Aleix Espargaró finished 85th in the first stage of the Tour of Austria on Wednesday. At first glance, not a remarkable result, except that the Spaniard is a motorcycle racer.
The 36-year-old Espargaró is a well-known name in MotoGP: for about fifteen years he was a permanent fixture in the premier class of motorsport. The Spaniard won three Grands Prix in his long career.
After 2024, Espargaró retired as a full-time racer to dive into his other passion: cycling. “I had the dream to race,” he recently told the NOS. “Some said I was crazy, but life is about challenges and dreams.”
Espargaró remained active in motorsport as a test rider for Honda. Every now and then he fills in for an injured colleague. That was the case a week and a half ago at the TT of Assen. Espargaró finished the race in Drenthe in sixteenth place.
On Wednesday he made his debut as a professional cyclist. Espargaró started for Lidl-Trek in the Tour of Austria. He crossed the line in the tough opening stage in 85th place, thirteen minutes behind stage winner Felix Grossschartner.
In the coming days, Espargaró will have the chance to achieve a better result. The Tour of Austria lasts until Sunday. The Spaniard has his work cut out for him, because a lot of climbing awaits the riders in every stage.