SEVEN SECONDS. What takes seven seconds? A couple of deep breaths in and out, a few blinks, uttering one or two sentences.
A lot more if you’re a professional cyclist – seven seconds is equivalent to around 150 metres. On a long race parcours of 250 plus kilometres in rainy Spain, a daredevil compatriot of mine, Michal Kwiatkowski, attacked the peleton on a wet and windy descent and bagged that precious seven second advantage.
For the next six kilometres, he fought his heart out to hold strong and maintain the difference. With gritted teeth, he raced down the treacherous sodden road to destiny, hanging on for grim death through the last two kilometres. Behind him, a pack of howling, hungry and desperate favourites tried to bridge the gap. It went down to no more than seven seconds. And finally in the last 20 metres Michal started to shake his head with disbelief and began his celebration, becoming the first Polish cycling world champion in history.
By Arek Peryt
