Chinese rider Ji Cheng said he wants to get away from cycling for a while after completing the Tour de France on Sunday.
Ji was a visible member of the peloton over the last three weeks, relishing his role as the “breakaway killer” for his Giant-Shimano team.
And although the 27-year-old did not set the world alight with his performances, he did gain cult status over 3,659km of racing around France.
But he’s had enough for this year.
Asked what he would do now, he said: “I have no idea. I will try to relax because I got married but 20 days later I came back to Europe for a training camp and then racing and it’s been eight months now since I’ve been home.
“That’s really long, I will try to relax and not think any more about cycling.”
It’s not been easy for Ji, who was expected to ride at the front of the peloton day after day to control breakaway groups and ensure his Giant team would be able to reel them in later so sprinter Marcel Kittel could finish off his work.
Kittel won four stages in total while another German sprinter, John Degenkolb, finished second in two others where the lumpy run-ins weren’t suited to Kittel’s raw straight-line power.
But Ji’s also had his own challenges to overcome, having suffered from a knee problem.
“The hardest moments were just the first week and the last week,” he said.
“The first week had more sprint stages and we had more chances for victories so I was working hard to control the group and working hard on the front. That was a hard week,” he said.
“And the last week because I was injured in the left knee. Already I wasn’t looking forward to the mountains because of my injury which was so painful.
“But the second week was nice for me, I had more time to enjoy the race.”
Enjoyment would be a curious word for a race that lasted more than 90 hours.
And in Ji’s case, he rode for more than six hours longer than winner Vincenzo Nibali, in so doing managing the biggest gap between first and last since 1954.
Ji, who was 164th, also finished more than 50 minutes behind the second last finisher and crashed on the final stage on the Champs Elysees, even suffering the ignominy of being lapped by the peloton as they completed eight circuits of the famous avenue.
But every day he managed to get inside the time limit.
And it’s not the first time he’s completed a Grand Tour.
He finished 175th and last at the 2012 Vuelta a Espana, although sickness prevented him from completing last year’s Giro d’Italia.
While the native of Harbin in the northeast of China may be the Tour’s “lanterne rouge” (Red Lantern - last place finisher), he at least finished, which is more than 34 other starters managed, amongst them defending champion Chris Froome, Alberto Contador and Mark Cavendish.
All three crashed out and Ji says that’s one of the risks in cycling.
“In cycling sometimes dangerous things can happen like a crash, or you can get sick or have a fever,” he said.
“It’s normal, last year at the Giro the same thing happened to me. I got very sick before stage five and couldn’t start it.
“It’s really sad but it’s like this. Maybe next year I’ll have this situation. I was pretty lucky really, I didn’t crash or get sick or anything.”
Having made history as the first Chinese rider to compete in the Tour, Ji said he hopes to be a pioneer for his countrymen, but said it will take more than just him to change things.
“I hope so but a cycling project in the country cannot be one man like me,” he said.
“Maybe I can show them something but I cannot change anything.
“I hope they can see it’s possible to build a team or train riders to be top professionals. That’s what I hope.”
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Veere di Wedding
Dir: Shashanka Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania
Verdict: 4 Stars
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 194hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 275Nm from 2,000-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: from Dh155,000
On sale: now
Autumn international scores
Saturday, November 24
Italy 3-66 New Zealand
Scotland 14-9 Argentina
England 37-18 Australia
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The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Apple product price list
iPad Pro
11" - $799 (64GB)
12.9" - $999 (64GB)
MacBook Air
$1,199
Mac Mini
$799
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
Section 375
Cast: Akshaye Khanna, Richa Chadha, Meera Chopra & Rahul Bhat
Director: Ajay Bahl
Producers: Kumar Mangat Pathak, Abhishek Pathak & SCIPL
Rating: 3.5/5
The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
A Long Way Home by Peter Carey
Faber & Faber