Random Act Of Sports: Cyclist Uses An Impressive Acrobatic Pose To Cruise By His Competition

Normally a “random” act of sports wouldn’t take place in a sporting context such as this cycling race, but one rider revealed a unique skill set affording him an aerodynamic edge over his competitors. Seeing a rigid planking pose in a yoga class may not be “random,” but amid a pack of racing cyclists, the descriptor sure fits.

In the course of a cycling race, aerodynamics can have a profound effect on performance and success, so cyclists will even go so far as to remove their leg hair to try and gain an advantage. We can’t account for the whereabouts of professional cyclist Michael Guerra’s leg hair, but it’s clear from this video that he does have full faith in the virtue of streamlining oneself.

The Italian rider showed just how far this tactic goes in a race, unclipping from his pedals to plank atop his speeding bike’s seat and shooting past the other cyclists in the process.

The results are so profound in this downhill scenario, it may cause one to wonder why more cyclists don’t adopt this strategy. But after watching the dismount and the remount, along with the compromised stability the plank pose presents, it’s clear that this advantage comes at a cost, albeit one Michael Guerra will hopefully never have to pay.

Judging by other videos of the cyclist, he isn’t one to take the well-worn path when it comes to racing or training.

This guy needs to write a book on his unorthodox approach to cycling.