Torn noses from tests, bubble. This is also the world championship in Roubaix
Athletes live in a bubble, more or less they can only go to the hotel and the velodrome. “It’s on mushrooms because I’m a person who needs freedom and enjoy it everywhere not to be locked up in a hotel. The bubble annoys me, I need communication with myself, we can’t even talk to other racers. I’m also annoyed wearing veils, it’s not healthy at all and it’s against nature, “said Matěj Bohuslávek, a sprinter of Dukla in Brno.
Veils do not have to be worn by everyone inside the velodrome, with the exception of athletes who race that day, so the judge sees them in overalls. “We don’t wear a veil when we’re in a bubble at a hotel. But we have to test ourselves every morning, so my nose is a bit worn, I would need it made of steel, “laughed the Brno sprinter Dominik Topinka.
Every unvaccinated participant in the World Cup has to take a daily test, which takes time. “Sometimes it’s quite difficult to catch up before training, because queues are formed there, the system doesn’t work,” remarked national team coach Petr Klimeš.
In the found schedule, another point is added, which the competitors fulfill. “The measures can be survived, but they are annoying, I do not like it. Every morning I have scheduled when I wake up, at what time to go for breakfast, how long to be there, when to brush my teeth. I got a covid test in there. We went to Switzerland once every three days, but it was done on a velodrome, so we had to leave an hour earlier, “said the Brno railway Veronika Jaborníková in Roubaix and before two conditions in Grenchen.
At the European Championships in Switzerland, however, the Czech national team had to pay for the tests and they cost 50,000 crowns, in France they are paid by the organizer. “It’s unpleasant every morning, I don’t like poke tests in my nose, it hurts a lot,” said Robin Wagner, the most experienced sprinter in Brno at Roubaix.
Cycling frees him from unpleasant restrictions. “We can’t climb out of the hotel, just drive towards the track, so at least we’re ventilating on the roads. On the other hand, the rules are the same for everyone and I respect them, “said Wagner, who will start a fixed kilometer start together with Topinka on Friday.
Despite various restrictions, however, the world of track cycling in France took another breath. “Everything shows how happy they are that the old group has met again. At the Olympics, a lot of factors come into play, it takes place in a hostile spirit, which this year has shown in the form of protests, the search for mistakes on others. We feel a friendly atmosphere in the world, everyone is happy that we can ride as normal, “added coach Klimeš.