THE INTRODUCTION:
THIS IS THE FIRST, OF WHAT I HOPE TO BE MANY POSTS. FROM NEXT YEAR, THE PLAN IS TO RELEASE A NEW POST WEEKLY, INTRODUCING A NEW RIDER, CREATING A BIT OF TEXT AND TAKING SOME PICTURES, WITH THE INTENTION TO GIVE A CASUAL INSIGHT INTO THE RIDERS LIVES.
IT'S NOT MEANT TO BE ANYTHING SERIOUS, AS I'M DEFINITELY NOT AN EXPERIENCED WRITER, BUT AN INNOCENT PROJECT TO SHOW YOU THINGS FROM MY POINT OF VIEW AS A PHOTOGRAPHER.
SO... LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO MICHAEL CARBEL AND KRISTOFFER HALVORSEN.
BOTH RIDERS HAVE RECENTLY MOVED TO GIRONA, ALTHOUGH MICHAEL HAS LIVED HERE BEFORE. THE REASON IS THE SAME AS THE COUNTLESS RIDERS THAT HAVE DONE SO BEFORE THEM, TO LIVE IN A CITY WITH GOOD WEATHER ALMOST ALL YEAR ROUND AND ENDLESS ROADS TO CYCLE ON, BE IT FLAT OR STEEP.
FROM NEXT YEAR BOTH RIDERS WILL BE RIDING FOR NEW TEAMS, MICHAEL MOVING TO THE FRENCH FORTUNEO-OSCARO AND KRISTOFFER TO THE BRITISH TEAM SKY.
I JOINED THEM ON A RIDE, WHERE, UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME, THERE WAS INTERVALS ON THE MENU, BUT THE RIDE WAS GOOD NONE THE LESS, AND HOPEFULLY IT WILL HELP ME IMPROVE. THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE THE SAME PROGRAM, BUT THEY MAKE IT WORK. MOST LIKE TO HAVE SOME COMPANY ON A RIDE, AND BEING A PRO CYCLIST, THERE'S A LOT OF RIDING TO BE DONE.
EVEN THOUGH WE'RE DOWN SOUTH IN GIRONA, BEING DECEMBER, THERE IS A HINT OF SNOW TO BE SEEN WITH AN INCREASE OF ALTITUDE. THE CHILL CAN BE FELT, BUT IN THESE BEAUTIFUL SURROUNDINGS, IT'S QUICKLY FORGOTTEN WHEN THE WARMTH RE-ENTERS YOUR BODY.
BEING FROM DIFFERENT TEAMS, AND BOTH SPRINTERS, THEY HAVE AND WILL BE GOING HEAD-TO-HEAD AGAINST EACH OTHER IN RACES, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY CAN'T TRAIN TOGETHER.
ALSO, BEING SCANDINAVIAN, MICHAEL DANISH AND KRISTOFFER NORWEGIAN, IT MAKES IT EASY FOR THEM TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER, AND I THINK THEY BOTH AGREE THAT IT'S MUCH BETTER BEING SITUATED DOWN SOUTH AND AVOIDING THE BAD WEATHER TO THE NORTH.
BOTH RIDERS HAVE ALSO PROVEN THEIR TALENT AND REASON THEY WILL BE RIDING FOR THEIR REPECTIVE TEAMS NEXT YEAR. KRISTOFFER TOOK THE U23 RAINBOW JERSEY AT THE 2016 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN QATAR, AND MICHAEL TOOK U23 BRONZE AT THE LATEST IN BERGEN, SHOWING THERE IS GOOD REASON TO FOLLOW THEM IN THE YEARS TO COME.
OF COURSE, BEFORE FINISHING OFF THE RIDE, THERE WAS A STOP TO GET A BIT TO EAT AND DRINK A CUP OR TWO OF COFFEE, WHICH FOR ME WAS VERY WELCOMED, BEFORE TAKING THE HOUR OR SO TRIP BACK TOWARDS GIRONA.