The cyclist community is stronger than the coronavirus: #distantbutunited

Yes, today the “accepted challenge”, the new Kom/Qom on Strava is: beating the coronavirus. For a cyclist the meaning of “beating” is above all feeling part of a group, of a strong and tenacious community.

The coronavirus is trying to distance us, but it will not succeed.

In spite of the general name (virus) popularized by the Internet, the dark viral molecule cannot infiltrate into the network and therefore will never contaminate our Facebook and Instagram profiles, and it will not manage to penetrate into the very active chats of cyclists who have helped keeping the group united, today more than ever even without the weekend outing.

On the contrary. The group seems more united than usual. Birthdays do not go unnoticed, advices are shared, and the home training programs increased. To be together, at least in the same Zwift session.

So this new type of community is the community of the future. Certainly… the idea that several months will inevitably pass before we will be able to elbow our way into a crowded cyclosportive makes us a bit sad, but if all goes well, what matters the most now is thinking together.

We have tears in our eyes when we see how joyful we “exchange pictures” where everyone is a hero, pictures worthy of an excellent album. Patience heroes or better heroes of resilience.

There are many pictures and selfies that circulate on the Internet. There are many pictures of “home” cyclists, each posing with his equipment, with his screen, with his fan and his towel. An endless gallery of portraits that, no matter the dialect, they all seem to say: mai mulà, tegn dur (hold on and never give up – in Milanese dialect).

The desire to pedal is great and the longing to do it together is even greater.

There are also those who continue to challenge themselves, just like our “crono-woman” friend Iryna Bukhanska.

All her races are inevitably skipped, but her determination is transformed into a refined photo shoot. Let’s not forget the pictures on her Facebook page that support the well-known #itrainathome slogan, where you can see her in a thousand different poses.

For her, as well as for many athletes, stopping signifies doing everything to stay in good shape. And of course sharing with the group all the efforts to start again with fresh energy, in a few months.

Posting your photos while training is essential to feel good just like when cycling together during weekends.

…and we wear our uniform!

It seems odd but by now many people has embraced the idea that pedaling on rollers “in our underwear” is not that aesthetic.

Yes, because the fascination of the uniform (of the team) is essential in order to share that wonderful feeling of belonging to the community with yourself and with others, if you post your photo in action. Belonging to the community requires respect and certain elegance.

Have we already forgotten how much we like to wear our favorite outfit when we go out with friends? Just as the photo taken in front of Valcava hut, showing all our beauty cannot be missed, so can the shot taken at home if you dress well. The average cyclist knows that the chic tracksuit also improves performance!

So…are you ready? Go! We race the Milano-Sanremo together with Nibali.

New emotions and new ideas are experienced. For those who have already visited platforms such as Strava, Garmin or Zwift the community always populated by the same faces suddenly increased, welcoming even those who until recently were “purists” and ignored segments and avatars. Now, together with the others, they happily immerse into the surreal territory of Watopia.

And they organize new meetings. You can ride with the Australian and the Finnish cyclists. Who would have thought that? As well as with Vincenzo Nibali, one of the promoters of Garmin’s virtual-team initiative that has brought thousands of amateurs on the last 57 km of Milan-Sanremo.

Does PH Coffee to Ride turn virtual?

Of course…there is nothing like the aroma of the coffee shared with friends before leaving together for a long tour, as established by our PH Coffee to Ride initiative, but nothing stops you from connecting via Skype, making a toast with the cup in your hand and then “leave” together on the rollers.

#distantbutunited

Nothing like this is really impossible. Making a group requires few ingredients, and getting them does not involve facing an endless queue at the supermarket. It takes a pinch of technological knowledge, something that a cyclist never fails to have, a great desire to share the new experiences with the others and above all a lot of heart to always feel together.