Andrea Peron – The Q&A

PEZ-Readers have come to know (and love) CSC’s Andrea Peron through the exquisite prose of our man-in-Milan – Dunc Steele, and his ‘revealing’ epistles about the Italian pro’s life on, and off, the bike. But there is a lot more to Andrea than getting into breaks at le Tour, squash court drubbing, and nights pubbing. Creative Labs hooked up with Andrea for some revealing q & a…

Let’s Get On With It!
Andrea Peron is 32. At an age where most footballers are thinking of resting their weary legs in the lower divisions, or retiring, this Italian endurance athlete will ride in his 8th Tour de France next year. As with many cyclists he just improves with age and has high hopes for next year’s tour as his team’s (CSC) winter training begins this week in the Canary Islands. Andrea’s pedigree is clear; Silver medal in the Barcelona Olympics for the 100km Team Time Trial, World Team Time Trial Champion in 1991, 10th overall in 1999 Tour de France, National Champion in 2001 and Ist place in the Florence – Pistoia Time Trail 2003. When Creative met up with Andrea in Milan they found a man who is as naturally charming as he is ambitious – eager to talk about music, training and how a cyclist answers the ‘call of nature’ while in the saddle!

Q. When did you start cycling

A. Obviously as a kid. But I first realised I had some sort of talent at the age of 12 when I went training with my 16 year old cousin. We raced and…. I beat him! I carried on cycling, playing football and skiiing, like most teenagers, then became Junior National Champion at 18.

Q. What is your earliest sporting memory

A. My first day skiing in The Alps with my Uncle when I was 5.

Q. Who is your sporting hero and why

A. Miguel Indurаin. Need I say more. Five time winner of the Tour de France. A superb athlete who was born to cycle, this guy had a resting heart rate of 28 (an average for a young man is between 60 and 90 BPM) !! It’s a life changing moment when your hero becomes your rival as was the case in my first ‘Tour’. Miguel is a gentleman – ask anyone who knows him.

Q. What was your most memorable victory

A. When we became World Team Time Trial Champions in 1991. We weren’t expected to win at all. It was simply a great team effort.

Q. What are your ambitions for this year / season

A. To be part of a very strong team in the Tour de France. An indiviual ambition of mine is to win a stage. Having experienced a 4th in last year’s toughest stage of the Tour, to win a stage would be fantastic.

Q. How many hours do you train each day

A. An average of 4 or 5. We mainly train on the bikes and try to build in some altitude training at least once a year.

Q. Who do you admire in your chosen sport and why?

A. Lance Armstrong. I’ve never witnessed such focus. What he has overcome physically and mentally is just incredible. He was also my team mate at Motorola 7 years ago.

Q. If you weren’t a professional cyclist what would you have been

A. A skier.

Nice quads!

Q. What sort of music do you prefer on your… MuVo?

A. Lots of Brazilian stuff. I really like Van Morrison and, Italian singers, Giorgia and Vasco Rossi. If I need to relax then a ‘Cafe del Mar’ compilation is perfect

Q. Is there a particular song you find helps you train, or you listen to before a race?

A. Anything by The Rolling Stones or Bruce Springsteen

Q. How do you relax?

A. Obviously listening to music. I also read a lot, mainly autobiographies and adventure books.

Q. What has been your most embarrassing moment?

A. One that immediately stands out happened many years ago at the beginning of my career. During long road races (sometimes up to 8 hours in the saddle) one needs to go to the toilet. This involves; staying on the moving bike, taking an almost ‘side saddle’ position, partially lowering the shorts, checking behind and, well, y’know. On my first occasion I think I suffered from ‘stage fright’ as I followed all of the above steps, but as my mind said ‘GO’ my body said ‘NO’. My team mates certainly saw the funny side even if I didn’t. You might say that I was a victim of ‘Pee’ Pressure.

Q. When you retire how would you like to be remembered?

A. As a good professional athlete. Somebody who did something positive for the sport.

Q. What is the most important lesson your sport has taught you?

A. Many things. First of all, it’s taught me to be a better person, as simple as that. Naturally it has also showed me that nothing is impossible and that any achievement requires a great deal of suffering. A strong team ethic and discipline are all essential ingredients for success.

And there you have it – a little more info on one of our favorite pros!

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Thanks to John Seymour at Creative Labs for providing the interview!

About Creative Labs
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Gratuitous Sponsor Plug
Andrea is using is the Creative MuVo NX, see link below for
info and pics. Unlike many such product endorsements Andrea actually uses this player! Get more info here: MuVo NX here.

In the US, the player is called the NOMAD MuVo NX.

The MuVo NX is a tiny and very light MP3 player specifically designed for athletes and people on the move. It’s fast becoming the ‘must have’ music device to use while training – simply because it sounds great, it’s extremely light and very easy to use. Most people seem to clip it to there shorts or use the armband and away they go.

Read More About Andrea on PEZ
• Andrea’s Pre-TDF Training Tips.
• Andrea Looks Back At The TDF.

Check out Andrea’s teams’ website: Team CSC