‘Morning, Cat,’ said Andy Sutcliffe from Maillot. All Cat could do was nod and try to command her brain to close her mouth. ‘Thanks for your e-mail,’ Andy was continuing, ‘I’d love to have you and I can provide you with a few perks too. The Features Editorship is yours, Cat. Shall we discuss it after the presentation?’ Away he went.

Bloody hell, Cat. Two job offers within five minutes. The opportunity to move to the same country as Ben. By the chasm of your dropped jaw, I’d say you are positively gobsmacked. What are your immediate instincts? What do you think you’ll do? We know what Ben would say. But what about Fen and Pip and Django? So much food for thought you’ll get indigestion. But you have this time in Paris to muse. And whatever decision you make, the army of people who love you so, will furnish you with their support and best wishes.

I can’t think about any of this now. I must go – the presentation is about to start.

Guess who has a large lump in her throat when footage of the recent Tour de France is beamed on huge screens?

The unveiling of the route for next year’s Tour de France reveals a clockwise grande boucle with a sortie into Italy. Alps first, then Pyrenees. A whopping 3,850 kilometres. Twenty-one teams of nine riders will be invited to compete for the maillot à pois, the maillot vert and of course the golden fleece itself, the maillot jaune. Of the peloton, there will only be three or four serious contenders for overall victory and yet 189 riders will race their hearts out. Mont Ventoux. A Time Trial at Futuroscope. A Stage finish in Bordeaux. Cat has whispered to Josh that they simply must stay at Auberge Claudette, that she will book ahead next week.

Jules Le Grand, top to toe in Armani, sockless even in October, still tanned even in October, is in the audience with some of his riders and dignitaries from Système Vipère’s sponsors. He glances across to the Zucca MV directeur. His gaze is returned. Steadily. The gauntlet is thrown down. Fabian Ducasse is already planning how and when he will launch his offensive to claim the yellow jersey for himself, for the glory of Système Vipère, for the pride of his country whose great race this is.

Having now seen the route, Ben York is devising and revising training schedules with the Megapac directeur. Megapac won’t be a wildcard team next year. They have had a fabulous season and will be one of the sixteen teams automatically entitled to race. Rachel McEwen has requested that the route be faxed to her at the Zucca MV headquarters as soon as possible. Ever keen and conscientious, she wants to start making lists already.

It might just as well be July right now for Cat McCabe. She is already there, in her mind’s eye, travelling through some of the most stunning parts of France following a bunch of brave boys on bikes. She is under no illusions that it won’t be at times exhausting, stressful; often physically uncomfortable what with the heat, freak cold and an infernal selection of two-star motels. Her diet will be lousy. But if she stays off the brie and baguette from now till next July, she might just tolerate it on a daily basis for three weeks.