The Unexpected Hobbies of Pro Cyclists

Cyclists are some of the fittest athletes on the planet and can burn up to 8,000 calories in a single stage. It’s easy to think these athletes only care about cycling. Training camps, special diets, protein shakes, and endless practice rides seem to fill their entire lives. You’d be forgiven for thinking they had no time left for fun and games. Yet underneath the helmets and the Lycra are real people who have a range of interesting hobbies they explore during their downtime.

Let’s dive into the wonderful and creative world of pro-cyclist hobbies, and what keeps their wheels turning when not chasing (or leading) the peloton.

Some cyclists enjoy putting the bike in the garage and getting their hands dirty – whether in the soil or on the mixing deck.

Italian cyclist Gianni Moscon gets down to hard graft when resting up in between competitions, working on his family’s apple farm. There is an excellent contrast between the strict regime of training and competing in events like the Tour de France and the sedate pace of country life and connecting with nature. It’s also wholesome that Moscon is not afraid to keep busy and help, showing you’re never too successful to support family.

Living life on the other end of the scale, Olympic gold medallist and former British champion Peter Kennaugh swaps his cycling shorts for the mixing deck. During his career, Kennaugh would regularly be found DJing house music. It takes good rhythm and timing to become a professional cyclist, and those same skills undoubtedly helped Kennaugh when he started mixing tracks.

Then you have cyclists who prefer indoor pursuits, gladly surrendering the outdoors for quieter activities when not in the saddle.

American cyclist Maura Kinsella, who enjoyed a short but fruitful career as a professional cyclist, had the perfect way to fuel herself come race day: roasting coffee beans. There is a high degree of skill involved in mastering coffee roasting. Still, as a cyclist, Kinsella is used to calculating her own power output and timing movements and processes. It’s easy to see how those skills overlap.

Meanwhile, retired Danish cyclist John Ebsen enjoyed spending time in the kitchen, cooking and baking meals to help replace the calories he burned while out on the road. It was a strategy that worked, as he holds the record for the most victories at the Taiwan KOM Challenge.

For athletes whose careers are driven by controlled intake and self-restraint, there must be something freeing about being able to enjoy good food and drink in the comfort of your own home.

Cycling is an adrenaline-fuelled sport, with the fastest rider at the Tour de France clocked at 63 mph. It’s interesting then that some cyclists still enjoy seeking out new ways to push their limits while not riding.

British cyclist and four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome isn’t one for the quiet life, eagerly trading his two wheels for two flippers in his downtime underwater, enjoying a spot of spear fishing. The open road and the sea are two vastly different worlds. Still, spearfishing calls for patience, stamina, and quick reflexes, which are three skills that served Froome well through his career.

Pushing limits is not just about physical endurance but also mental. Australian cyclist Gracie Elvin enjoys studying languages in her spare time, with Italian being her language of choice. Learning a language is a challenging endeavour that takes a lot of focus and concentration – two skills that translate well from racing, albeit under very different guises. Being multilingual and able to communicate in other parts of the world is also a convenient skill for someone who travels the globe as part of their career.

Not every cycling star spends their free time exploring the ocean or conquering the world one language at a time. Some undoubtedly enjoy watching Netflix and eating pizza with their family outside of the competitive season. Others aren’t shy about their love for online gaming – both in person and on sites like Casinos.com – for a different kind of competitive thrill.

Just like anybody else, cyclists enjoy a range of hobbies and leisure time activities. For some, the thrill may come from restoring classic cars, building model trains, or even working brick by brick on their favourite LEGO sets. Hobbies speak to the individual and do not need to be justified, as they provide a welcome break from the stress of professional sports that lets them unwind and prepare for the next race.

Just like the rest of us, cyclists are people who discover and pursue their own hobbies in life. Nobody can tell us what we enjoy doing or how to spend our free time. However, it is interesting to see that across all of the hobbies we have discussed, each shares a degree of skills with cycling, whether it’s dedication, pushing limits, or striving to improve each day.

Professional athletes, particularly cyclists who perform as individuals while part of a team, face significant pressure and scrutiny. Having a solid hobby allows them some time to get away from being an athlete and just be Chris, Gracie, John, or whoever they are as regular people. Doing so gives them the chance to unwind and forget about the pressures of racing for a while, which also sets them up to be fresh and clear-headed for the next competition.