Being a professional cyclist offers the beauty and romance of being able to dedicate yourself to what you love. While watching the exploits of champions like Perico or Indurain on TV, many young people fantasized about what it would be like to be part of that peloton, to be part of a breakaway, to climb a legendary mountain pass while the crowd throngs around, to take over in a select group, or to compete for victory in a sprint.

The world of cycling, of competition, of pushing yourself to the limit, and of camaraderie among your teammates is extremely appealing. But getting there is a long and demanding road . No one gives you anything for free, and the sacrifices you have to make every day are many and enormous.

And it's not enough just to get there; once they reach the professional peloton, their responsibilities continue to grow. A cyclist's daily life is a series of training sessions, training camps, and competitions that keep them away from home for most of the year and exhaust almost all their energy.

AN EXTRA EFFORT

Given this situation, it's easy to understand why they don't have much time or desire to take on other tasks that also require effort, such as studying. After climbing three top-class climbs or exhausting themselves in a time trial, let's see who's the bravest person who opens a book and starts studying!

But there are many cyclists who do, overcome fatigue, and dedicate the little free time they have to investing in their future because cycling isn't forever and the salaries aren't nearly as high as those in other sports.

Perhaps the secret lies in the mindset developed by everyone who practices cycling at some level, whether professional or not. In this sport, the first thing you learn is the " culture of effort ." If you don't train hard, you'll never achieve anything. Luck plays little role here, and talent is only part of the requirement. Those who don't prepare will achieve nothing. Victory comes at a price, and it's never a cheap price.

It also develops a high level of perseverance . Many would jump off the bike halfway up a mountain pass when their legs are already aching, but those who love cycling know that you have to keep at it, you have to go one more straight line, one more meter, one more pedal stroke. The peak is reached little by little. It seems like it will never arrive, but it does.

All of this leaves a mark on your personality that will last a lifetime. With effort and perseverance, you can achieve great goals, always meter by meter, step by step. The cyclists we honor today have applied these principles to both sport and life, and that's why we admire them so much.

Active "nerd" cyclists

ROMAIN BARDET (AG2R LA MONDIALE)

The French AG2R La Mondiale rider is one of the most prominent figures in French cycling in recent years. In 2016 he finished the Tour de France in second place, only behind Chris Froome, and in 2017 he was third, behind Froome and Rigoberto Urán. At the recent World Championships in Innsbruck, he took silver behind our beloved Alejandro Valverde.

In the French press, his profile as a "student cyclist" is often highlighted because he studies Business Administration at the Grenoble Business School . He's often called "the head of the pack" or "the head and the legs," but he always avoids labels and displays great common sense. He says he "doesn't like to present himself as a student in the cycling world, nor as a cyclist at school." He prefers to simply consider himself a young athlete who also thinks about his life beyond cycling.

Jaime Rosón (Movistar Team)

Rosón, born in Zamora in 1993, took his first pedal strokes at the Fundación Provincial Deportiva Víctor Sastre cycling school (which has been attended by Chava Jiménez, Carlos Sastre, Paco Mancebo and Pablo Lastras ).

He made his professional debut in 2014 with Team Ecuador . He then signed with Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, where he spent two seasons. In 2018, he was one of the Movistar Team 's revelations.

Jaime has been studying Political Science and Public Administration at the University of Salamanca for the past few years.

Furthermore, he was the first professional to support the Baggicase project and we will always be grateful for his closeness and kindness, and not so much for the training sessions we shared in which he takes us with the hook :D

Carlos Barbero (Movistar Team)

Carlos is a rider from Burgos who currently rides for the Movistar Team . He previously played for Orbea Continental/Euskadi and Caja Rural-Seguros RGA . He has a great sprint finish, although his best victories to date have, curiously, come at mountain finishes.

For the past few years, he's been combining his studies with his studies, and in 2017, he finally graduated with a degree in Mechanical Industrial Engineering . He celebrated on his Facebook account with this message in June 2017: “ Finally, an engineer. A lot of time in the library, studying while traveling, rushing from university to go to training, a thousand headaches… that are all over today .”

Carlos Verona (Movistar Team)

From a young age, Carlos felt the call of cycling and competed in the cadet and junior categories. When he was 14 (in 2006), he happened to be training with two professional Barloworld cyclists who were preparing for the Giro in the Navacerrada region. It was so cold and snowing that he invited them to stay at his house for a few days. There, he saw firsthand what the life of a cyclist is like and fell in love with the profession. These two cyclists were John Lee Augustyn and a very young Chris Froome .

