After an initial and intense love affair that started on the 12th February, its suddenly and abruptly ended on the 28th Feb. Just one day shy of my 40th Birthday.
She was so beautiful when I first laid my eyes on her. There was no lust, there was no craving, it was a very communicative kind of love affair. The ones that would usually last. I wanted lightness, stiffness and speed, she was all that and more. I was strong, but she made me stronger, and she wanted to be brought to places and go the distance, and I relented to all her requests... together, I felt unequivocally invincible, the world was our oyster, together, the world seemed so small, together, we will no longer be... God took her away. May her soul rest in peace.
It happened all so suddenly... after a blistering ride back from Changi Point to NSRCC ( averaging 33km/h), I slowed down once I connected to the cycling path at NSRCC. I had to do that, because the rest of the group was so far behind... my speed was down to 26, easy for them to catch up with me, it was also time to load up on my electrolytes, took a swagger on my 'secret formula' and watched the joggers whizzing pass me, ah.. Chia Wee boon was jogging, so nice to see him back in singapore again! as I approached the winding bend, I saw a large peloton of cyclists, i slow down even more, and decided to go to the left hand side... as I went down the bend, there 4-6 errant riders from the peloton, coming onto the left hand side of the road, 2 cyclists especially fast, one of them came to close.. and he killed my darling.
It was a sickening 'çrack' sound, the sound you hear when someone breaks his bones. The cervelo guy took a tumble, I was ok, but I decided to go lie on the grass. I looked at my bike. Amazing. Nothing was broken. No major scratches and no major breaks, even my fork was intact. I was furious at the duo.. as cyclists they did the worst thing ever, negotiating a curve and going into the wrong lane and worst! Clipping at another cyclist. His friends sheepishly admitted that they were going too fast.
I picked her up, she seemed alright. I went all the way back to the redenvous point. About 15 km more. On the ride back, it was usual. Her lightness and stiffness was still evident. On the speed humps and even on the speed stripes, I couldn't feel that her life was actually ebbing away. She took a hard blow on the head. And her neck has been cracked. But my darling, didnt knew how to fail me, least of all, she just wanted me to reach my destination safely. She held up. on the way back, I cursed the rider that hit us, then a voice in me told me to be thankful that I am still in 1 piece and that nothing serious had happened.
Upon arrival, I was still the first to reach the carpark. The rest were still catching up. I related the whole scene to the guys when they finally came. And it was Ronald who saw the death marks on my darling. The crack stretched from one end to the other. She's a goner. I was furious, but there was nothing that could be done.
In the afternoon, I brought her in. And there is only but a sliver of hope that I can get my warranty claimed. I do hope that God will give her back to me. All day long, I felt as if a huge part of me had died. Indeed it had. I'm still strugling to get on my feet again.. I stil have my Titus and she's another favourite of mine.. but its just not the same anymore... its will never be the same again either... Good bye, Gal. It was absolutely brilliant, while it lasted. I thank God, that He provided all the wonderful times we have had. The training, the safe long rides that we had. I have learnt the finer points of how to handle a high percision engineered machine. Although it left a bitter taste in the seperation, but it has also heightened my senses and my cravings for highly engineered machines. May you rest in peace.
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