Luke Rowe – Confessions of a Pro Cyclist

From snoring and scabs to hunger and hotels, Team Sky rider Luke Rowe reveals the strange daily realities of life as a professional cyclist

 

Bike riders have a lot of fun at airports

“If I’m at an airport with my bike box, some people come up and ask: ‘what is in that big bag?’ So I always tell them: ‘It’s my pony.’ I have done it since I was about ten years old. I just pat the bag and say, ‘There boy, there boy.’ I have probably done that to about 100 people over the years. The look on their face when you tell them you have a pony in your bag is priceless. People look at you as if you’ve got ten heads. But I just keep a straight face, pat my bag and walk off.”

 

You get to throw shoes at your teammates

“When we’re racing for Team Sky, I room with Gee (Geraint Thomas) a lot, as well as Ian Stannard and Peter Kennaugh. They are all as good as gold but Stannard is a bit of a snorer. I have to throw a shoe or a pillow at him now and again. He just accepts that – even if it is in the middle of the night. I try not to hit him in the head or you hear: ‘Uh, bloody hell!’

“Normally you share with the same rider for the whole Grand Tour, so after 21 days of racing you really get to know how each other work – even what time you get up for a pee. I like rooming with different people too. We have some Belarusians at Team Sky (Vasil Kiryienka and Kanstantsin Siutsou) and they have some really different stories and memories of life. Cycling gives you lots of things and one of them is the chance to learn about different people and different cultures.

“When we’re travelling, a lot of the boys are on their phones, iPads and MacBooks, but I am one who likes a conversation. I sometimes talk their heads off – especially on the Team Sky bus, which is quite communal with two lines of seats so you can have a coffee and a chat. Some of the guys are glued to Instagram but I like a good old chinwag.”

 

Pro cycling isn’t as glamorous as it sounds

“When I aspired to be a pro cyclist, I would think about all the amazing team buses, or Cav (Mark Cavendish) tweeting on his private jet and saying he’s bought a new Rolex and stuff, and I would think: ‘Wow, that’s a glamorous lifestyle.’ But in reality when I’m riding my bike it’s the same as any other guy riding his bike. I’m looking out the window of the café here (in London) at people riding past and it’s raining and grim, but that’s often the same for us. As soon as we get off the team bus, you might be out riding 250km in the pouring rain.

“Cycling isn’t always as glamorous as people think. You get stuck in some really rough hotels too. If there are 200 riders in a race, plus 200 staff and lots of journalists and officials, most of the hotels get filled up and you can end up in some really dodgy hotels. A lot of what we do is pretty standard.”

 

You are always living in the shadow of pain

“It goes without saying that the main physical strain on a cyclist’s body is in your legs, but the lower back takes a lot of pressure too – especially on a time-trial bike or when you’re riding on the drops in strong crosswinds. The other obvious one is when you crash. To go through a three-week Grand Tour without crashing is good going – in fact, it’s almost unheard of. You just know you are going to touch down at some point.

“I was talking to Kurt Asle Arvesen, a former pro rider who is now a directeur sportif at Team Sky, and he said he crashed three days in row at the Tour de France. On the first day he crashed, he got back on his bike and finished the stage, then got bandaged up because he was ripped to bits. The next day he crashed again at 50kph and lost all the skin and the scabs again, so he was back to stage one. Then the next day he came off again. That extra strain on your body when you’re already completely fatigued is horrible.

“People understand how tiredness and fatigue affects a cyclist but they don’t always realise how much of a beating your body takes. If you hit the ground at 50-70kph when all you are wearing is Lycra, with no protection against walls or sign posts and things, it’s grim. It’s like a battle zone out there.

 

Riders are constantly dreaming of pastries

“Cyclists have to watch their weight, so I am constantly craving food. To be honest, when I was a 19- or 20-year-old amateur, or even a 21- or 22-year-old pro, I knew I would have to watch my diet and train hard, but I thought it would maybe involve a strict diet for a week and then I could go for a McDonalds. But when you watch the way the top guys eat, it is unbelievable. It’s an eye-opener how they eat that little, train, and are still fit and healthy enough to race three-week Grand Tours. Froomey (Chris Froome) and Richie (Porte) are so strict with themselves.

“I am pretty good – 99pc good – but these guys dot their i’s and cross their t’s, and their attention to detail is unbelievable.

Pastries and cakes are my weakness. It’s part of the cycling culture to stop at a café on a rest day. I used to stop for a coffee and a cake. Now it’s just a coffee. Over in France they always have nice little pastries. I really miss them.”

 

Pro riders are always happy to race amateurs

“If I’m out training, it is quite common for amateur riders to hop on my wheel and try to hang on for a little bit. They might try to come past you on a hill and then you just attack and leave them to it. But when I’m wearing my Team Sky kit, with my Team Sky bike, and my Team Sky helmet, and my name is on my sleeve, you do get recognised by quite a few people. It’s nice really. You get real appreciation.

“Most people just want to say hello and look at your bike. Or they might hop on your wheel for a couple of kilometres. That’s what is so great about cycling. It’s so accessible. If someone wants to hop on my wheel for a couple of kilometres, I don’t mind. Good on you. Crack on, mate. Until we come to the next climb and then…”

 

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/active/11602068/Luke-Rowe-confessions-of-a-pro-cyclist.html