A Bold New Generation

Did you follow the cyclo-cross season this winter? Did you watch the spring classics? Did you see Bernal yesterday in the high mountains of the Giro? At the same time, did you see Pidcock and Van der Poel battling it out in the mud in the second round of the MTB World Cup? They attack. They attack from afar. They go all out. They amaze us. They offer us incredible joy. Finally, because what Pidcock, Bernal, Van der Poel, Evenepoel, Hirschi, van Aert, Alaphilippe, and Pogacar have been doing for the past few months has been dazzling us, we want it to last…

By Jean-François Tatard – Photos: ASO, Deceuninck Quick Step, Team Ineos, DR

Here’s what could have been an open letter addressed to all these new actors in cycling whose impetuosity, playfulness, need to play, taste for risk, and the smile of each one make us love cycling more than ever.

After a cycling weekend that once again saw the young generation shine, with Egan Bernal on the gravel roads leading to the summit of Campo Felice in the Giro d’Italia while Tom Pidcock simultaneously and solo won the second round of the MTB World Cup in the Czech Republic. We can ask ourselves the question: what is it that frees these new champions from their complexes so much?

Even the greatest like Merckx or Hinault, often sparing with compliments, are charmed. Never before has cycling been so spectacular to watch… Van der Poel, Evenepoel, Hirschi, van Aert, Alaphilippe, Pogacar, they have it all. They can do everything. They open the race. They attack. They race like in the junior categories. Racing with such tactics and playing for the win in every race you participate in: it’s almost unheard of. They are confident. They are not afraid of anything. They seem to be having fun. Sometimes a bit arrogant, they even announce their intentions before the start. When VDP states that he will become world champion in all three disciplines, and Olympic champion in MTB, these are ambitious declarations. But these guys choose their path. They impose their choices. And they respond to criticism with their pedals.

Spectacular, unpredictable, this new generation opens up new perspectives. Every new scenario we witness captivates us. The races have been dazzling us for several months and hold great promise for many more years to come. Each event fuels the ambition of a talented and completely uninhibited generation. These new actors whose impetuosity, playfulness, taste for the game and risk, and their smiles make us love them and want to see them again and again.

A carefree attitude in a system where everything had become increasingly controlled and locked down. In an increasingly predictable world where computers have built a scientific cycling that is controlled by earpieces, real-time lactate levels, or watts from power meters. They, on the other hand, unplug the sensors and seem to disregard the indicators. They put on a show. They remind us of old-school cycling. The kind where a meticulously planned race was not the norm.

These riders had to arrive to shake up habits and these emotionless events. They change everything. Audacity everywhere in their attacks. We all get back into the game. We become passionate about cycling. Cycling has never brought so much happiness. And for that alone, Thank you guys, you are fabulous!

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