My dad was a preacher. Yup, true story. He would often tell me just how silly superstitions are. That luck or chance didn’t exist. As a result, I don’t believe in superstition. I only hug and kiss my kid before every ride because I love her. I only say exactly the same phrase to her because I want her to know I love her. I only do both in exact sequence and in precisely the same way because it’s important to show her she matters . . . and maybe also because I am totally superstitious.
But you know I’m not alone in this one. You probably do it too. Maybe you wear the same baselayer for every race. Or maybe you throw salt over your shoulder. Superstition is something of an epidemic in cycling. Blame it, perhaps, on the dangerous nature of the sport. Or on our overly competitive selves who need an excuse for not winning. Whatever it is, we’re totes freaked out.
So to make us all feel better, here are two videos relating the superstitions of cyclists in the pro women’s and men’s peloton from the UCI’s official channel, and the fellows at GCN (a bit older, but still relevant–the videos, I mean). Really, it shows how the guys and girls are not really so different–except maybe in the specifics of their wardrobe.
Heck, watch these and maybe you’ll find a new superstition. We’ve got everything here from Evie Stevens’s lucky marble to Christian Meier’s shoe shines. If it’s lucky for them, maybe it’ll be lucky for you too?
What’s your pre-ride ritual? Tell us about it in the comments section below.
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