It was a club run like no other last Thursday as world champion Mark Cavendish met up with tycoon and Apprentice boss Lord Sugar for a 90-minute spin around the lanes of Essex.
Accompanied by Cavendish's assistant, Olympian Rob Hayles, on his specially modified scooter, the pair were full of the usual club run chit-chat about bikes and equipment.
Although both were on board their Pinarello Dogmas, the main bone of contention seems to have been the age-old clubman debate of Campagnolo v Shimano; the Sky rider was on Dura-Ace while Lord Sugar sported his electronic Super Record groupset.
Tech banter aside, the ride ended with Lord Sugar taking Cavendish for a flying lesson in his new aeroplane, an experience the Manxman seemed to enjoy.
We wouldn't be surprised if we saw a world-champion-striped aeroplane in the skies of Essex very soon.
"Get your cleats off my plane!" Cavendish goes in for a closer look at Lord Sugar's new Cirrus aeroplane. And after the Giro's epic mountain stages, who can blame him for liking the idea of climbing to 20,000ft without having to use his legs?
Rob Hayles pilots Cav's customised scooter, complete with spare wheels, bottles and rainbow stripes. He and Cavendish often use it for motor-pacing together, which is how we suspect that rear L-plate got broken
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This article originally appeared in the June 4 2012 issue of Cycling Weekly magazine
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