Gold medal winner got on his bike for a new career

Dec 8 2008 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal

Questionnaire

What car do you drive? Mercedes c220 cdi estate

What’s your favourite restaurant? Café Bangla in East Boldon

Who or what makes you laugh? Monty Python and John Cleese in particular

What’s your favourite book? Its not about the bike…. Lance Armstrong

What’s your favourite film? It’s A Wonderful Life with James Stewart

What was the last album you bought? The legendary Edith Piaf

What’s your ideal job, other than your current one? Cycle tour guide

If you had a talking parrot, what’s the first thing you’d teach it to say? My parrot is dead see question 3! ..probably something unrepeatable

What’s your greatest fear? Losing my family

What’s the best piece of business advice you have ever received? Take advice

Worst business advice? It will sort itself out

What’s your poison? John Smiths and red wine – but not together

Other than The Journal which newspaper do you read? The Shields Gazette

How much was your first pay packet and what was it for? £3 19s 6p as an audit assistant

How do you keep fit? Riding my bike when I have time

What’s your most irritating habit? Interrupting

What’s your biggest extravagance? My car

Which historical or fictional character do you most identify with/admire? Winston Churchill

And which four famous people would you most like to dine with? George Harrison, Stephen Hawkins, Tom Simpson, Captain Scott

How would you like to be remembered? As not doing anyone any harm