1 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:56,560 This programme contains some strong language 2 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:29,480 If you're a tiger, among animals, 3 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:31,160 you might be a slightly ageing tiger, 4 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:33,440 slightly less trained-than-you-could-be tiger, 5 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:35,840 but you're still a tiger. 6 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:41,440 The thing is, the stopwatch doesn't care what age you are. 7 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:45,640 And the power meter doesn't care what age you are. 8 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:47,520 That speed trap doesn't care what age you are. 9 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:52,840 And I know I've got the ability for it. 10 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:55,120 That's how I won the World Pursuit Championships. 11 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:20,240 It's a great wee retirement village here, eh? 12 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:30,000 This is great - seeing you all from so many different countries, 13 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:34,320 and travelling so far to be here to do this. It's really exciting. 14 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:36,600 We're just thrilled to have y'all here. 15 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:38,240 I hope y'all have a really good week, 16 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:40,920 and you all go as fast as you want to be going. 17 00:02:40,920 --> 00:02:42,240 APPLAUSE AND CHEERING 18 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:55,320 Human-powered vehicle - it seems a niche part of the sport. 19 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:02,080 The rules are, it's human-powered. 20 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,080 It can be arm-powered, leg-powered... 21 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:08,640 No stored energy. And this record involves basically top-end speed. 22 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:19,920 I want to go and break the world land speed record 23 00:03:19,920 --> 00:03:22,720 on a bike that I mainly build myself. 24 00:03:26,920 --> 00:03:30,160 When you actually stop and think about doing 83mph 25 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:33,680 with your nose roughly 60cm from the ground, 26 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:36,480 with a bicycle wheel for steerage, 27 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:39,360 you think, that's quite exciting, that is - bring it on! 28 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:48,920 10cm out of there... 29 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:54,000 I want it to be less, but I'm working to what I know 30 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:58,600 I can achieve within the laws of engineering and physics right now. 31 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:01,360 Oh! That was inevitable! 32 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:07,320 These are matching forks for the front wheel. 33 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:13,680 But we wouldn't use this part, we'd use a standard braking mechanism. 34 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:15,880 So, might as well... 35 00:04:17,920 --> 00:04:18,960 ..cut the extra away. 36 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:24,160 Because mass really does matter on these machines. 37 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:34,160 Really, I became famous for building bikes and winning bike races. 38 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:37,760 Most people remember Old Faithful. 39 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:39,640 There was a piece of washing machine in there. 40 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:41,680 And that's... People go, "Oh, yes, I remember now, 41 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:43,040 "the bit of washing machine bike 42 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:44,960 "and the guy that did the washing machine bike." 43 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:46,680 It's like, you can't get away from that. 44 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:49,320 I resented it for years - "I'm more than a washing machine bike!" 45 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:51,640 Aye, but you know what? That's what people click on to. 46 00:04:56,080 --> 00:04:59,760 - MC: - Ladies and gentlemen, the only man it could be - the legend, 47 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:06,080 the world hour holder, the world pursuit champion, Graeme Obree! 48 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:11,280 Old Faithful's officially the most famous bike in the world. 49 00:05:12,280 --> 00:05:13,760 Because there's me built that bike 50 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:17,000 and broke the world hour record on it, and then became world champion on it. 51 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:22,480 Graeme has an ability to think outside the box, 52 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:24,440 and that's a term that gets used a lot these days, 53 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:27,680 But I think Graeme genuinely has this uncanny ability 54 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:30,280 to be able to look at a problem from a different perspective 55 00:05:30,280 --> 00:05:33,280 and come up with a solution that nobody else would think of. 56 00:05:33,280 --> 00:05:35,360 And not only is he an engineering genius, 57 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:37,880 but he's a genius on the bike, too. 58 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:45,280 But to me, seeing a Scottish rider with no backing, no support, 59 00:05:45,280 --> 00:05:47,440 you know, doing it on his own, just with his own ideas 60 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:50,200 and his own hard work, yeah, that really inspired me at that time. 61 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:54,440 - COMMENTATOR: - At the bell now, Boardman, the Olympic champion, 62 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:55,840 being beaten by Graeme Obree, 63 00:05:55,840 --> 00:05:59,160 on his unusual bicycle that cost him about 100 British pounds to make. 64 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:01,320 He almost chipped on the bags there. 65 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:03,480 But on the line, Graeme Obree has done it, 66 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:05,080 he's beaten the world record! 67 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:09,240 4.22.668 for Graeme Obree! 68 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:12,520 And he has knocked out the Olympic champion, Chris Boardman! 69 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:22,360 Graeme Obree is running away with this World Championship. 70 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:25,480 The question is, what will the world record be? 71 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:27,800 Obree has got it! 4:20.894 - 72 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:31,760 a new world record for Graeme Obree! 73 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:33,760 Oh, steady on, Graeme! 74 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:37,440 Tremendous ride - and this is the new world pursuit champion, 75 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:39,520 and the record-holder. 76 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:42,440 At the time I was just being beaten by this guy who was claiming to 77 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:45,440 build bikes out of washing machines and eat marmalade sandwiches 78 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:47,520 and get up and do the hour record. 79 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:50,480 And yeah, it was quite irritating, to say the least. 80 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:57,280 The Scotsman has been flying all the way round this circuit. 81 00:06:57,280 --> 00:07:01,200 He certainly will take his second world professional pursuit title. 82 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:05,280 On the line, it's going to go to Obree from Scotland in 4:24.182. 