With his motivation sky-high, at 17 he left his home in Madrid to train at the Sant Cugat High Performance Center in Barcelona . At just 20, he skipped the U-23 category and was signed as a professional by the Burgos 2016-Castilla y León team. Two years later, he moved to Omega Pharma/Etixx, in 2016 he signed for Orica/Scott , and for the next season he has already signed with the Movistar Team.

Carlos studies Marketing remotely at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) and it's clear he's grasped the importance of communication and social media. He has a video blog with over 20,000 subscribers where he posts videos about his life, competitions, and training. He was also one of the first to invest in Baggicase :)

DOMENICO POZZOVIVO (BAHRAIN MERIDA)

This great climber is known in the peloton as " Doctor Pozzovivo ." He rides for Bahrain Merida , a team he shares with fellow countrymen and Baggicase users such as Pelizzotti, Boaro, Cortina, Colbrelli, and Nibali.

He has always had a penchant for studying and is probably one of the most highly trained cyclists. He already has a PhD in Economics and is now studying Physical Education because, after his sporting career, he intends to continue his involvement in cycling as a coach.

RETIRED STUDENT CYCLISTS

There have always been cyclists who have been interested in continuing their studies ; it's nothing new. Cyclists who are now retired have been able to find a profession that will earn them a living thanks to the fact that they never left their books.

PEDRO HORRILLO

The Gipuzkoan rider who left us with a heavy heart after his crash in the 2009 Giro (he fell down a 60-meter ravine, which forced him to retire) studied Philosophy at the University of the Basque Country, although he didn't want to finish (he only missed three subjects). He was a teammate of Freire, Menchov, and Flecha, and there's not a single interview or report that doesn't mention his outstanding performance on the bike and in books.

JÉREMY ROY

The French rider, a member of the Groupama-FDJ team (formerly Française des Jeux) since 2003, has recently retired. He was a great time trialist, runner-up in the French championship in this discipline in 2012 and 2013, and winner of the Tour de France's Combativity Prize in 2011.

He's also very combative in his studies. He studied Mechanical Engineering at the National Institute of Applied Sciences in Rennes and graduated with a degree in mechanical and automation engineering in 2008, finishing at the top of his class .

MANUEL QUINZIATO

This Italian cyclist, based in Madrid and a former BMC Pro Team rider, had a few exciting days in March 2017. First, he had the luxury of wearing the Italian time trial champion's jersey on home soil during the final time trial of the Tirreno-Adriatico.

Two days later, he traveled to Trento to defend his doctoral thesis, entitled " Law in Sport and the Relationship between Ordinary and Sports Justice, " at the Faculty of Law. Everything went well, and he can now claim to be a " Doctor of Law " (an achievement he also shared on social media, where he can be seen wearing the traditional laurel wreath awarded to those who earn a doctorate).

DAVID HERRERO

Bilbao native David Herrero decided to retire from cycling in 2009 after his time with Euskaltel-Euskadi and Xacobeo Galicia. He is now a professional in cycling biomechanics, a discipline to which he contributes both his studies and his extensive experience in professional cycling.

JON BRU

Navarrese Jon Bru , who played for Kaiku and Euskaltel-Euskadi, always combined cycling with his studies; he didn't like wasting time. That's why his resume is so extensive: he's a national cycling coach, a biomechanical engineer, a graduate of the Higher School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and a specialist in Shaolin internal arts (Chi Kung). He now runs the Bru Health Center , a physiotherapy, osteopathy, and sports massage center in Pamplona specializing in pain management and the prevention of sports injuries.

LUIS PASAMONTES

An Asturian cyclist, a professional for 14 years, he played for Caisse d'Epargne and Movistar. In addition to competing in the Vuelta, Giro, and Tour de France, he studied Business Administration and Management and earned an MBA in Sports Management from the Real Madrid University School in 2014. He now works as a sports mentor and speaker, sharing his experience with the business world through his own company, The League of Gregarious.

CHECHU RUBIERA

The Asturian climber, who played for US Postal and Astana, was a professional rider between 1995 and 2010. He was known for being a top domestique for Roberto Heras at Kelme and Lance Armstrong at US Postal. His efficiency and consistency in the Grand Tours made him a key part of all his teams. Throughout his racing career, he never stopped studying and eventually completed a degree in Industrial Engineering. He now works for the bicycle brand MMR, collaborating with their team of engineers to create truly competition-ready machines (Machines Made for Racing).

And that's all for this compilation of cyclists we affectionately call " nerds ," although we only say this as a joke, because what they truly inspire in us is great respect and admiration.

And you, dear reader, you don't need to be a scholar, you just have to be smart and get your Baggicase now, the waterproof case for your phone and personal belongings with which you can go out on the road and enjoy this sport that gives us so much life without worries.