Sep Vanmarcke’s first bike was a salvaged frame taken from the trash
The Classics rider gives an emotional talk to young Israeli riders about his early days in cycling
Photo by:
Noa Arnon/Israel Start-Up Nation
Sep Vanmarcke couldn’t stop shaking. The Classics star sat next to Israel Start-Up Nation director Dror Pekatch. Nearby were teammates Giacomo Nizzolo, Jakob Fuglsang and Hugo Houle. They were in front of roughly 60 young Israeli cyclists who had come to hear from some of the top riders in the world, including Chris Froome who was waiting in the wings. The event was held this past Tuesday at the Sylvan Adams National Velodrome as part of the ISUN team camp.
It was strange to see the easy-going Vanmarcke overcome with emotions. He said a few opening remarks, and then had to pause. The kids clapped, filling the silence, but Vanmarcke assured them he wasn’t finished. He revealed to them that his family was poor when he was a kid.
“My first race bike, I got when I was eight,” Vanmarcke said. “My dad got it from the garbage. The whole frame was broken so he welded it so I could ride it. My brothers and my sister raced. They all raced. When it was my turn to race, at 15 years old, I got their bike that my dad got from a friend. The bike was as old as me.”
Vanmarcke continued. Even with the old bike, he could improve as a cyclist and a racer. In a few years, he was winning races. Now he’s been a pro cyclist for 13th years, an accomplishment he’s proud of. He skipped over quite a few details between his early days and the present. There was his first professional win in 2012 where he beat one of his heroes, Tom Boonen, to win Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. There was his second-place finish at the 2013 Paris-Roubaix, just behind Fabian Cancellara. There have also been race-ruining crashes at the Tour of Flanders and Vuelta a España. But an outline of the highs and lows of a pro wasn’t the focus of Vanmarcke’s short speech. He ended simply, with a positive message.
“With shaking in my body, I’d just like to say, believe in your dreams,” he said. “If you don’t make it as a professional, just enjoy cycling. It’s a beautiful sport. Riding your bike can take you everywhere in the world. You can explore a lot.”
