Taylor Phinney returns to racing
Cinelli has announced the former pro will be racing the 2022 Badlands gravel race
Photo by:
Sirotti
On Friday, Cinelli announced that former Tour de France rider, Taylor Phinney, will be riding in the ultra-cycling gravel race, Badlands. The race starts in Granada on Sunday and it will be Phinney’s first race since retiring since 2019.
The Italian bike brand posted he will be riding a Cinelli Nemo gravel bike. “Since retiring as a professional cyclist in 2019 Taylor Phinney, laid-back and soft-spoken, has combined the experience of his ten very intense and varied years as a pro with his creativity and broader interest in culture to develop what we think are some of the most interesting ideas in the industry.”
When asked if he was ready for the super-tough race, Phinney was his usual humble self.
“To be honest riding Badlands was the Cinelli’s trade marketing manager’s idea and I just said yeah sure. Only last week I looked at some videos and though oh fuck what have I got myself into,” The 2017 TdF points jersey-wearer said. “I’m going to take it like a kind of sadistic vacation: 4 or 5 days with no zoom calls no business to attend to. All you have to do is ride your bike and take care of your contact points. It’s total simplicity: stay alive and stay happy.”
