“There is no sport like it.” | satisfaction

Glasgow. – The great beauty of the Glasgow World Cycling Championships lies in the fact that, when mixed with the leading disciplines of road, track and mountain biking, others less well-known such as BMX, Trial or Paralympic cycling coexist. In the same Emirates Stadium where the match was played, the competition will be held starting today, Friday Indoor cycling, a method that includes two very special sports: football, cool football on the bike, and technical cycling, a competition of acrobatics on fixed-gear bicycles in which Spain is a world power.

“There is no sport like it”, explains José Arellano (1972, Öhringen – Germany). His Seville roots cause a strange mixture of accents in his speech: he pronounces ‘furbo’, as in any Andalusian neighborhood, and his language is so markedly German that it makes it difficult for him to deal with Spanish vocabulary. when expressing yourself.This is a popular sport in Germany and Central Europe, although it is reaching more and more parts of the world.“. During the practice session that Relay attends, we can see athletes from Austria, Hungary or Switzerland; but also from Peru, Hong Kong or Italy.” They are all countries associated with Germany, or with immigrants there. “

Jose Arellano came to the sport of technical cycling due to a ‘matter of luck’. “As a boy, I loved to ride a bike, and from day to day I signed up for a club. I started out for fun and ended up leaving the furbo to stay with cycling.” He ended up competing in 14 World Cup tournaments, winning two silvers and three bronzes. His passion was inherited by his son Emilio Arellano (2002, Oringen), the second best specialist in the world in the UCI ranking and two times bronze in the World Championships in individual mode.. Despite his dealings with proto-Spanish, he competes in the role of Rogigalda to “preserve the traditions of my father”. The selection was completed by Daniel Andrés (1991, Bad Soden am Taunus – Germany), of Asturian origin.

What then is technical cycling? “It’s a very diverse group of sportsDaniel explains. You need balance, a lot of strength and a lot of precision to perform stunts on the handlebars, on the saddle, on a wheel…” There is a range of 200 possible numbers. The competition consists of performing 30 in 5 minutes. “Each number is evaluated individually based on its difficulty. You tell the judges which ones you’ll do and add points for each one you do well.”

Unlike similar modalities such as artistic gymnastics or synchronized swimming, The expressive component is secondary to accuracy. You have to nail the characters: smiling doesn’t count, there’s no improvising or letting yourself get caught up in the passion. “It’s hard to compare it to other sports,” Jose Arellano concludes. “It’s like BMX Freestyle or gymnastics, and in pairs mode, it’s kind of like a dance.”

The preparation is a story in itself. “It basically consists of learning and mastering the stunts,” Daniel remembers. “At first you help yourself with ropes. Then little by little you do without them and make up the numbers yourself“. He has been practicing for more than two decades with his mother, who is a coach in this sport; Emilio, for his part, started when he was only 4 years old.”Training is a combination of strength in the gym and technique on the bikehe comments. I only ride the road or mountain bike when it’s out of season; just for fun.”

The moments leading up to training or competition are a complete ritual. athletes, plastic, stretch out on the floor; Many, with their eyes closed. They entered a kind of tunnel.Jose points out. From there they transform into original artists oblivious to gravity, capable of crafting impossible characters. “Nobody makes money on this; we’re all amateurs.” Concept: It’s easy to fall in love with the unique grace of integrating into a simple fixed-gear bike, standing upright, and dancing to it..

Fran wanted to be a stripper and ended up as a journalist, dedicating herself to cycling so her life would run smoothly. Youth Bicycle Fund.

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