83 00:07:05,280 --> 00:07:08,640 And look at the man from Scotland - the crowd really do love him. 84 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:27,000 I mean, personally speaking, I want to do 100 mile an hour. 85 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:30,440 I want to be the first man to do 100mph on this thing. 86 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:34,280 I'm thinking, I want... You know, I don't want to aim... 87 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:37,240 You know, they reckon, if you aim for the stars, you get to the moon. 88 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:40,440 I want to aim for the bloody stars and actually get to the stars. 89 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:42,240 Because I'm thinking, it was humanly, 90 00:07:42,240 --> 00:07:44,600 scientifically possible to do 100mph. 91 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:45,760 That's where your knee goes. 92 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:50,120 So, that's going like that. 93 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:52,680 Personally, I'm choosing to lie forwards on it as a prone bike, 94 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:54,720 because the shoulders are the widest part. 95 00:07:56,840 --> 00:07:59,280 If you want something aerodynamic, you want the widest part 96 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:01,680 near the front and then tail off, for aerodynamic reasons. 97 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:04,200 That'll actually tail off down there, 98 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:05,640 as you get towards the bottom. 99 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:09,040 And secondly, the amount of force you can achieve on that is phenomenal. 100 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:11,520 For those two reasons, I want to build a prone bike. 101 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:15,200 There! 102 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:16,240 That one, eh? 103 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:25,600 I was having an interesting conversation with somebody the other day, 104 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:27,920 talking about, how did you conceptualise the whole thing? 105 00:08:27,920 --> 00:08:29,000 Mm-hm. 106 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:31,480 I thought, well, this has got no rules and regulations. 107 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:34,480 The rules are - go and innovate a bike. 108 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:37,640 Design it yourself and ride as fast as you can. 109 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:39,520 I was out on my bike having a run. 110 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:42,000 I met two guys from the Loudoun Road Club. 111 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:43,640 They invited me along to the club, 112 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:45,800 and then there was one fella on the rollers, 113 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:48,520 and it turned out it was Graeme. And there was a pillar of steam 114 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:50,240 coming off him like a sort of chimney. 115 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:51,640 So it was like this, you know, 116 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:55,720 social-industrial type of image of Graeme training. 117 00:08:55,720 --> 00:08:58,320 So, Graeme, what was that originally? 118 00:08:58,320 --> 00:08:59,880 That was a piece of that old bike. 119 00:08:59,880 --> 00:09:01,680 The one that they were tipping out? 120 00:09:01,680 --> 00:09:05,040 The washing machine, it's untouched so far, Graeme, eh? 121 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:06,320 Yeah, so far. 122 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:10,200 - I think this fridge is going to get it next. - I'm moving onto fridges. 123 00:09:10,200 --> 00:09:13,160 I need aluminium from a fridge to fill in these wheels. 124 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:15,760 Because these spokes will drag into the wind. 125 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:18,600 And I know you want it to be fridges, so's it looks cool. 126 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:19,880 Boom-boom! Look cool! 127 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:21,800 Yeah! 128 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:25,840 Graeme came up to me and mentioned "World land speed record". 129 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:29,200 And I remember it, because my words were, "That's a dancer of an idea." 130 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:31,240 Because it's pure Graeme. 131 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:34,480 It's like the laws of physics, driven by an athlete. 132 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:36,480 I said I've not spent any money. 133 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:37,520 I'm actually wrong. 134 00:09:38,800 --> 00:09:41,160 I spent six quid at the charity shop for these. 135 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:42,600 Look, look at them rollers! 136 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:46,920 Basically, I'm on pedals, pushing back like that. 137 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:53,760 Which powers that gear there, turns it, like a steam train, 138 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:56,840 which turns that gear, which turns the back wheel to go, "Boff!", 139 00:09:56,840 --> 00:09:59,960 - flying up that road, Chick! - Brilliant, son! - That's the plan! 140 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:10,200 When I was about four years old, moved to Newmilns in the valley, 141 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:12,200 which was like a town of about 4,000 people. 142 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:16,240 But we came in as outsiders. It's very much one of those places, 143 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:20,240 unless your grandpa's buried in the graveyard, you're an outsider. 144 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:21,280 Like, for ever. 145 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:26,520 We were called "the filth" because we were police. 146 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:28,320 That's how it was in those days. 147 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:33,200 So, because I was a policeman's son, 148 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:35,400 me and my brother always got picked on. 149 00:10:39,960 --> 00:10:42,120 Most of the time I would sneak out of the village, 150 00:10:42,120 --> 00:10:44,400 and get into the countryside, and I would go, 151 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:45,720 and I would hide in the forest. 152 00:10:47,040 --> 00:10:49,560 Because that seemed a credible alternative 153 00:10:49,560 --> 00:10:52,120 to going and trying and find pals. 154 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:01,680 But I just got on my bike as an escape mechanism, 155 00:11:01,680 --> 00:11:04,720 as this magic carpet that just sails through the atmosphere, 156 00:11:04,720 --> 00:11:06,840 and over hills and far away. 157 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:23,960 I need to squish to find out how narrow my shoulders can get. 158 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:27,480 Without... You see, that doesn't affect your breathing. 159 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:30,240 I can't imagine them going any less than 40 centimetres. 160 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:32,040 I bet you they do, I bet you they go to 35. 161 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:33,480 Not comfortably, anyway. 162 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:35,400 I need to squish behind something. 163 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:37,680 The boys have never, in real life, 164 00:11:37,680 --> 00:11:39,560 seen their old man doing an actual event. 165 00:11:39,560 --> 00:11:41,000 They've heard all the stories. 166 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:43,160 They love the whole, "Oh, your dad's..." 167 00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:45,120 But they were too young to go anywhere. 168 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:47,040 So, here's a second bite at the cherry 169 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:48,840 of doing a really exciting thing. 