A Personal Note from Freya

Though this was my 4th novel, it was this book that really drummed home to me that I WAS AN AUTHOR. I had long been a fan of the Tour de France – from the comfort of my sofa…and now, my writing credentials enabled me to bag an access-all-areas pass. Bizarrely, life imitated art rather than vice versa – and I followed in Cat’s footsteps, spending my time on the Tour masquerading as a journalist, writing for the Times, for radio and for cycling magazines. The first Tour I went on was 1998 – which was the one with all the huge drug scandals. It was won by the inimitable Marco Pantani – who later died from a drugs overdose. The next Tour was won by Lance Armstrong. Many of the real riders, all of whom were very kind and welcoming, traded anecdotes or rides in their team cars for a cameo appearance in the book!

What happened next to Cat

Cat and Ben have spent four exciting years in Boulder, Colorado (setting up home together – and flying the Union Jack from their porch). Their careers have provided ample opportunity for travel – Cat furthering her career as a sports journalist, Ben continuing as team doctor to professional racing team, Megapac.. Rachel, however, has retired as soigneur and moved to a gorgeous town in Colorado, half an hour from Cat and Ben. She now works at a spa as a masseuse making more money for shorter hours than at any time during her working life. Her relationship with Andre the mechanic did not last but there’s a reflexologist at the spa with whom a tentative dalliance is in its infancy. Jawlensky and Ducasse continue to compete for the sports most coveted titles and karma seems to dictate an equal number of trophies for the arch-rivals. Josh and Alex still hold court in the salle de presse, driving like lunatics from Stage to Stage and bickering amongst themselves like an elderly married couple. Luca Jones’s career is colourful as ever with lucrative advertising and sponsorship deals giving him the sort of income that the bimbos love. Consequently, his life off the bike is one of fast motorbikes, faster cars and fast women. Cat teases him, which bolsters his ego no end. Ben chides him, worries about him, which secretly quite touches the rider. However, Luca will have to start looking after himself a little more as Ben has just decided not to renew his contract with Megapac. And Cat has handed in her notice at Maillot – she’s loved being assistant editor on the magazine but it’s time to move on. Perhaps she’ll go freelance. At the moment she’s not sure. She’s not even sure that she’s doing the right thing going back to the UK. But she has Ben by her side and her sisters Fen and Pip will welcome her home. Django will probably prepare a Spread in her honour.