Rigoberto Uran can often be elusive during races, and was especially so at this year's Tour de France. He preferred to quickly escape the attention of the Colombian media and anyone who sought to ask him about his race, how he would topple Chris Froome or what his second place overall meant for his future. Uran avoided any pressure with a quick sound bite, a laugh and a quick turn of the pedals.
Uran is not aloof and unfriendly. Quite the contrary. But he has no desire to waste time or energy thinking about the past, the future or things out of his control. He enjoys living for the moment.
Uran’s real character emerges away from the big races. He still laughs and smiles just as he did on the Tour de France podium in Paris but is more contemplative, revealing why his character and ability combined so well in 2017 and helped him finish just 54 seconds behind Froome at the Tour.
ADVERTISEMENT
“This has been a great season for me, but I always say that every season has been great, no matter what results I achieve,” he says in a mix of Spanish and Italian and with a shrug of the shoulders.
“My personal happiness and my family’s happiness doesn’t depend on if I win a certain race or not. I know I’m paid to win, that’s part of professional sport, but I race without worrying about ‘having’ to win. If I do win, great but if I don’t, it’s not the end of the world. It’s more important to know that I’m healthy and happy. I just hope to carry the success and consistency of this season. What else could I want?”
“Some riders don’t seem to enjoy themselves when they’re focused on their racing, they see everything as being a battle, with themselves or with others. I don’t think that way. We’ve got to live our lives as well as possible. That’s why fame means nothing to me. I just love racing my bike and being a professional rider. I think we’re all human beings and that we’re all the same. I think the most important thing in life is to do what you love. Otherwise it all becomes too hard.”
All or nothing at the 2017 Tour de France
Giving Vaughters time to find a new sponsor
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://ift.tt/2zyeUnx
No comments:
Post a Comment