Tweets of the week: Chris Froome on a pump track, Tom Pidcock goes off road, and Uno-X go Star Wars
The tweet wheel keeps on turning, on a simple line, day by day
When he's not being the best bike rider in the world, Tadej Pogačar is actually quite funny on social media. The Slovenian might have already won five races this year, but he has also taken time out of his surely reasonably busy schedule to tweet, this time joking around with a man 12 years his senior, Geraint Thomas, about the watts that can be gained from hair tufts.
It is always interesting to note how these sporting superstars, these people that seem to operate on another plane, are just ordinary at the end of the day. One of the great things about cycling is how its athletes are famous, but not too famous to be out of touch, or media managed beyond interest.
Imagine if Lionel Messi or Beth Mead, Lewis Hamilton or Serena Williams were as candid as some of cycling's biggest names on social media. It makes sense why these people don't, their lives are interrogated enough already, but it's always welcoming to see a bit of personality, to know who someone is beyond their sporting life.
Basically, all of this is me saying cheers to Pogačar and riders like that who can still be a bit open online, just like the rest of us. When they're doing something fun, or something to say, they post, and posting is often good.
Anyway, this week's Tweets of the Week features UAE Team Emirates' wunderkind, along with Tom Pidcock, Chris Froome, and Victor Campernaerts all being various levels of themselves. Buckle in.
1. Chris Froome has the habit of looking ungainly on a bike his own size, so imagine how odd he looked on a fixie on a pump track. Still, not bad for a first attempt. He was definitely having fun
Testing out the pump track at the Field of Dreams in Bugesera Rwanda 🇷🇼 Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to this project during our Tour de France campaign. It’s amazing to see this project coming to life 🫶 #racingforchange pic.twitter.com/83UJE4cysuFebruary 17, 2023
2. Tadej Pogačar, not just a serial bike race winner, but a nice guy too. I don't think Remco Evenepoel will need any encouraging, though
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
I love this pic.twitter.com/vgERfecGUuFebruary 18, 2023
3. The Slovenian also took time out of his day to chat to Geraint Thomas about his hair tufts, which really do give extra watts, apparently
You save now 10 watts. 👍February 19, 2023
4. I'm not saying Anna van der Breggen is putting it on, but I don't think anyone has ever been this excited about Zwift, come on
A post shared by Anna van der Breggen (@annavdbreggen)
A photo posted by on
5. Full marks to the EF/Cannondale graphic designer, who consistently pulls it out the bag. I want this bike, just to look at
petition for EF to be the only ones allowed to design anything ever again pic.twitter.com/rjTMLd649nFebruary 19, 2023
6. Watch this and tell me that there is a rider apart from Tom Pidcock who could manage this on a time trial bike. The man is a ridiculous cyclist
Couldn’t watch the Cyclocross today so made my own course 😎 https://t.co/1Wolt3hQS2February 19, 2023
7. If you are going to wear a weird helmet, you have to own it. Fortunately, the social media admins behind the Uno-X team were ready for the response to their new TT lids
Anthon, I am your father 👽 pic.twitter.com/XszTDZhaYFFebruary 20, 2023
8. John Cena: wrestler, actor, and apparently a fan of British Cycling. I mean I would not think this was possible, but here is the proof. Oh also, successful writer, and my friend, Dan Hancox also follows BC, so that's nice
👋 Nice to have you with us @JohnCena 😎 pic.twitter.com/hFRj5TqsMuFebruary 21, 2023
9. Get someone who loves you as much as Floortje Mackaij loves her dog
A post shared by Floortje Mackaij (@floortjemackaij)
A photo posted by on
10. I want to see more intra-team beef on social media!! Ramp it up
"One rider."February 22, 2023
11. When Mark Donovan took this picture, do you reckon he was thinking that the first stage of the race would be called off thanks to snow?
A post shared by Mark Donovan (@markdonovan__)
A photo posted by on
12. Finally, Victor Campenaerts and his army of Victor Campernaertses wants you to know about his big chainring
A post shared by Victor Campenaerts (@campenaertsvictor)
A photo posted by on
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Adam is Cycling Weekly’s news editor – his greatest love is road racing but as long as he is cycling on tarmac, he's happy. Before joining Cycling Weekly he spent two years writing for Procycling, where he interviewed riders and wrote about racing. He's usually out and about on the roads of Bristol and its surrounds. Before cycling took over his professional life, he covered ecclesiastical matters at the world’s largest Anglican newspaper and politics at Business Insider. Don't ask how that is related to cycling.
-
Tweets of the week: Brutal weather at Flèche, an idiot sandwich and is there a new POC helmet?
There's a lot of love for Kasia Niewiadoma, and it turns out Norwegians are good in bad weather
By Adam Becket Published
-
Juanpe López wins Tour of the Alps, does 34 kick-ups with a football
'My coach said to do it for Betis,' says Spaniard of his boyhood football club
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Tweets of the week: Brutal weather at Flèche, an idiot sandwich and is there a new POC helmet?
There's a lot of love for Kasia Niewiadoma, and it turns out Norwegians are good in bad weather
By Adam Becket Published
-
Tweets of the week: What is crostata and why is it making Elisa Longo Borghini win?
Lidl-Trek have got the perfect recipe for beating SD Worx-Protime
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Tweets of the week: Forget the cobbles, Paris-Roubaix is now all about goats and chicanes
It's a Hell of the North special in this week's social media round-up
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Tweets of the week: Marianne Vos is still boss, Lorena Wiebes raves, and Geraint Thomas issues a warning
While some riders hope to manage one win in their career, Marianne Vos has 250
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Tweets of the week: A prize pork pie, 'GroundPog Day', and a mullet-less Mathieu van der Poel
Chris Froome exhausts himself, Dylan Groenewegen has a tiny fan, and more
By Adam Becket Published
-
Tweets of the week: Visma-Lease a Bike are fed up, Mathieu van der Poel's mullet, and a Mark Cavendish costume
It's 2024, time to stop calling them Jumbo
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Tweets of the week: Helmet-gate, Strade Bianche's 'photo finish' and a wet Paris-Roubaix?
Alison Jackson has fun in Pisa, while spare a thought for poor social media managers on boring days
By Adam Becket Published
-
Tweets of the week: Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig's new tool and Tadej Pogačar's new hair
The FDJ-Suez rider broke her sacrum and already sees the funny side
By Tom Davidson Published