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OPINION

Oi! Hoy! What about the Bran Flakes?

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The Guardian carried an interview with Sir Chris Hoy last week, ahead of today’s launch of his autobiography. It’s always nice to see reports about cycling in the national press, so after fixing breakfast, I settled down to read it.

The article gave a revealing insight into the four-time Olympic gold medallist’s daily routine prior to the accident last February that has sidelined him for much of this season.

“I’m used to getting up in the morning, training, having my lunch, training, having my dinner and going to bed. That's pretty much it”.

Such is the less-than-glamorous side of a champion track cyclist’s life. But wait a minute. There’s something missing there, surely? What about the most important meal of the day?

Sir Chris’s face beams back at me from the Kellogg’s Bran Flakes box. Maybe the breakfast cereal is suitable for all meal occasions, and he scoffs it for lunch and dinner? Not according to Kellogg’s website, which puts Bran Flakes firmly in the breakfast camp, saying “Chris likes to start his day with a delicious bowl of Kellogg’s Bran Flakes.”

Desperate for confirmation that I am following at least part of the diet that has helped Sir Chris to world and Olympic glory, I wonder whether the Guardian has excised breakfast references from its story? If he has told them “I like to start the day with a delicious bowl of Kellogg’s Bran Flakes,” that’s bound to have been cut from the final copy, since the paper isn’t one that embraces overt plugging of products.

Helpfully, there’s a video of the interview on the Guardian website. Unhelpfully, it doesn’t include the passage in question.

And so, we are none the wiser. Is Bran Flakes really the breakfast of champions? Does Sir Chris actually sit on the benches at the Manchester Velodrome munching away on a bowl or two before taking to the track? Does he really tell passing kids to get “on yer bike” when they offer to race him? Has Kellogg’s marketing department given him an earful about his omission, if such it was?

Forget who-is-and-isn’t doping, whether Lance can win an eighth Tour de France, rumours that Dennis Menchov is having stabilisers fitted to his 2010 bike, or Team Sky’s prospects for next season and whether Wiggo will be with them or Garmin-Slipstream – I think I might have just stumbled upon the most burning question in cycling today.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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26 comments

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Simon E | 14 years ago
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more like cardboard squares with sugar

They've always been the same, just like Corn Flakes, devoid of any nutritional value.  2 The ingredients have been processed so thoroughly they no longer bear any resemblance to any kind of food source.

It seems a lab experiment backed up what my Dad used to say - that there's more nutrition in the box than the cereal. I would be more than suprised if Chris Hoy eat Bran Flakes every day (except for contractual purposes).

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Simon_MacMichael | 14 years ago
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Shame that newspaper editor turned late-night TV host Andrew Neil misinterpreted Ian Botham's three-shredded-wheat-a-morning advice and stuck them on his head instead of in the cereal bowl.

Actually, there's a trend here, when it comes to endorsing breakfast cereal... Sir Ian Botham, Sir Chris Hoy... I reckon Tony the Tiger's got to be up for a knighthood in the New Year's Honours  4

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cactuscat | 14 years ago
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Why spend money on expensive bran flakes? simply scrape some bark from the trees in your garden, add sugar and milk to taste, and there you go!

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Fringe | 14 years ago
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they aint like i remember.. more like cardboard squares with sugar

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Tony Farrelly replied to Fringe | 14 years ago
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Fringe wrote:

they aint like i remember.. more like cardboard squares with sugar

I think you'll find that's Shreddies

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Tony Farrelly | 14 years ago
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actually… I could murder a bowl of Bran Flakes. The power of subliminal advertising eh?

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Tony Farrelly | 14 years ago
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Too right it is… we might actually have tiffin, although I've just been given some home made chocolate fudge. Yum, that'll be lunch then.

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Tony Farrelly | 14 years ago
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Sounds like Fringe gets his Bran Flakes from a factory outlet too  4

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Tony Farrelly | 14 years ago
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My word, that's a lot of Bran Flakes

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Fringe replied to Tony Farrelly | 14 years ago
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tony_farrelly wrote:

My word, that's a lot of Bran Flakes

yeah, cant stand 'em myself now..

isn't tiffin time at road.cc towers? whats on todays menu..

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james-o | 14 years ago
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Hoy / Kellogs are right about the French and pastries though.. ever tried a long day over a few cols on a brekky of croissants? makes me feel ill again thinking about it  1

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Fringe | 14 years ago
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vague intentions to make said 'hats',(just never thought we would do it) after me and a mate 'found' the empty packets in our recycling space, (under the kitchen table)..we were art students at the time..is that an excuse?!!

somewhere there may be some pictures...

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dave atkinson | 14 years ago
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why had you taken the bran flake boxes to the pub? so many unanswered questions...

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Tony Farrelly | 14 years ago
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"whole pub" "small pub"
How many hats?  39

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Fringe replied to Tony Farrelly | 14 years ago
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tony_farrelly wrote:

"whole pub" "small pub"
How many hats?  39

small pub i spose, but rammed. vague guess 50 plus hats.. it was a long time ago.

we did eat a lot of BF at the time, for a good 18 months..lota boxes

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Fringe | 14 years ago
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several years ago i ate and collected (unintentionally) so many Bran Flakes packets that i was able to make 'bran flake box' hats for a whole pub at new years eve in a small pub in 'tally bont, wales..

not really relevant i know but there ya go...

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jeru | 14 years ago
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What lovely crockery.

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Simon_MacMichael replied to jeru | 14 years ago
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Reissue of Spode 'English Flowers' pattern from 1830s  26

The missus bought quite a bit of it when we discovered the factory outlet on an outing to Worcester.

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curdins | 14 years ago
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I have to confess that I shouted the dreadful "Oi! Hoy! Race ya!" at him when I saw him crossing The Mall in civvies at the Skyride last month. Couldn't resist, even though it undoubtedly made me look like a complete berk. Fortunately he had the courtesy to play the game and respond with "On yer bike!", and no doubt saved me the embarrassment of a deafening silence in front of hundreds of other riders. Thanks Chris.

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DaSy replied to curdins | 14 years ago
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curdins wrote:

I have to confess that I shouted the dreadful "Oi! Hoy! Race ya!" at him when I saw him crossing The Mall in civvies at the Skyride last month. Couldn't resist, even though it undoubtedly made me look like a complete berk. Fortunately he had the courtesy to play the game and respond with "On yer bike!", and no doubt saved me the embarrassment of a deafening silence in front of hundreds of other riders. Thanks Chris.

That reminds me of that Father Ted sketch when Dougal convinces Ted to shout "I don't believe it" at Richard Wilson...you seemed to get a better response though.

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Tony Farrelly replied to curdins | 14 years ago
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curdins wrote:

I have to confess that I shouted the dreadful "Oi! Hoy! Race ya!" at him when I saw him crossing The Mall in civvies at the Skyride last month. Couldn't resist, even though it undoubtedly made me look like a complete berk. Fortunately he had the courtesy to play the game and respond with "On yer bike!", and no doubt saved me the embarrassment of a deafening silence in front of hundreds of other riders. Thanks Chris.

Luckily tumbleweed is rarely spotted in The Mall

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purplecup | 14 years ago
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discuss.

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Tony Farrelly | 14 years ago
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yeah, always makes me cringe too

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jezzzer | 14 years ago
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"on yer bike" - that bit of the ad is just embarrassing.

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Tony Farrelly | 14 years ago
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you want to take that helmet off then  26

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TRs Blurb n Blog | 14 years ago
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I thought the person on the packet of bran flakes was Julian Clary?

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