The cyclist in the picture above is Thor Hushovd, the first Norwegian to win the UCI road race world championship and to wear the maillot jaune at the Tour de France, which he did for seven stages until Thomas Voeckler took it away earlier today with a breakaway attack. Known as the God of Thunder, Hushovd is by far one of my favorite riders. While at his core a sprinter, Hushovd is one of the most respected and well rounded riders in the peloton, evidenced by his 8 TDF stage wins, 2 Green Jerseys, and wins in both the Norwegian and World time trial and road race championships. I was lucky to snap this picture of him at the Tour of California back in 2009, which wasn’t exactly easy considering he was moving at about 40 mph. It’s one my personal favorites, and it seems apropos to share it considering the magnitude and scope of his recent achievements. Cycling is one of the most physically challenging yet rewarding sports, it carves legends out of mountain climbs and manmade missiles out of sprints. Maybe we can’t all be world championship winning athletes like Hushovd, but we can draw inspiration from their ethos. So ride on, and ride safe!
MP
Formula for Disaster 