Iván Ramiro Sosa is back in the WorldTour. EF Education-EasyPost take him on in 2027. I read that on Monday morning, a coffee in my hand, still in my bib shorts because I hadn’t had the heart to change after Sunday’s ride.
What stopped me was the line from Jonathan Vaughters, the team boss, to WielerFlits: “He is smart enough to get into a strong breakaway, and then strong enough to make it to the finish. We saw him do it twice in the last Vuelta a España.”
Twice. Me, I’ve been looking for the right group for years, every Sunday, from the square in Lasne. The ride leaves at twenty past nine. At twenty-two minutes past, there’s always a group of four that goes up the Overijse hill, and I’m always in the one behind. I look at my computer, I say I ride for pleasure, and the group of four is already at the junction.
Take off the backpack, take off the coffee I drank before setting off, take off the red light that turns red exactly when they get the green. One fact remains: I’m not smart enough to find myself in the right group. And when I’m in it by accident, I’m not strong enough to make it to the café with them.
Sosa, for his part, said he was very motivated to return to the WorldTour, “knowing that I can count on the support of the team and that together we can grow and win races”. Team support, I know what that is: it’s the guy from the club who waits for me at the top, pretending to adjust his saddle.
The next group is a group too, Xavier. It gets there as well.
It does, yes. On Sunday I finished seven minutes behind the group of four, and they had already ordered. At the café, I paid for my round as I walked in, so nobody would bring it up.
It’s true, we checked: WielerFlits.
