Away day doping control, playing at Highbury and Remco's ex-teammates starring for Belgium: the cyclists obsessed by football

These cyclists aren't just handy bike riders; they love an away day and will passionately defend their club.

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(Image credit: Getty Images/Tao Geoghegan Hart)

It was November 1, 2016, and cyclist Marco Haller and his brother were in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia to watch their beloved football team, Arsenal, in the Champions League group stages. They were playing European minnows Ludogorets but fell two goals behind after just 15 minutes. In the 87th minute, Mesut Özil scored a delightful goal to complete a thrilling comeback for Arsenal that set in motion a night that Haller will never forget.

"We were defending a corner and we scored from a counter-attack," remembers Haller, who now rides for Bora-Hansgrohe. "Özil came over to 2,000 fans and we were all going nuts. Because of security reasons they kept us in the stadium for two hours afterwards and we were all dancing and shouting the entire time.

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Chris Marshall-Bell

A freelance sports journalist and podcaster, you'll mostly find Chris's byline attached to news scoops, profile interviews and long reads across a variety of different publications. He has been writing regularly for Cycling Weekly since 2013. In 2024 he released a seven-part podcast documentary, Ghost in the Machine, about motor doping in cycling.

Previously a ski, hiking and cycling guide in the Canadian Rockies and Spanish Pyrenees, he almost certainly holds the record for the most number of interviews conducted from snowy mountains. He lives in Valencia, Spain.