Did you know you can buy a personalised video from a cycling hero this Black Friday?
Unfortunately, Lance Armstrong is still 'no longer available' on Cameo, but you can now get Phil Gil
At Cycling Weekly we've been covering the best Black Friday Bike Deals like they're going out of fashion (they're not, but they are going out of stock), all week, in the run up to Black Friday and the following jamboree of sales. There are other, more novel ways of treating cyclist in your life this Christmas, namely by booking them a Cameo video.
That's right, you can hire the cyclist of your dreams (or, nightmares - it's up to you) to send a personalised recording - to yourself, or to a loved one, or perhaps someone else that you want to thrill with a pre-recorded message.
Recordings can be purchased for individuals, or for businesses. It's not clear where cycling clubs might fall into the pricing structure - but we're sure you could ask.
There are a range of cyclists on Cameo, some of them slightly more familiar to Cycling Weekly than others. There aren't loads of options though, unlike other sports, so perhaps it's something more people should turn to. I'll pitch it to a few cyclists in my life. Interestingly, a lot of these prices seem to have gone up since the last time we checked, so inflation is coming for us all. On closer inspection, it just seems like a exchange rate thing, thanks to Trussonomics.
Cameo Quicklinks
Who would we hire?
Philippe Gilbert - from £41/$49
Fresh from retiring from professional cycling, Phil Gil has turned his hand to personalised videos. He's probably the biggest cycling star on the website, so you could do worse than get the man who won four out of the five Monuments to say happy birthday to your mate.
He's a bit of a polyglot, too, so if you have friends around the world to say hello to, this might well be the pick.
Simon Geschke - from £25/$30
The best beard in pro cycling is here to make your Christmas all the more special. The German Cofidis rider is famously a fan of rock music, so maybe he could sing a ballad to you or list his favourite Guns N' Roses songs to you. He almost won the King of the Mountains competition at the Tour de France this year too, and he's a lovely man too.
Christian Vande Velde - from £58/$70
Not just a former professional cyclist turned NBC Sports analyst, but also a Peloton instructor too. So you could get a motivational video for your winter riding, maybe? According to the Cameo website, Christian is available for 24 hours too, which is good.
Cycling Weekly's columnist Michael Hutchinson - currently unavailable
Sadly no longer available, Dr Hutch could have been just the present the special person in your life desired. He had priced himself at just £8, which seems low, in our opinion. In his description, Hutch also notes he is a 'useless pianist', this, we'd pay to hear too.
Lachlan Morton on Cameo - from £830/$1000
Lachlan Morton is the most expensive cyclist on Cameo right now. But he has turned himself into something of a legend this year, with exploits such as riding the entire 2021 Tour de France, transfers included, to raise money for World Bicycle Relief (around £500,000 at last count).
So, a call will cost an individual £750/$1000 and a business £5250/$7000. His profile picture suggests he's not taking this new venture entirely seriously. There is only one video on his page, so perhaps he has never really got into this venture, unsurprisingly.
Phil Gaimon - from £83/$100
Cookie fanatic Phil Gaimon hung up his pro cycling boots in 2016 - and quickly set about trying to set as many KOM's as possible as part of his self proclaimed 'Worst Retirement Ever', before setting an Everesting Record in 2020.
Now, you can ask him to discuss the merits of his favourite cookie flavours for £83 - regardless if you're an individual or a business.
Alison Jackson - from £12/$15
There was a distinct lack of female pro road cyclists in Cameo, but the appearance of Alison Jackson filled us with delight. She's always fun, on and off the bike.
If you don't already follow Liv Racing's Jackson on Instagram (or maybe TikTok, where she is very active) then you're missing out. We'd use this call to ask Alison to teach us how to dance like nobody's watching.
George Hincapie - from £66/$80
Why not send a recorded message from USA cycling legend, and domestique to Lance Armstrong? Finisher of 13 of 14 Grand Tours, Hincapie has worked to bring Alberto Contador and Mark Cavendish to glory too. He might not be everyone's cup of tea, especially because of his ongoing association with Armstrong.
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