Back in the saddle

-- After a 20-year layoff an old pro rediscovers his passion for cycling

Cyclists come and go. We’ve all been there, gripped by enthusiasm and a rampant appetite for miles and competition. But, eventually you pass a certain limit and excuses creep in. Seasons and circumstances change and, one day, months down the track, you find yourself wiping cobwebs from your handlebars, wondering how it all went so wrong.

But in that quiet moment of reflection, watching dust particles dance in the beams of sunlight streaming through cracked weatherboards into the greyness of the windowless garage, the decision to ride comes suddenly. And very soon, you’re back, chalking up miles and grinning like a pleased ram savouring the heated whiff of wanton ewe.

You ride because you love it. And that feeling is never fully extinguished.

You'd think this comeback scenario would be less common among retired pro riders, whose inhumane workloads tend to wear away the child-like thrill of riding for the sake of it.

So it was both intriguing and affirming to read a fantastic Cycling Weekly story about Italian born Falvio Zappi, 48, a successful pro-rider in the early 80s, who, after a layoff of more than 20 years, rediscovered the glory of the bicycle.

Go check for cobwebs.