Sylvia Persico pulled off a super rare and tricky move at the Italian ‘cross champs

Ever tried parallel parking on the other side of the road? You know the feeling, it can be challenging to try and reverse your car between a few others on the side of the road you’re not used to.

At the Italian cyclocross championships on Sunday, Sylvia Persico took a dominant win, and she did so in style. But her win wasn’t just based on her strength alone; her incredible technique was one of the key factors.

Most cyclocross riders will dismount and remount on the same side. However, there are a few riders out there, including Persico and Brit Tom Pidcock, who are “ambidextrous” so to speak. Like a batter that can hit from the left or right, these riders have perfected the ability to jump on or off from either side of the bike. If you do it correctly, at the right time, it’s basically a Fosbury Flop of ‘cross.

As you can see in the video, being able to dismount on the right side is incredibly useful when coming into a run-up after a sharp corner. She easily puts a few lengths into Eva Lechner and Sara Casasola by dismounting on the inside of the curve, then swinging her bike around the bend, and quickly remounting.

As pro cyclist Jens Dekker tweets, it’s a rare and difficult move to do, especially in the heat of a big race.

Watch the clip below and follow Persico, the lead rider in pink, execute the dismount and remount seamlessly.

Bonus tweet for #TricoloriCX. @silvia_persico is the 2nd person I know of to fully utilise the planned both side dismount and remount. Most cyclocross riders will tell you this is really difficult to learn. (the first being @AmiraMellor) pic.twitter.com/DpWoXs62PG

— Jens Dekker (@jens_dekker) January 10, 2022