Bahrain Victorious rider Pickering’s mad dash pays off in Grand Tour debut
Bahrain Victorious rider Finlay Pickering had to scramble to make it to Turin in time for the Vuelta a Espana’s start, arriving without his luggage after being drafted in as a last-minute replacement. The 22-year-old Briton received a call to replace injured teammate Damiano Caruso less than 24 hours before the opening stage began, triggering a frantic journey involving a 200-km taxi ride from Andorra to Toulouse and a flight delay. He went on to finish Saturday’s first stage in 153rd place. “It was actually really lucky, because I had a problem with a pair of training wheels and they were in a bike shop, so I was a bit late going out training,” Pickering told reporters. “I was on the way to pick them up when I got a call from management saying ‘How quickly can I be in an airport’? Well, if I drive fast, I guess the answer’s — pretty quick... The first flight was delayed, so I didn’t get my suitcase. “But at least I managed to pack two pairs of shoes (in hand luggage) so I can start today.
