PLACES I'D RATHER BE 2

Life in World Tour cycling with Sjors Beukeboom

By GripGrab Field Notes

April 15^th, 2021

The World Tour cycling caravan is slowly making its way into Grand Tour season.

Our man in the fast lane - Sjors Beukeboom - Press Officer for World Tour-team Israel Start-Up Nation - shares his thoughts on why he loves far-away races more than big European races.

Pay attention at the back, the Press is watching!

"With my work in WorldTour-team Israel Start-Up Nation, I am still privileged to travel, even though the pandemic makes traveling significantly more difficult.

Going to cycling races is one of the most fun things in life. I love doing WorldTour-stage races like the Volta a Catalunya, the Tour of Poland, and the Binckbank Tour.

The team, however, can make me even happier by sending me to races on different continents.

In 2020 I was able to work at the Vuelta a San Juan, Tour of Colombia, and Tour du Rwanda. Far-away races, full of extra challenges in order to perform.

The culture shocks, the limited number of things a team can bring when traveling by plane, the different ambiance and the very different racing circumstances, I really enjoy them.

Doing races far abroad makes every single detail even that more important.

Riders might not have the luxury of being served perfectly and personalized food from our Team Chef. Riders might not have the best beds in order to rest as much as they might want or need to.

And from a personal perspective: I might not have the best internet connection to publish fast race reports or videos.

Doing far-away races is indeed a matter of adapting to the circumstances, and trying to make the most it.

Beforehand, I usually already know the race and the work will not go completely as planned. Races like these require even more attention than the European ones.

Consequently, it is however easier to make a difference with your competitors, in both an advantageable and disadvantaged way if you overcome the challenges.

This year I will also be visiting non-European countries. I went to the UAE Tour recently, which was a very interesting experience, and presently I'm at my first Tour of Turkey and will soon again do the Tour du Rwanda.