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

Juan Pedro López doing kick-ups with a football
(Image credit: Future / Tom Davidson)

The colours green and white carry a special meaning for Lidl-Trek's Juanpe López

Born south of Sevilla, Spain, the 25-year-old grew up a loyal supporter of Real Betis, los verdiblancos, one of the city's two biggest football teams. He collected shirt after shirt, as any child fan does. On Friday, he picked up another, this time a cycling one, the leader's jersey of the Tour of the Alps, dyed in the green and white of his beloved club. 

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Tom Davidson
Senior News Writer

Tom joined Cycling Weekly as a news and features writer in the summer of 2022, having previously contributed as a freelancer. He is the host of The TT Podcast, which covers both the men's and women's pelotons and has featured a number of prominent British riders.

An enthusiastic cyclist himself, Tom likes it most when the road goes uphill and actively seeks out double-figure gradients on his rides.