The things riders don't say.
Spotify in the ears, the time spent before the race, the thrills on the big mountains. Michael Valgren confesses what gets him pumped up before the big races and what excites him deep down.
Published: July 12, 2024
Waiting is dense with meanings, in cycling especially they multiply with the suspended moments that pass from leaving a hotel to the start or from the finish back to the hotel. Moments when the chaos of the race, the action, the exertion, the adrenaline are shut out and the thoughts of those who are chasing a dream far from home return, from those who start and want to catch the breakaway at all costs because opportunities do not come every day. From the massage therapist's table to the tinted windows of buses, in those moments coexist the urge to let go and the urge to go even further, to find out if the sacrifices are worth anything. On the day when fatigue prevails there is the redemption of hard work to confirm how everything pays off in the end.
To stay focused.
Michael Valgren rides for the EF Educational Easy Post team and had his fans dreaming at this year's Giro d'Italia during the Lucca stage. Coming close to victory, Michael returned to believing in his potential after going through a difficult time that began a year ago with a bad crash. An ordeal that the Dane faced with an athlete's mentality, gritting his teeth even on the most uncertain prospects.
"Staying focused on the goals is important," he recounts. "We often have hours of transfer time with the bus, and on the way, I look at the race profile, visualize it, try to figure out if it fits me, and try to imagine where I might attack. I always have music in my ears, there are no special songs I listen to, I simply let Spotify's random playback guide me. I usually listen to a selection called "Power Hour" to get me pumped up, there are quite a few tracks that give me the right pre-start boost."
David Guetta, Tiësto, and Gabry Ponte are just a few of the names featured in here-as well as the latest catchy tunes such as the Pedro remix that recently invaded TikTok-and clearly give an idea of the ingredients useful for keeping the mood up before the start.
Butterflies in the belly.
You only have to think of the square in Antwerp with hundreds and hundreds of people to realize that certain departures can be awe-inspiring for anyone, even those who have been used to facing the seasons for years. There are dates that make you feel like a kid on the first day of school, excited about everything that's going to happen out there.
"I'm not usually a super nervous guy. There are only a few races where I really feel like I have butterflies in my belly, and those are the really really big ones: the World Championships, for example, and the Ronde van Vlaanderen. Although, I have to say, I was a bit tense during some of the stages at the Giro as well. I wanted to show up what I could do."
The desire for redemption, the desire to prove that he is still a professional racing for his goals-that's what has pushed him the most during this first part of the season. Performance is also a matter of the head.
Through the pain.
"Some moments are really crucial, especially because you don't know how you're going to get through them," he explains. "When I hit my knee on the handlebars - I was only on the fourth stage of the Giro d'Italia - and it started swelling I thought I should go home. Every pedal stroke was like a stab wound, it hurt so much that I found myself crying on the massage table that very night. My Giro is over, I thought. But then I felt more fortunate than ever that I had an amazing team next to me, things got better and, day by day, I regained morale."
Michael dwells on the people who have stood by him always, his family in particular. Too strong a motivation to let go or give up.
"I think about them a lot when I'm away from home, I tell myself that I make these sacrifices for me but also for them. I miss my children and my wife every day but I want to give my best for them."
The magic of the fans.
Among the questions we ask ourselves most often is surely this: what do cyclists think about when they are at their peak effort? Probably the most obvious answer would be nothing.
But there is something beyond physical performance and the relationship with fatigue, and it is that extraordinary bond that exists between cyclists and supporters. They are the fans: tireless, rain or shine, unstoppable, always ready to encourage even the last of the last.
"I honestly don't see anything when I race,” Michael says smiling. "It all flows too fast and when we go full speed it's impossible to look around. But I definitely hear. I feel the people, I feel the atmosphere and it's beautiful. It's amazing to race across historic mountains and go through a tunnel of people who are there to cheer. It's an impossible feeling to describe, it gives me chills. You almost forget about your legs hurting and you feel like you are being pushed by the crowd. It is spectacular. Something you never forget."