Picture the scene.
It’s Saturday lunchtime. I’ve just come off the bike following my latest Zwift workout (trying to clear the Fitness Tune-up sessions before they expire on Monday; spoiler alert – they’re warm) and I’ve pressed pause on Clear and Present Danger.
What do I do to unwind having burned through seven or eight hundred calories in just over an hour on the bike? Watch some cycling, of course.
Specifically, stage seven of Paris-Nice, which had the misfortune of being shortened due to overnight snow, then reduced to less than 50km of a stage thanks to pelting rain and questionable road conditions. Definitely a safer effort from those who started, barring a spill or three,
And with all the things I have at my disposal, including another hour of one of the finest Tom Clancy adaptations (even 30+ years on from its release)
Now, I’m watching Wout Van Aert make a break with 4km left to the end of today’s stage of Tirreno Adriatico, tipping along at 500w at 105rpm as he tries to carve out something. Next I’m roaring on Ben Healy with his attack on WVA on the climb as he opens up ground just under 3km out, who would be reeled in by Giulio Pellizzari with about 900m to go. This is already having sat through highlights of some cut of a C1 or C2 race, somewhere in Ireland, during the week.
The last 500m? All action. I’m here trying to get my head around strategy, pacing, who’s leading out who, why some riders are breaking away for an age and then comfortable that ‘their job is done’ for the day as they drop back into the pack. In the windup, Isaac del Toro takes the stage win to take up his spot as overall race leader and points leader, Pellizzari landing fourth with Healy trailing behind in seventh, 21 seconds behind del Toro at the finish.
Is this focus? Is this a newfound interest? I’m drawing similarities with early days of BJJ when the grá for what you’re doing and how you’re training translated into watching more, and more, and more. Is this nuts? Maybe I’m getting a hunger to be in the outdoors and not on the trainer the whole time, but, you know, life.
But you know what? Watch it I did, knowing that the rugby was on at the same time, and I liked what I saw.
Am I now the guy who now actively watches cycling on TV? Possibly.
If you want to watch the cycling on TV, it’s available via TNT Sports / Discovery Plus, available in Ireland with a subscription via NOWTV. Not sure where you’ll get it from a US point of view, presumably Discovery Plus.