170 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:51,040 So basically, this is basically the Obree position, 171 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:53,800 the first one set from the... 2.0? 172 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:56,520 Yeah! The one that people said, "You can't ride like that." 173 00:11:56,520 --> 00:12:00,400 - But there's no rules against you doing it in this one, though? - No! 174 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:01,440 Take two! 175 00:12:03,240 --> 00:12:04,640 Oh, that feels good, actually. 176 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:06,320 - More? - A bit more. 177 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:07,920 Keep the cabinet straight to the wall 178 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:10,200 so that we can measure directly, exactly what it is. 179 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:13,240 I think that's about it, that's it. 180 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:14,960 - Oh, that's good. - Right, measure that. 181 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:18,080 It's that gap there - right there. 182 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:22,560 34! Ya dancer! 183 00:12:29,680 --> 00:12:32,640 Right, so, what I've got, you see, my shoulders are actually that wide. 184 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:35,640 - Yep. - Right. Which is so much more than that. 185 00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:37,680 But if I squish them in... 186 00:12:37,680 --> 00:12:39,080 Ah, I see! 187 00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:41,200 - I see! - Squish them in, right? 188 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:43,840 That supports my body weight and squishes the shoulders in, 189 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:46,000 so that at the front, it's narrower. 190 00:12:47,560 --> 00:12:49,440 And that part there, that steel part... 191 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:52,520 If it's a choice between fibreglass, carbon or steel, 192 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:54,920 I think I'd rather have a piece of steel beside my shoulder. 193 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:56,280 And it turned out... 194 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:00,000 ..would you believe, 195 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:01,760 there was a nice bit of stainless steel 196 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:05,160 - just nestling under my kitchen cupboards? Look at that. - Frying pan. 197 00:13:05,160 --> 00:13:07,600 We've invented a frying pan that you can get side access, 198 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:10,200 and you can bang your sausages from each end, like that. 199 00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:11,760 Look, I've invented something! 200 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:24,360 Remember the pair of roller blades I had? That's what's left of it. 201 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:31,720 Basically, I want to put this on here right now, 202 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:33,400 as it will be in the real world... 203 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:36,880 ..for the sake of measurement. 204 00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:41,880 Stick your knee in it. 205 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:50,960 So, that's obsessively where I want it. 206 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:54,640 There. High tea. 207 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:00,600 You know, it's nice just to enjoy the countryside 208 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:03,120 without just gasping out. 209 00:14:09,040 --> 00:14:12,320 We're very lucky in Scotland, on these tiny, wee roads. 210 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:16,200 I always train on these wee roads. 211 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:17,720 No traffic bothering you. 212 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:35,600 I became seriously depressed, to the point of actually believing 213 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:38,640 that everybody would be better off if I was dead. 214 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:41,920 I thought I was doing the world a favour. 215 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:46,960 It was obviously a clear case of mental illness. 216 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:52,240 And the funny thing is, 217 00:14:52,240 --> 00:14:55,480 the gap between deciding, OK, I WILL kill myself, 218 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:56,840 to the point of killing myself... 219 00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:00,800 ..was the calmest, most serene period of my life. 220 00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:16,560 I took 116 aspirins. 221 00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:21,640 And because that wasn't working I then cut the seat belt out of a car 222 00:15:21,640 --> 00:15:26,200 because I could use that to hang myself on the tree over there. 223 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:30,240 At which point the police came and they realised that 224 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:32,840 this guy seriously was suicidal. 225 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:41,200 So, that got me into a mental institution... 226 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:44,560 ..which is quite a shock to the system. 227 00:15:47,840 --> 00:15:49,400 There was a second suicide attempt. 228 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:52,960 I might have actually been dead already. 229 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:56,280 I'm very fortunate to be here. 230 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:59,080 You don't talk to many people that have been dead, do you? 231 00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:04,920 I think once you've been dead, 232 00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:07,600 then you have to appreciate being alive more. 233 00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:17,680 This is one of my favourite places. This is just passing the Black Loch. 234 00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:24,320 You can't tell me... 235 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:25,360 HE GASPS 236 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:27,680 ..going to the gym is ever better than this. 237 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:30,760 The real world. 238 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:33,080 That's what's so lovely about bikes. 239 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:35,080 It's a real sport in the real world. 240 00:16:37,320 --> 00:16:39,440 Over that hill and you see that view 241 00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:42,960 and you think, "Wow. Is there a better thing to do 242 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:45,720 "on a sunny day than this?" 243 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:46,920 Then you get to whiz downhill. 244 00:17:12,840 --> 00:17:14,760 Perfect. 245 00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:26,120 I realise I'm being a bit ambitious. 246 00:17:26,120 --> 00:17:28,440 But to go to aim at the record, 247 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:31,760 it's basically through that finish of a track race, 248 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:35,200 if it's like 45 seconds, you want to be up to speed. 249 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:36,800 And have you had it up at that? 250 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:37,840 No. 251 00:17:55,240 --> 00:18:00,040 What we're doing is making a start on taking some key points 252 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:03,000 and datums of Graeme on it, 253 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:06,680 so getting the boards below his back to the side 254 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:08,720 so we can start taking points and, 255 00:18:08,720 --> 00:18:10,480 within keeping with the project so far, 256 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:13,040 just using kind of honest and readily available materials 257 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:17,800 like cardboard, tape, things of that nature. 