#leopard trek

Espressocycling.cc was at the road side at today’s big event: The mens cycling elite competing for the highly prestigious Dannebrog jersey.

The Olympic gold medalist Lasse Norman Hansen and the other riders in the breakaway is extending their lead with 5 laps remaining on the course.

The broadcast motorcycle gets good shots of the bravely fighting breakaway. Among them last year's winner Sebastian Lander from BMC Racing Team, who is not afraid to push in front.

Several riders, especially from the smaller team, tries in vain to pull away, but a high-speed peloton won't let them out of sight.

Saxo Tinkoff are well represented in the race. Mads Christensen and Team Designa Kitchen's Jonas Nordkroggaard are  trying to get away from the peloton.

The penultimate lap and the positioning battle in front starts to get tough. A Team Three-For rider is taking the lead.

Today I spent the day at the Bois de Vincennes. Known to a lot of cyclists as a place to stretch your legs and get a few kilometers behind you. I normally would have gone out of my way but unfortunately I’ve been busy since Christmas is over, so I decided to make the most of it by sticking to the track, and I was right.

I’ve been to this segment many times but always came alone. Most of the people I know who take riding seriously have carbon fiber frames and would easily drop me at the first acceleration. My bike weighs over 13 kilos, is made out of steel, and was born in 1982. Anyone taking him or herself seriously in cycling would have something that would weigh at most 8 kilos, bikes have gotten so light that the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale, cycling’s governing body) has fixed the competitive limit of 6.8kg, no less! These may only be numbers but if you load up a bag with the weight difference and ride, then you’ll understand the difference.

I arrived on the track and started a few laps around the segment. I stopped a few times to fill my water bottle and went back to it. I rode solo and every once in a while I would get passed by a speeding peloton of ten cyclists. Always suddenly and quietly they creeped up and passed me only inches away from my handlebars. No matter how many times they’ve done it I still haven’t gotten used to it. Sometimes it motivates me to accelerate and keep the pace when I’m able to, but at other’s I can’t compete.

After refilling my water bottle for the second time I got back on and started to pass an older man in a Leopard Trek kit. As I got level with him and was going to pass he started to talk to me. I was surprised knowing that I’ve always been a bit of a tourist in the eyes of those who take things more seriously on the track. He asked me if I was training for L’Eroica (a vintage bike race in Italy every year) in a slightly mocking manner. I laughed and told him that I was a beginner and that upgrading was a matter of time, money and Santa not being as generous as I would have liked this year.  He leveled with me and said that cycling can get quite pricey; his new wheels alone cost him over 1000 euros. He slowed down a bit to take a better look at my bike and told me that I was brave and that he had one just like it back in the day.  We chatted a bit longer as it started to get dark, he then pulled off and said goodbye. It was a nice encounter and hopefully when I get up to the level I’ll be able to keep up with the peloton. 

To check out more on my ride on Strava check it out below: