Everyone's got a Maradona story. Here are two of mine. At the first Dubai Tour in 2014, Maradona was the special guest. From the moment entered the VIP tent and sat down in a huge, white armchair next to the finish line, no one paid any attention to the cycling.

Standing behind him, an Italian gentleman said, audibly, "Why don't you go back to Italy and pay your tax bill?' At which Diego stood up, walked round the armchair, went up to the bloke who'd made the comment, and kneed him in the balls.

After felling his adversary, he went back to his chair as if nothing has happened. Magical footballer, but I'm not sure I'd have asked him to guest at my bike race.

Another, more tangential Maradona story. I was filming at River Plate FC in Buenos Aires in 2000 when I fell into conversation with the youth team coach. He told me than 18 or so of his former pupils were playing in Serie A, and 11 of them were in the national team.

Wising to pay him a compliment, I said, "You must be the most successful youth coach in the world." He said, "Thing is, I don't even think of myself as a coach. I played for Brazil alongside Pele...

... Then, when I was the manager at Argentinos Juniors I sent Diego Maradona on when he was 15 years old. So my career coincided with the two greatest footballers who have ever lived."
His name was Delem, he was a lovely man, and everything he said was true.