258 00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:19,320 That's the seat. 259 00:18:23,360 --> 00:18:27,120 I think Graeme's very much got an idea in mind of what he wants, 260 00:18:27,120 --> 00:18:29,440 so it's really trying to achieve that and also make it 261 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:31,840 aerodynamically efficient at the same time. 262 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:37,040 It's amazing to have a clear plastic and you're going inside this thing. 263 00:18:39,800 --> 00:18:41,320 If I was an air molecule, I'd think, 264 00:18:41,320 --> 00:18:43,040 "Oh, straight past that," wouldn't you? 265 00:18:45,120 --> 00:18:48,480 - That is impressive, isn't it? - Just in here now, I'll do a bit. 266 00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:52,080 It's quite funny - looking at you and looking at this, you think, "Oh, that's too small". 267 00:18:52,080 --> 00:18:55,240 I think folk would think, "Is that for a kid or something?" 268 00:19:00,440 --> 00:19:02,440 MOBILE RINGS 269 00:19:02,440 --> 00:19:03,720 Hello? 270 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:05,960 Yeah. 271 00:19:07,120 --> 00:19:08,480 I think I will be available. 272 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:09,640 Who is it speaking, sorry? 273 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:12,120 It's 5 Live did you say? 274 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:15,480 We're talking about Lance Armstrong. 275 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:18,440 He's not going to fight the drug allegations any more. 276 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:20,720 Graeme Obree, one of the UK's best cyclists of all time, 277 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:24,280 two world records, 1993, 1994. 278 00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:25,920 Graeme, where do you stand on this? 279 00:19:25,920 --> 00:19:27,960 Do you think he's done the right thing there? 280 00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:29,800 Well, I think it's very interesting. 281 00:19:29,800 --> 00:19:33,960 What actually transpired is Lance has actually decided 282 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:37,600 to cool down the whole process of investigation. 283 00:19:37,600 --> 00:19:40,560 Lance isn't the only person involved in this. 284 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:44,640 Now, the governing body of the sport itself oversaw the entire era 285 00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:47,640 and as has been spoken about already, it was a very grubby era. 286 00:19:47,640 --> 00:19:52,840 Now, as a rider myself, I can tell you that drug-taking was endemic. 287 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:56,480 In 1995, I was offered a contract to ride the Tour de France with 288 00:19:56,480 --> 00:19:59,440 a Tour de France team and it explained that almost, 289 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:04,680 I'm saying almost, every rider in the Tour de France will take... 290 00:20:04,680 --> 00:20:07,040 It was reported, and it was all arranged and I said, 291 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:10,960 "It's not happening." And that was the end of my career. No more. The entire sport closed ranks. 292 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:13,960 That was the end of my entire cycling career, basically. 293 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:20,560 Graeme, you talked about the mental health issues that you suffered as a result. What does it do to you? 294 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:21,920 I did suffer serious depression, 295 00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:23,720 but with other personal issues, obviously, 296 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:25,920 but that was one factor that didn't help my situation. 297 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:37,200 Phil, would you resent it if your career and your income and 298 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:40,240 everything and that was just taken away by other people's actions? 299 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:43,400 The resentment was lack of truth and here is truth. 300 00:20:44,920 --> 00:20:48,560 After 17 years of enforced silence, 301 00:20:48,560 --> 00:20:51,480 and they said that I was fired for unprofessionalism... 302 00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:54,440 ..and I had no way of defending myself. 303 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:56,640 I couldn't say, "Well, here is the truth," 304 00:20:56,640 --> 00:20:58,760 because I would get sued out of my house. 305 00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:00,120 That's how it was in the '90s. 306 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:09,800 The balance between being cynical 307 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:12,040 and about telling the truth about the past 308 00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:13,640 and not tarnishing the present 309 00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:15,600 and the enthusiasm of young people. 310 00:21:36,480 --> 00:21:39,200 Tomato and selfish paste. 311 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:40,640 What's selfish paste?! 312 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:41,680 Selfish paste! 313 00:21:41,680 --> 00:21:44,680 See when you go walking or something like that and you make a sandwich? 314 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:45,720 "Oh, blag us a sandwich." 315 00:21:45,720 --> 00:21:47,360 And you go, "Oh, there's mustard in it." 316 00:21:47,360 --> 00:21:50,000 And you go, "Oh, all right, I'll no' bother." 317 00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:56,560 The classic, the best thing is, for safety, you put mustard and, er 318 00:21:56,560 --> 00:22:00,880 Marmite both in, so there's mustard and Marmite in it. 319 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:03,240 Chances are you're going to eliminate most of the people 320 00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:05,000 that would blag your sandwich. 321 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:07,000 That's why I call it selfish paste. 322 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:13,280 The problem is, I'm struggling to see just level. 323 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:14,480 So why don't we lose the hat? 324 00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:18,600 We knew, straight off, the shell wasn't good. 325 00:22:18,600 --> 00:22:20,800 It didnae fit him properly. 326 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:22,000 His head didn't fit in. 327 00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:24,720 Oh, that's grand. 328 00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:26,800 It's right on your head there, OK? 329 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:30,360 - What we'll do is we'll just tape it at that shape there, OK? - Aye. 330 00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:38,160 Beastie to ground control! 331 00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:39,600 'What makes you strong can also make you weak. 332 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:46,080 'Like, the thing that makes me strong is my fear, 333 00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:47,600 'my obsessive behaviour, 334 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:51,600 'my need to have an achievement, so that I can feel good about it. 335 00:23:55,440 --> 00:23:58,880 'Now, that's slightly unbalanced. 336 00:23:58,880 --> 00:24:02,320 'An unsatisfied person who is seeking satisfaction 337 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:05,080 'through bigger and bigger results. 338 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:13,160 'The average person who is happy and content in their life 339 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:16,760 'are NOT going up at the seafront at seven o'clock on a Sunday morning 340 00:24:16,760 --> 00:24:18,000 'in the pouring rain. 341 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:21,240 'Now, they're not strong people 342 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:23,640 'that are going to win the world championship, 343 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:27,000 'but they're not going to go and kill themselves. 344 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:30,800 'They're stable, satisfied, contented people. 