'How quickly can I be in an airport?': British rider has heart racing start to the Vuelta a España – before a pedal is turned

Finlay Pickering's trip to the race involved a last-minute phone call, missed luggage and a 200km taxi ride

Finlay Pickering Tour de Romandie 2025
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The day before the Vuelta a España started was set to be just like any other training day for British rider Finlay Pickering – aside from having to pick up a set of training wheels from his local bike shop in Andorra.

The Bahrain Victorious rider had had an issue with them, and they were getting fixed. Once he'd picked them up, he was set to be off out training.

With less than 24 hours before the race began in Turin, Italy, it led to what was surely one of the most exhilarating starts to the race of any rider on the start line on Saturday. One to get the blood pumping and the heart racing – and that was before he'd even turned a pedal.

The 'excitement' continued with a delay at the airport meaning he arrived at the race carrying only his hand luggage, the BBC reports – although thankfully that contained his racing shoes.

He added: "I'm pretty ready. I'm a bike rider and this is a bike race, after all – even if it's a pretty big one."

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After cutting his teeth on local and national newspapers, James began at Cycling Weekly as a sub-editor in 2000 when the current office was literally all fields.

Eventually becoming chief sub-editor, in 2016 he switched to the job of full-time writer, and covers news, racing and features.

He has worked at a variety of races, from the Classics to the Giro d'Italia – and this year will be his seventh Tour de France.

A lifelong cyclist and cycling fan, James's racing days (and most of his fitness) are now behind him. But he still rides regularly, both on the road and on the gravelly stuff.

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