Jens Voigt and Chris Horner, it’s fair to say, could tell a good few stories about pro cycling. Both aged 40, the RadioShack-Nissan pair have getting on for four decades’ of top-level racing experience between them. Happily, the thought has occurred to someone at team sponsor Nissan to sit the pair down and get them to relate some of their tales, with the results captured in the two videos below.

So, about that bee in the headline? Well, the unfortunate insect has provided material for another of Voigt’s stories, and one he’ll no doubt relate may times in the years ahead. His first telling of the story, however, was via Twitter yesterday after completing Stage 4 of the Amgen Tour of California, where he and Horner are competing.

“Funny thing happened to me in today stage! A bee was sitting on my lip and I thought leave the bee in peace, she won't sting you…,” he wrote.

“Wrong guess, she did, and then i decided to live up to my image and swallowed her and did chew every bit of honey out of that bee!!!” he continued.

“But all good now, lip looks normal again, and it did not bother me at all while I was out there riding. Just another Story for the grandkids.

“And then my lips start to swell an I felt like a stupid Hollywood Starlet with my blown up lip, I looked like I just had some botox!! Hahaha.”

He concluded: “Take that little bug as punishment for messing with me!!”