345 00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:36,920 'Now, I truly believe that the level you reach in anything 346 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:39,120 'is your level of satisfaction. 347 00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:48,760 'And my level of satisfaction was the fastest human being in the best 348 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:52,120 'possible events in the world, ultimately what I reached. 349 00:24:56,280 --> 00:24:58,560 'And it wasn't quite satisfying, 350 00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:01,040 'but there's no higher level to go to, 351 00:25:01,040 --> 00:25:07,440 'so, at that point, you don't have another step on the ladder. 352 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:09,360 HE BREATHES HEAVILY 353 00:25:09,360 --> 00:25:11,320 'How do you feel good about yourself? 354 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:16,800 'Then you move onto obsessional behaviour like substance abuse 355 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:19,520 'to try and escape the fact that you need to feel better. 356 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:31,800 'But someone who is more content in their life with who they are... 357 00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:35,640 '..don't need to push themselves like that.' 358 00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:45,320 HE COUGHS 359 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:48,520 Oh! Sport's good for you! You know that?! 360 00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:49,560 HE LAUGHS 361 00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:57,840 It's January and we're in Puerto De Santiago in Tenerife. 362 00:25:59,120 --> 00:26:02,160 At Machrihanish airport I was kind of like that 363 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:04,960 and I could see green and green 364 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:09,240 and, under those conditions, I wasn't willing to put a punt on. 365 00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:12,040 I wanted to know that I could steer it even with the wind blowing, 366 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:15,880 but when I did stop and fall over, that clear material, 367 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:18,080 there was a crack on it. 368 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:19,520 Now, if that's going to protect you 369 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:21,880 sliding up a road at 80mph, I don't think it will. 370 00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:33,920 'It's an awful lot of commitment to go to Nevada 371 00:26:33,920 --> 00:26:36,320 'and, also, your reputation is at stake. 372 00:26:44,480 --> 00:26:49,840 'So, I've eliminated the factors that are perhaps unpredictable 373 00:26:49,840 --> 00:26:51,960 'which is basically other people. 374 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:54,080 'Like, I'm now taking charge of this.' 375 00:27:21,120 --> 00:27:24,360 I decided that breathing was quite an important issue 376 00:27:24,360 --> 00:27:25,720 so I've manufactured 377 00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:30,360 a combination of snorkel and sink drainage unit. 378 00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:38,320 So, I feel good about all that. 379 00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:46,720 I took...a pill that my doctor prescribed. 380 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:48,880 I was struggling with personal issues 381 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:51,720 and struggling with the late nights and dust and everything. 382 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:53,960 I took this antidepressant and I thought it was 383 00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:57,360 something that could help see me through, that he'd prescribed. 384 00:27:57,360 --> 00:27:59,200 And it would be good for me. 385 00:27:59,200 --> 00:28:03,840 So, the next morning I woke up and suffered a priapism. 386 00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:08,320 The doctor said, "Right, that's an emergency, 387 00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:10,280 I'm getting you right down to the hospital." 388 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:11,960 At that point they go, 389 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:17,240 "We need to give you a proper spinal tap," but that didn't work, and 390 00:28:17,240 --> 00:28:24,000 they actually got a cardiac surgeon to perform vascular surgery. 391 00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:25,040 You can see... 392 00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:30,200 ..they've actually had to take a vein out of my leg... 393 00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:36,160 ..and they've used that to form a blood supply and a blood outlet, 394 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:40,480 different route, and there's more scarring like that in other parts. 395 00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:42,600 About ten hours on the operating table. 396 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:46,120 But the bottom line is, it means I can't think about riding a bike. 397 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:48,440 The guy says three weeks. 398 00:28:48,440 --> 00:28:49,560 A bit of a setback. 399 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:51,440 But you know what? 400 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:52,840 It's not a setback 401 00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:55,400 until the last minute you're not making the start line. 402 00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:13,400 I've been given the all-clear by the surgeon to go and ride. 403 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:16,200 We'll give it a big haematoma and infection thing. 404 00:29:16,200 --> 00:29:18,360 That is what that kind of sweat is, the antibiotics. 405 00:29:19,400 --> 00:29:24,320 Er, but I can ride, and I will be able to ride and train. 406 00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:28,360 That's what they've said, "Green light, go ahead." 407 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:32,720 HE WHISTLES 408 00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:38,320 Now that's proper running smooth. 409 00:29:38,320 --> 00:29:39,360 Finger touch. 410 00:29:55,200 --> 00:29:57,960 'I'm putting my reputation on the line a wee bit. That's the fear. 411 00:29:59,520 --> 00:30:02,160 'And other people have punted good money to get me out there, 412 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:05,120 'that have believed in me from pretty much the start 413 00:30:05,120 --> 00:30:08,040 'and it's as much the fear of letting them down as anything else.' 414 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:12,080 - Chic, can I take this helmet off? - Aye, course you can, yeah. 415 00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:14,720 Right, chocks away, chaps! 416 00:30:17,200 --> 00:30:18,360 Are you ready? 417 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:25,160 - Oh! - Argh! - You all right? 418 00:30:25,160 --> 00:30:26,480 Uh-huh. 419 00:30:26,480 --> 00:30:28,320 What happened there? 420 00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:29,960 There was nothing to grab onto. 421 00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:31,880 You should have been the other side. 422 00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:34,320 - Are you OK? - Uh-huh. 423 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:36,240 So that is the fundamental problem we've got. 424 00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:37,520 What? 425 00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:39,920 All I can do is keep a straight line 426 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:44,120 and you keep me upright or not, and I have no control over that. 427 00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:47,120 OK, so let's go up the runway without the lid on. 428 00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:49,120 Let's see what kind of pace I can get it up to. 429 00:30:49,120 --> 00:30:50,160 Right, OK. 430 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:01,800 'Well, it's here and test, or America. 431 00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:06,120 'I have to concentrate on looking at where I'm going 432 00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:09,640 'through this really strained, bifocal, rumbly vision. 