Alvento magazine - 44

“You cannot be unhappy when you have this: the smell of the sea, the sand beneath your fingers, the air, the wind.”

– Irène Némirovsky, The Wine of Solitude (1935)

You pedal, and everything seems fine.

Same road, same noise, thoughts spinning without going anywhere.

Then it takes very little: the asphalt changes, a wrong line, a moment’s distraction. And you’re on the ground.

Nothing serious. A hand on the tarmac, a couple of scrapes, the bike lying to the side. The smell of hot tar, rubber, dust. Your breathing out of sync.

Why me?

It comes out later. When it’s already happened.

A car passes, someone slows down, asks if you’re okay. You nod yes.

You get back up.

The chain is on, the wheel spins. So do you.

You set off again. You’re a bit torn up and messy, but it’s fine.

You just want to go.

Some of the stories inside:

• Luz do Sul. Telling the story of southern Portugal through the Volta ao Algarve.
• The present we didn’t see coming. Will Matthew Brennan be the next big name in the Classics?
• Rockets! From YouTube to the World Tour, the incredible rise of the team founded by Bas Tietema.
• The Gospel according to Matthew. We went to Nice, to the home of Matthew Riccitello.
• Stelvio Epic Rides. A brevet featuring nine climbs around the ultimate Cima Coppi: it can be completed in one season—we tried in two days.
• Roman’s garage. The founder and soul of Canyon literally opened his home—and his book of memories—to us.
• Qui té camí té món. “Who has a path has the world,” in Catalan. And our path was the Gran Tour de Catalunya Gravel.
  … and much more!

[alvento is a state of mind]