Have you ever wondered whether nature gifted you with the right body type for cycling? I certainly have. As a schoolboy, I was already over 6ft (183cm) by age 12, head and shoulders above my classmates – a beanpole of a boy. Teachers steered me towards throwing and jumping sports, and, of course, basketball. Based solely on my appearance, doors to some sports were opened while others were slammed shut. What if I’d aspired to be a Grand Tour winner, like my then hero, the diminutive Bernard Hinault – would my body type have ruled me out?
In road cycling, riders come in a wide array of shapes and sizes. You’ll find bulky sprinters, tall TT specialists and light, ultra-lean climbers in any pro peloton. I wanted to discover what determines body type, nature or nurture: our inherited physical traits or training, nutrition and other environmental factors. Are we naturally ‘locked in’ to a certain physique – and therefore destined to be a certain kind of rider – or can we shapeshift freely from one speciality to another?
Two-wheeled typecasting
First, let’s establish whether body types – predispositions to be, for example, naturally