433 00:31:10,640 --> 00:31:14,360 'You can kind of see this white line and a general hazy kind of focus, 434 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:15,520 'but only in the middle. 435 00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:17,720 'And then you've got a real rumble on it as well. 436 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:21,920 'There's a really twitchy response. 437 00:31:21,920 --> 00:31:24,800 'I have to just use my forearms to steer it. 438 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:26,600 'I need to concentrate on the pedalling. 439 00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:34,200 'It feels more like an effort 440 00:31:34,200 --> 00:31:36,200 'in some sort of big deep-sea diving suit 441 00:31:36,200 --> 00:31:38,320 'once you've got the breathing apparatus 442 00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:40,720 'and you're really enclosed in it. 443 00:31:40,720 --> 00:31:42,680 'And the feeling that you're going to choke later 444 00:31:42,680 --> 00:31:45,520 'when you bite into it to hold it, and you're actually breathing 445 00:31:45,520 --> 00:31:47,320 'and it's closing up the hole slightly. 446 00:31:47,320 --> 00:31:48,760 'That's a panic. 447 00:31:49,840 --> 00:31:53,760 'When you get to 1km to go in the States, I need to feel the burn. 448 00:31:56,960 --> 00:31:59,920 'Once I pass that speed trap, I need to have the confidence that 449 00:31:59,920 --> 00:32:03,080 'I can breathe enough later to guide this vehicle in to get caught.' 450 00:32:12,360 --> 00:32:15,520 - 25? - Aye. - It must have been more than that. 451 00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:17,280 You got up to 40, seriously. 452 00:32:19,120 --> 00:32:22,080 - For goodness' sake. - You're just turning everything over. 453 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:24,480 You've just got forward through the glass there. 454 00:32:24,480 --> 00:32:29,640 It's satisfying, but it's slightly not satisfying as well. 455 00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:33,520 Because I want to go, "Aye, I've done 60 or 65 or something." 456 00:32:33,520 --> 00:32:34,560 And I've not. 457 00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:47,560 Prestwick was a traumatic experience. 458 00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:53,680 Now, somebody did suggest, 459 00:32:53,680 --> 00:32:56,480 are you really going to go to America after that performance? 460 00:32:56,480 --> 00:32:58,800 25mph, How are you possibly going to get on any decent pace? 461 00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:04,920 So, but at the end of that it is... No. You can't just give up. 462 00:33:06,160 --> 00:33:08,280 I think, "What can I do about it?" 463 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:09,640 GRINDER BUZZES 464 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:16,880 The post-disaster Prestwick discussion, 465 00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:19,120 I was getting quite heated at points 466 00:33:19,120 --> 00:33:22,320 and I suggested we just step back. 467 00:33:22,320 --> 00:33:24,320 I've known Graeme since he was a young guy. 468 00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:30,600 I don't understand depression... 469 00:33:31,760 --> 00:33:34,840 ..but I sort of know when to take the foot off the gas a wee bit 470 00:33:34,840 --> 00:33:37,200 with him, because he'll normally come round. 471 00:33:51,560 --> 00:33:54,200 They wouldn't touch that for a minute. 472 00:33:57,400 --> 00:33:59,400 Oh! 473 00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:01,840 I've not allowed any spare space at all 474 00:34:01,840 --> 00:34:04,720 because you have to be obsessional at that level 475 00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:06,840 if you want to break world records. 476 00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:09,600 With the lid on, it's pushing my pelvis slightly down 477 00:34:09,600 --> 00:34:11,600 and my knees are slightly hitting the metalwork. 478 00:34:12,880 --> 00:34:15,360 It's going to have to be raised up. 479 00:34:15,360 --> 00:34:17,960 This is going to be taken off altogether, 480 00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:19,840 this top piece, altogether. 481 00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:22,800 It's geared up to be, you can do 100mph. 482 00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:25,320 It's clear if, I'm doing 35mph as it is, 483 00:34:25,320 --> 00:34:27,240 I'm not going to do 100mph. 484 00:34:28,880 --> 00:34:30,040 I can tell you that right now. 485 00:34:31,240 --> 00:34:34,760 We've got to gear down to a more pragmatic gear. 486 00:34:37,240 --> 00:34:39,520 In fact, dropping the gear about 25%... 487 00:34:40,880 --> 00:34:43,600 ..but not giving up on the fact that you could possibly get on the 488 00:34:43,600 --> 00:34:46,360 world-record pace. It's not an impossible gear to do that with. 489 00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:47,480 It's now the 10th of August. 490 00:34:47,480 --> 00:34:49,880 This has to be in a crate in Aberdeen, 491 00:34:49,880 --> 00:34:51,840 which is 200 miles from here... 492 00:34:53,240 --> 00:34:55,640 ..to be shipped out on the 23rd, 493 00:34:55,640 --> 00:34:58,120 so it's got to leave on the 22nd. 494 00:34:58,120 --> 00:34:59,760 Eh, that's 12 days. 495 00:34:59,760 --> 00:35:00,800 SAWING 496 00:35:11,040 --> 00:35:12,200 Ah, come on. 497 00:35:22,960 --> 00:35:24,000 There. 498 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:28,840 It's not as I would want it, but it's OK. 499 00:35:52,680 --> 00:35:54,080 'The guys at Prestwick Airport, 500 00:35:54,080 --> 00:35:57,360 'they have a facility to paint The Beastie with a finish that we're 501 00:35:57,360 --> 00:36:00,200 'looking for. I never thought we'd get anywhere near it. 502 00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:03,320 'But I'm a wee bit on edge. 503 00:36:03,320 --> 00:36:06,320 'I now know for certain were going to be there. 504 00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:10,680 'We've got Graeme directed and focused on where he needs to get to, 505 00:36:10,680 --> 00:36:13,520 'but I don't know how fast The Beastie is going to go.' 506 00:36:13,520 --> 00:36:18,040 If his power potential is, like, where he can get it to, 507 00:36:18,040 --> 00:36:20,040 THAT will go fast. 508 00:36:30,640 --> 00:36:34,440 Still slightly jet-lagged, but what I want to do now at this stage 509 00:36:34,440 --> 00:36:37,880 is actually get some real quite fast pedalling in. 510 00:36:37,880 --> 00:36:40,520 Because if we're going to be going at a high cadence 511 00:36:40,520 --> 00:36:42,640 then I want to get my legs into suppleness for that, 512 00:36:42,640 --> 00:36:44,560 which I used to have all through my life. 513 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:49,840 I see a road going up the hill. 514 00:36:49,840 --> 00:36:52,560 You can see the climb from here. It snakes up over the hill there. 515 00:36:53,600 --> 00:36:55,720 That's the best run. It's quieter roads as well. 516 00:37:03,360 --> 00:37:07,920 I'm glad we went and stayed in Elko rather than making the decision 517 00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:09,160 to go into Battle Mountain. 518 00:37:09,160 --> 00:37:12,320 Part of the decision about that was to isolate Graeme. 519 00:37:14,880 --> 00:37:18,080 He could be on his own and just get on with training... 520 00:37:19,880 --> 00:37:21,040 ..and acclimatise. 521 00:38:15,080 --> 00:38:16,120 HE GULPS BREATHS 522 00:38:22,480 --> 00:38:23,920 OK, the road is now closed 523 00:38:23,920 --> 00:38:26,640 and we are rolling sweet, we are now rolling sweet. 524 00:38:47,400 --> 00:38:48,920 RADIO CRACKLES 525 00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:51,000 Catch to start. Do you read me, over? 526 00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:12,680 I was standing minding my own business on the start line 527 00:39:12,680 --> 00:39:14,480 and was approached and he said, 528 00:39:14,480 --> 00:39:17,720 "Listen, put that notepad down. I need you to launch me." 529 00:39:17,720 --> 00:39:20,040 And I look and said, "What?!" 530 00:39:20,040 --> 00:39:25,200 You know? I've looked at this machine that he's built for the past two years in absolute awe. 531 00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:29,000 I have been afraid to even lay a hand on it and Graeme Obree 532 00:39:29,000 --> 00:39:31,560 was saying, "Launch the bloody thing!" 533 00:39:31,560 --> 00:39:33,960 OK, stand by, stand by. 534 00:39:33,960 --> 00:39:36,320 Roger, start copies. 