me that again? No point looking for it, it will never

happen, what can I do to replace that? I can do lots of other things

reasonably well, but it will still be a bit frustrating, I cannot quite

do it at that level. We do not do things I half measures, in terms of,

when we get in the car, it is pretty much as fast as you can! As quick as

it will go, we always have the stopwatch. In cycling, you have to

train... When they race, it is on. With us, testing, we are

generally... It needs to be flat out. Always, pushing the boundaries.

If you are in control, you are not going fast enough, that is what they

say. On the edge. You have all been sensational, and Geraint, you must

be thinking, you can still do it for a long time, so good luck at the

Olympics and in the Tour de France. The round of the show, we thought we

would have a bit of fun and played your competitive instinct, you get

to spray champagne all of the time, winners enclosure, you must have

some pretty good cork skills... I would like you to come this way...

APPLAUSE We have all of us got a bottle of

champagne, to be honest, it is cheap fizz... The idea is to hit that red

cup off the top with the cork, I will go first, because I am useless

at this, that will make you feel really good.

It came out a little bit quicker than I had intended... LAUGHTER

LAUGHTER I think that you should go next,

Mark, you should go last. He has got to be the best. It will just come

off... CHEERING That has done flying up into the

roof! Mark, it is up to you, you are the only one who may get it close.

It is worth a go... APPLAUSE We have reached the end of the show,

next week we will be joined by one of the greatest football managers in

Britain, David Moyes, Kate Richardson-Walsh, hockey captain,

and the most lovable ski jumper, Eddie the eagle Edwards, huge thanks

to my fantastic guest, AP McCoy, Geraint Thomas, Mark Webber. We will

see you soon, good night!