“I mean business!”
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Cycling name?space
Lauren ‘Arriba-Arriba’. The ‘Andale-Andale’ is optional.
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Cycling history?
Unbeknown to me until recently, it seems cycling runs in the blood – my late Grandfather was a keen cyclist and held the club record for Birmingham to Holyhead. It appears I inherited his passion for covering ground on two wheels, and I’ve definitely got the same legs! I discovered my own love for cycling in 2010 through triathlon when I took on my first sprint 6 years ago. Since then I’ve completed many races, including racing for GBR all over the world and four full ironman triathlons, but the bike remains my best and favourite discipline.
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Grandad receiving club honours!
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Worst moments on a bike?
I’ve had one or two where multiple punctures has resulted in relying on the kindness of strangers, but one ride sticks in the mind. I got back to Richmond park late one night, freezing cold and wet in the rain and the dark after cycling London-Brighton-London in February. The ride had already been unexpectedly long due to several route extending detours because of flooding, and when I got to Richmond I found the park locked. At this point I was solo and had to make one more detour on tired legs. There may have been a tear or two. It was hard to tell because of the rain. Definitely an experience for the suffer bank to be drawn from the next time the going got tough!
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SmokeZog and Arriba rolling into the weekend
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Best moments?
Pretty much any time I’m out in the sunshine on my bike with friends is a brilliant moment but a favourite day out came in Mallorca when I was out on my own, riding the coastal road from Andratx to Banyalbufar. I got chatting to a 70 year old Danish chap called Enrich who was doing the same route – we ended up working the hills together for a few hours and even enjoyed a café stop before going our separate ways – I love the way that if you’re on bikes you’ve instantly got things in common.
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Into the #lightSis
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What bikes do you own?
Cube Axial – my trusty roadie. So many happy times on this – it does all the long miles all year round. It was my main race bike until I got my Cervélo P3. My parents and husband clubbed together to give me this. What a lucky lady!
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Why do I own it?
What can I say? It’s a beauty to behold and a beast to ride. I adore it.
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The insatiable Arriba Arriba!space
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