535 00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:37,560 On you go, Gary. 536 00:39:37,560 --> 00:39:40,080 Right, OK, take it away. 537 00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:43,880 Have you got it, Graeme? 538 00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:49,040 Our first launch wasn't successful. 539 00:39:49,040 --> 00:39:51,240 The bike fell over. 540 00:39:52,400 --> 00:39:53,640 I felt really awful. 541 00:39:54,920 --> 00:39:56,760 Have you launched Graeme yet, over? 542 00:39:56,760 --> 00:39:59,200 Negative. We tried to. Graeme fell. 543 00:39:59,200 --> 00:40:01,600 Again, Gary, take it again, on you go. 544 00:40:01,600 --> 00:40:02,920 Are you OK, G? 545 00:40:08,080 --> 00:40:09,320 Well done, Gary. 546 00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:10,560 'He is under way.' 547 00:40:10,560 --> 00:40:11,760 Well done, mate. 548 00:40:11,760 --> 00:40:13,560 - 'How far underway?' - On you go. 549 00:40:13,560 --> 00:40:16,280 OK, Roger that. 550 00:40:26,440 --> 00:40:30,280 The Beastie is so erratic. It looks so unstable. 551 00:40:30,280 --> 00:40:32,000 I'm just shitting myself. 552 00:40:54,520 --> 00:40:57,720 I just hope to God Graeme can get over that line 553 00:40:57,720 --> 00:41:00,040 and hopefully he gets a bit of speed as well. 554 00:41:25,440 --> 00:41:26,960 Keep coming, keep coming. 555 00:41:34,640 --> 00:41:36,800 - Well done. - Good job! 556 00:41:36,800 --> 00:41:39,680 You did 50mph. 557 00:41:39,680 --> 00:41:41,120 Yeah, that'll do for now. 558 00:41:41,120 --> 00:41:43,400 He got it over the line. We had qualified. 559 00:41:43,400 --> 00:41:44,960 Good work, you've qualified. 560 00:41:44,960 --> 00:41:47,200 We can play with the big boys. 561 00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:52,200 RADIO CHATTER OBSCURES SPEECH 562 00:41:52,200 --> 00:41:55,640 And I didn't race it then because it seemed unstable. 563 00:41:55,640 --> 00:41:57,040 OK, coming in. 564 00:41:58,160 --> 00:42:00,640 'This is Dave Larrington, following them down.' 565 00:42:00,640 --> 00:42:02,680 This is the first run, though. How do you assess it? 566 00:42:02,680 --> 00:42:05,040 I think it was a success because I brought it down the road. 567 00:42:05,040 --> 00:42:07,520 I wasnae going to race it because it was too unstable, 568 00:42:07,520 --> 00:42:08,800 but my God, hold it to this line 569 00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:10,760 and then I can decide about gearing later on. 570 00:42:10,760 --> 00:42:12,040 Yeah, yeah. 571 00:42:13,960 --> 00:42:17,040 - But that's it for now. - Good, good. 572 00:42:17,040 --> 00:42:23,040 The first run was Graeme in Beastie at 47.67 miles an hour. 573 00:42:27,280 --> 00:42:32,720 We had Sebastiaan in VeloX 3 at 78.21. 574 00:42:40,320 --> 00:42:41,840 I've got to try and get a punt on, 575 00:42:41,840 --> 00:42:45,520 - a real punt on, without the bike going all over the place. - Yeah, yeah. 576 00:42:45,520 --> 00:42:48,880 That's what I've got to try and do to get to that speed. 577 00:42:48,880 --> 00:42:51,840 That's my understanding of it at the moment. If were going to get to 578 00:42:51,840 --> 00:42:53,960 those speeds, that's what we've got to tackle. 579 00:42:53,960 --> 00:42:56,560 We'll get it out and get that gear on tomorrow. 580 00:43:07,800 --> 00:43:10,880 So, Graeme managed to get a slot in the runs, 581 00:43:10,880 --> 00:43:12,600 but he was just on the periphery. 582 00:43:13,920 --> 00:43:16,080 It's like a sort of handicap system. 583 00:43:16,080 --> 00:43:18,560 So if you go really fast on your first run, 584 00:43:18,560 --> 00:43:19,680 you're guaranteed a slot. 585 00:43:23,280 --> 00:43:25,520 The first run wasn't good enough to guarantee 586 00:43:25,520 --> 00:43:28,400 that we know Graeme's going to get a run all week 587 00:43:28,400 --> 00:43:31,080 and that's a problem, because if you don't get a run, 588 00:43:31,080 --> 00:43:33,120 you don't improve your time. 589 00:43:34,200 --> 00:43:36,440 So he needed to go out and do faster times. 590 00:43:40,440 --> 00:43:42,960 Is that the gear you had to change? 591 00:43:42,960 --> 00:43:48,280 Yes. This one? The 17 has come off and the 12 has gone on. 592 00:43:50,200 --> 00:43:51,800 We've not got a ride tonight. 593 00:43:51,800 --> 00:43:53,360 - Oh, right. - So we can relax. 594 00:43:54,920 --> 00:43:56,520 Obviously I've not qualified. 595 00:43:56,520 --> 00:43:58,200 We've not qualified, so I'm going to 596 00:43:58,200 --> 00:44:00,280 put us in for the two rides tomorrow morning, 597 00:44:00,280 --> 00:44:02,440 one in the two-and-a-half and one in the five. 598 00:44:02,440 --> 00:44:05,200 OK? Let's do both of them tomorrow morning. 599 00:44:05,200 --> 00:44:09,120 - It means that we'll be up there all morning, OK? - Right. 600 00:44:18,720 --> 00:44:20,800 Some of the teams are really complex 601 00:44:20,800 --> 00:44:23,480 in their and nurture and care of the vehicles. 602 00:44:26,560 --> 00:44:28,000 Look at Graeme in isolation, 603 00:44:28,000 --> 00:44:30,280 trying his best and doing bloody good with it. 604 00:44:33,320 --> 00:44:38,760 And then the Dutch guys, they're at the forefront of aerodynamics. 605 00:44:38,760 --> 00:44:42,240 It's cost an absolute fortune to put together a team. 606 00:44:44,120 --> 00:44:48,360 They're a step change ahead of where The Beastie was 607 00:44:48,360 --> 00:44:50,760 and a number of other riders. 608 00:44:58,160 --> 00:45:01,400 So once we knew what the speed potential was for The Beastie, 609 00:45:01,400 --> 00:45:03,880 once we knew it wasn't going to be 75mph, 610 00:45:03,880 --> 00:45:07,280 there was a discussion at that point in time about the prone record 611 00:45:07,280 --> 00:45:09,400 and the prone record was 54mph. 612 00:45:09,400 --> 00:45:12,480 Once we saw that, we knew that Graeme was close to it. 613 00:45:13,680 --> 00:45:17,520 So it was a matter of Graeme going out with that target in mind. 614 00:45:22,960 --> 00:45:25,440 Take a bit of spring, right? You hear me? 615 00:45:27,440 --> 00:45:28,480 Let's not... 616 00:45:30,320 --> 00:45:33,080 Oh, it's away! Ha-ha! 617 00:45:33,080 --> 00:45:35,280 Graeme, that was childish. 618 00:45:35,280 --> 00:45:36,760 TRAIN HORN SOUNDS 619 00:45:51,120 --> 00:45:53,040 It's Thursday, so we had two days. 620 00:45:54,480 --> 00:45:55,760 Bloody good conditions. 621 00:45:57,240 --> 00:45:59,040 So, in my head, today's the day. 622 00:46:02,040 --> 00:46:03,560 Right. 623 00:46:03,560 --> 00:46:05,680 'When you're ready, over.' 624 00:46:19,000 --> 00:46:22,080 Gary done a brilliant launch and off Graeme went 625 00:46:22,080 --> 00:46:23,680 and I was, like, highly optimistic. 626 00:46:43,640 --> 00:46:47,040 There is a fighting element to it and it's just the discomfort. 627 00:46:47,040 --> 00:46:51,200 If you have to raise it to 56mph, that becomes very uncomfortable. 628 00:46:51,200 --> 00:46:52,520 If you lose that air tube, 629 00:46:52,520 --> 00:46:55,600 then you could actually suffocate and faint in there. 630 00:46:57,480 --> 00:46:59,640 You can actually end up hitting the rocks. 631 00:46:59,640 --> 00:47:01,280 And you WILL break your neck. 632 00:47:11,440 --> 00:47:14,120 I was totally gasped out, 500 metres to go, 633 00:47:14,120 --> 00:47:16,520 to the point I can hardly see where I'm going. 634 00:47:19,760 --> 00:47:22,000 You're hitting the 500-metre mark 635 00:47:22,000 --> 00:47:25,040 knowing that you are actually totally nailing this, 636 00:47:25,040 --> 00:47:27,440 because I absolutely have to. 637 00:47:27,440 --> 00:47:29,000 It's like, "Must is a good master". 638 00:47:31,440 --> 00:47:34,240 You MUST break that record, for emotional survival. 639 00:47:36,120 --> 00:47:39,520 That outweighs the sense of fear of suffocation. 640 00:47:49,760 --> 00:47:50,840 GASPING 641 00:47:50,840 --> 00:47:52,040 OK. I have him. We have him. 642 00:47:53,960 --> 00:47:55,520 Good job. 643 00:47:55,520 --> 00:47:57,080 You were pushing 60 there. 644 00:47:57,080 --> 00:47:58,800 - Yeah. - Well done, Graeme. 645 00:47:58,800 --> 00:48:01,360 When they let me out... I'm going "Let me out, let me out!" 646 00:48:01,360 --> 00:48:02,880 I panicked in the last minute. 647 00:48:02,880 --> 00:48:05,840 - Yeah, you're bleeding. - Couldn't breathe. 648 00:48:05,840 --> 00:48:07,280 - Where? - Just up from here. 649 00:48:09,520 --> 00:48:12,600 What did I, did I make the 56? 650 00:48:12,600 --> 00:48:14,760 Erm, we think so. 651 00:48:14,760 --> 00:48:17,080 We think you did about 55, 56. 652 00:48:18,480 --> 00:48:20,240 Excellent. Good job, guys. Good job. 653 00:48:20,240 --> 00:48:23,160 Good job. Certainly over 55 coming out of the speed trap. 654 00:48:25,640 --> 00:48:27,640 I slowed down at the speed trap. I was panicking. 655 00:48:27,640 --> 00:48:28,880 "Let me out, I just want out." 656 00:48:36,920 --> 00:48:39,360 52.5. 