We have tackled the interesting subject of music and bike races before - through the official songs of the Vuelta a España, and the playlist of the Volta ao Algarve too - and this week we have had the latest example of cycling getting tangled up in the confusing world of melody.
The European Championships, which has been happening all this week in Limburg, Belgium, has an official anthem. The races have gone slightly below the radar, what with many of the stars of the sport not present, and also with certain countries not turning up at all, but there's still an official song.
It's called 'Zet Mich Toch Op Menne Fiets' and it's by Daniël Busser. The title has defeated Google Translate, which doesn't do Flemish, but I'm guessing using Dutch that it's something along the lines of 'put me back on my bike'. One of the lyrics is 'Why do we fall? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up again!' Which is frankly, the kind of inspiring message I needed this afternoon.
It's not a bad song, per se, even if I don't understand any of it. It's catchy, and even if I don't speak a word of Nederlands I think I'll have it in my head for at least the rest of the day. However, I'm none the wiser why Limburg 2024 needs an anthem at all, but maybe I'm just being a bit thick.
Elsewhere in tweets of the week, this week, we have cyclists getting given football shirts, Peter Sagan cycling on water for some reason, and a gold medal-stealing child. It's all happening. Enjoy!
1. Landismo is alive and kicking, and after he secured his top 10 on general classification at the Vuelta a España, Mikel went and helped his teammates get up the vertiginous slopes
Hau liderra !! 🐐@MikelLandaMeana #landismo #piconblanco #lavuelta24 pic.twitter.com/2jDZzLvNLHSeptember 7, 2024
2. Grace Brown is getting ready to retire, and that's sad, but at least she looks like she's having fun
3. We need to dedicate some time to this. Peter Sagan, who has undergone heart surgery this year, retired and then unretired from road racing, then retired again, done some mountain biking, cycled across the Mediterranean for some reason. The three-time world champion did it for the Princess of Monaco's charity, but I reckon he was just a bit bored sat at home. 'Peter, do you fancy cycling from Corsica to Monaco?' 'Sure.' That's what happened there. Bonkers.
4. Just down the coast, meanwhile, Mark Cavendish is having a Nice time. Geddit?
5. Stevie Williams looks delighted to sign for relegation-bound Ipswich Town. What's he doing with that shirt? Who knows. Who bought it? How much did it cost? How much of the money did Ed Sheeran get?
6. ROCK. FLAG. EAGLE. Matteo Jorgenson showing off just how American he is here
7. Now this is how you retire. Greg van Avermaet has spent his first year outside of the WorldTour racing gravel, and is now doing Ironmans (Ironmen?). Easy. He's not crossing the Med by bike.
8. Another football jersey, another one that is surely unwanted - it wouldn't surprise me if Biniam Girmay had never heard of Standard Liége or the Jupiler Pro League
Gift for Biniam Girmay from football team @Standard_RSCL ⚽️💚 pic.twitter.com/cCNEZiagIASeptember 11, 2024
9. See above. Why does the European Championships have an anthem? I'm confused by this.
10. Lotte Kopecky is a fan of her dad. Not a surprise, but it's nice to see a post on it
11. Speaking of Lotte Kopecky, here's the Belgian getting her gold medal nabbed by Ellen van Dijk's child at the Euros. That's a clever thief...
Mom, I like the gold one more! 🥇 #Limburg2024 #EuroRoad24 #FLCS pic.twitter.com/QU6LR84TIlSeptember 11, 2024
12. Julian Alaphilippe, there, like your dad who's trying to join in the fun
13. Not content on looking silly in lycra, Anton Palzer has... No, that's harsh. He looks lovely!
14. And, finally, here's Mathieu van der Poel preparing for the World Championships by jumping about on his bike in Spain. Apparently he was training with Remco Evenepoel on the same ride, so the temptation must be there to push MVDP over...
