Gianni Ponzi - Optimistic Cyclist
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Where did the name come from ?

general

I always feel as if I can accomplish something on the bike even when clearly, I can’t.

Go for a spin of 30km (almost) after 5+ years with zero exercise and a fat belly form eating too many jambons  while driving 3hrs to work an back every day. What’s wrong with that ?  Nothing.

But I want to do it in an hour.

Or ride 100km with barely any “training”. Sure, why not.

Maybe I should have registered deludedcyclist.com instead but I still prefer optimistic.

Ignorance or better yet, ignore-ance, is bliss.

Cyclists by their nature are pretty optimistic people. Or they learn to be :-)

What else, other than money (for some), would make someone sit on a pretty narrow saddle, hunched over handlebars for hours on end, while (in this part of the world) being drenched from head to toe .

Love? Sure. Most people love their respective sports but sometimes you need just  a little more.

  • Why would someone sit on an indoor trainer for 3 hours in the winter, because there’s a 120km/hr wind blowing and its hailing outside.
  • Why would someone, go out on icy roads in December (including Christmas day), to “get in a few hours”.
  • Why would someone plan their meals down by the calorie, so they could shed excess weight.
  • Why else would someone crash at high speed (usually more than once in their lifetime), get up, check that the bike is ok and then, once underway again, their blood stained body for “the damage”.

 

That’s where hope and optimism comes in.

That little voice that says; “this will make me stronger than next year”, “I won’t get dropped on that climb anymore”, “I just want to race faster” or simply “I want to feel healthier”.

We’ve all felt the pain of the sport but what really keeps everyone pedalling, is the hope of “that” day, when nothing hurts and you feel as if you’re floating.

That day is close. You “know” it is. Just one more hill. A few pounds lighter. A few more miles….

And then I’ll be “flying” and win that race, finish that sportive in record time, get up that hill without stopping.

Optimism.