657 00:48:39,360 --> 00:48:40,880 Fuck. 658 00:48:40,880 --> 00:48:43,640 You got a hat. 659 00:48:43,640 --> 00:48:45,160 Got your 50mph hat. 660 00:48:45,160 --> 00:48:46,720 - That's great. - Yeah? 661 00:48:47,840 --> 00:48:49,200 Roger that, thank you. 662 00:48:49,200 --> 00:48:52,280 - So keep stepping it up a little bit. - Right, we need to go again. 663 00:49:21,800 --> 00:49:23,040 'This was the drop. 664 00:49:24,120 --> 00:49:29,000 'This is the point of pressure and stress that, until recent times, 665 00:49:29,000 --> 00:49:31,840 'my psychologist, she would never have countenanced me 666 00:49:31,840 --> 00:49:35,360 'being allowed to actually be in this cauldron of stress... 667 00:49:35,360 --> 00:49:37,720 - BYSTANDERS: - Yeah! 668 00:49:43,800 --> 00:49:45,040 '..for the last months, 669 00:49:45,040 --> 00:49:47,560 'of knowing that that race is going to be substandard. 670 00:49:47,560 --> 00:49:49,840 'Knowing we're coming to America with economic backing 671 00:49:49,840 --> 00:49:52,280 'and people backing me up and people pressuring me, going, 672 00:49:52,280 --> 00:49:55,280 '"Graeme, come on, you've really actually got to blast your guts out 673 00:49:55,280 --> 00:49:57,360 'even though you're dog-tired." 674 00:50:02,520 --> 00:50:05,080 'That's...five times in my life I've had to do that. 675 00:50:05,080 --> 00:50:07,800 'Two hour records, two world championships and that. 676 00:50:10,200 --> 00:50:12,280 'And people say, "You WILL beat that record. 677 00:50:12,280 --> 00:50:13,800 "You're not committed enough." 678 00:50:13,800 --> 00:50:16,960 'When I've known the bike just isn't good enough. Get a grip here. 679 00:50:16,960 --> 00:50:19,080 'I'm coming over here to face embarrassment 680 00:50:19,080 --> 00:50:20,560 'so I can then go home and hide.' 681 00:50:25,840 --> 00:50:27,640 If we had a two-and-a-half mile course 682 00:50:27,640 --> 00:50:31,120 that finished two miles up the road I feel I could probably do 58 or 60. 683 00:50:32,200 --> 00:50:33,240 It's not. It's here. 684 00:50:33,240 --> 00:50:35,480 There's something draggy about this straight. 685 00:50:35,480 --> 00:50:38,640 Unless I've got a mental block about it, there's something draggy about it. 686 00:50:38,640 --> 00:50:40,360 You actually lose speed in this last mile. 687 00:50:41,600 --> 00:50:43,840 You recognise we need to go again. 688 00:50:43,840 --> 00:50:50,760 There's a parallel to be drawn here in the...time you won the world record... 689 00:50:50,760 --> 00:50:51,800 Final. 690 00:50:51,800 --> 00:50:53,880 ..in terms of, on the Saturday night... 691 00:50:55,160 --> 00:50:57,240 ..you hadn't done it, but you went back the next day 692 00:50:57,240 --> 00:50:59,160 when other people thought that, you know... 693 00:50:59,160 --> 00:51:02,360 You know, you've got that capacity to say, "Fuck it. I'm going to go again." 694 00:51:02,360 --> 00:51:04,440 Oh, I've got to go again and do it right this time. 695 00:51:09,720 --> 00:51:12,600 The pain of failure and the feeling of failure 696 00:51:12,600 --> 00:51:15,000 between stopping the first record attempt 697 00:51:15,000 --> 00:51:16,760 and saying, "I'm going again", 698 00:51:16,760 --> 00:51:19,520 actually changed me as an athlete. 699 00:51:20,840 --> 00:51:22,120 Changed me as a human being. 700 00:51:26,320 --> 00:51:30,120 That was the moment where, see that 1% that you can't access, 701 00:51:30,120 --> 00:51:32,600 of energy and drive, 702 00:51:32,600 --> 00:51:36,760 the type of energy that gets your kids out a burning building, 703 00:51:36,760 --> 00:51:41,280 that's the energy that's so painful to have not achieved 704 00:51:41,280 --> 00:51:44,160 of that level that you needed to. 705 00:51:44,160 --> 00:51:47,200 That's the point when you actually change as a human being. 706 00:51:49,800 --> 00:51:53,800 In other words, I needed to fail to access that. 707 00:51:58,920 --> 00:52:01,880 And the next day, 708 00:52:01,880 --> 00:52:06,000 I was then able to access all of this. 709 00:52:06,000 --> 00:52:08,760 Because I actually needed to win, 710 00:52:08,760 --> 00:52:09,960 even if I was going to die. 711 00:52:12,200 --> 00:52:14,400 I needed to justify my self-worth... 712 00:52:15,760 --> 00:52:17,080 ..as a human being. 713 00:52:41,760 --> 00:52:45,360 I kept Graeme out the way as late as possible. 714 00:52:45,360 --> 00:52:47,960 We got onto that start line with like five minutes to spare. 715 00:52:53,920 --> 00:52:56,400 We had been getting on really good with getting the lid on, 716 00:52:56,400 --> 00:52:58,560 but that morning we couldn't get the lid on. 717 00:52:58,560 --> 00:52:59,800 It was just a nightmare. 718 00:53:31,520 --> 00:53:34,840 Gary did a brilliant start and Graeme got it away brilliant, 719 00:53:34,840 --> 00:53:36,680 but it was windy 720 00:53:36,680 --> 00:53:39,520 and I was, like, shitting myself. I was thinking, "We've blown it." 721 00:53:49,040 --> 00:53:50,760 STEADY BREATHING 722 00:54:10,320 --> 00:54:12,200 BREATHING QUICKENS 723 00:54:35,160 --> 00:54:37,040 BREATHING ECHOES 724 00:55:41,280 --> 00:55:46,040 He was fantastic and he did a 56.62mph into 725 00:55:46,040 --> 00:55:50,280 3mph head wind, but with legal winds. 726 00:55:51,280 --> 00:55:52,600 So we're very excited. 727 00:55:52,600 --> 00:55:56,200 56.6mph, new world prone bike best. 728 00:55:57,400 --> 00:55:58,520 There. 729 00:55:58,520 --> 00:56:02,320 To come here and then to set a world record first time round, 730 00:56:02,320 --> 00:56:04,000 that's pretty impressive. 731 00:56:07,680 --> 00:56:10,160 Well done, Graeme. Well done. 732 00:56:10,160 --> 00:56:13,720 All good. Mission accomplished. 733 00:56:13,720 --> 00:56:16,120 Albeit it wasn't the mission we set out for, 734 00:56:16,120 --> 00:56:18,040 but it was mission accomplished. 735 00:56:24,040 --> 00:56:25,320 After my mental illness, 736 00:56:25,320 --> 00:56:28,600 I shouldn't have allowed myself to have to dig that deep, 737 00:56:28,600 --> 00:56:30,800 that emotional trauma of having to go again, 738 00:56:30,800 --> 00:56:32,640 again, with my back against the wall. 739 00:56:32,640 --> 00:56:35,760 I shouldn't have allowed myself to be in that position, 740 00:56:35,760 --> 00:56:38,480 erm, emotionally. 741 00:56:46,400 --> 00:56:49,440 As you know, there are near ideal conditions this morning, 742 00:56:49,440 --> 00:56:53,280 so we have Graeme in Beastie, 743 00:56:53,280 --> 00:56:56,920 56.62mph. 744 00:57:07,920 --> 00:57:10,960 It was strange. Just the five minutes before I spoke to you here, 745 00:57:10,960 --> 00:57:13,760 the timekeeper announced it is a new official world record 746 00:57:13,760 --> 00:57:17,200 and that's a strange feeling. I've not heard that for 20 years. 747 00:57:17,200 --> 00:57:20,120 It's a slow absorbance of, "Oh, my goodness, 748 00:57:20,120 --> 00:57:22,600 "I've just broken a world record. Bona fide. Official." 749 00:57:23,760 --> 00:57:26,480 So I'm still absorbing that, so that's nice. 750 00:57:32,760 --> 00:57:37,000 Like, I've personally shot out for the stars and reached the moon. 751 00:57:37,000 --> 00:57:39,440 And, OK, I had to lower the peg, 752 00:57:39,440 --> 00:57:43,480 but I got to the point I did manage to do 56.6mph and take the record. 753 00:57:44,800 --> 00:57:51,360 He's a maverick genius. He's got the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old kid. 754 00:57:51,360 --> 00:57:54,840 But when it comes down to it, what 48-year-old 755 00:57:54,840 --> 00:57:58,080 would squeeze themselves into a coffin on two wheels 756 00:57:58,080 --> 00:58:02,880 and launch themselves across a highway in northern Nevada 757 00:58:02,880 --> 00:58:09,280 at speeds touching 60mph in a machine that's made from saucepans 758 00:58:09,280 --> 00:58:11,160 and second-hand roller-skates 759 00:58:11,160 --> 00:58:16,640 that cost six and a half quid from a charity store in Saltcoats?! 760 00:58:16,640 --> 00:58:20,440 It's mad, absolutely mad. And that's why we love him. 761 00:58:28,120 --> 00:58:31,640 The sense of relief will fade and the sense of... 762 00:58:33,480 --> 00:58:36,840 ..of folk going, "Oh, wow! You broke a world record. Well done, big man!" 763 00:58:41,600 --> 00:58:43,640 I guess tigers don't change their stripes, do they? 764 00:58:43,640 --> 00:58:46,080 It's like, when their back's against the wall, it's like... 765 00:58:46,080 --> 00:58:47,720 "Rrr! You're getting it!" 766 00:58:51,160 --> 00:58:53,040 MUSIC: I Was The King by Alun Woodward 767 00:58:53,040 --> 00:58:55,960 768 00:58:55,960 --> 00:59:00,320 769 00:59:00,320 --> 00:59:03,960 770 00:59:03,960 --> 00:59:08,360 771 00:59:08,360 --> 00:59:12,240 772 00:59:12,240 --> 00:59:15,720 773 00:59:15,720 --> 00:59:20,640 774 00:59:20,640 --> 00:59:26,080