The day before the Vuelta a España started was set to be just like any other training day for British rider Finlay Pickering – aside from having to pick up a set of training wheels from his local bike shop in Andorra.
The Bahrain Victorious rider had had an issue with them, and they were getting fixed. Once he’d picked them up, he was set to be off out training.
With less than 24 hours before the race began in Turin, Italy, it led to what was surely one of the most exhilarating starts to the race of any rider on the start line on Saturday. One to get the blood pumping and the heart racing – and that was before he’d even turned a pedal.
The ‘excitement’ continued with a delay at the airport meaning he arrived at the race carrying only his hand luggage, the BBC reports – although thankfully that contained his racing shoes.
He added: “I’m pretty ready. I’m a bike rider and this is a bike race, after all – even if it’s a pretty big one.”
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