Bahrain Victorious rider Finlay Pickering had to scramble to make it to Turin in time for the Vuelta a Espana’s start, arriving without his luggage after being drafted in as a last-minute replacement.
The 22-year-old Briton received a call to replace injured teammate Damiano Caruso less than 24 hours before the opening stage began, triggering a frantic journey involving a 200-km taxi ride from Andorra to Toulouse and a flight delay.
He went on to finish Saturday’s first stage in 153rd place.
“It was actually really lucky, because I had a problem with a pair of training wheels and they were in a bike shop, so I was a bit late going out training,” Pickering told reporters.
“I was on the way to pick them up when I got a call from management saying ‘How quickly can I be in an airport’? Well, if I drive fast, I guess the answer’s — pretty quick... The first flight was delayed, so I didn’t get my suitcase.
“But at least I managed to pack two pairs of shoes (in hand luggage) so I can start today. I’ve got a set of boxers, a set of socks, and the team are really good at looking after me, so — no stress.”
Pickering has never previously competed in a Grand Tour, but he did not seem daunted by the prospect.
“I’m pretty ready. I’m a bike rider and this is a bike race, after all — even if it’s a pretty big one,” he added.
Bahrain Victorious rider Pickering’s mad dash pays off in Grand Tour debut
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Bahrain Victorious rider Pickering’s mad dash pays off in Grand Tour debut
- “It was actually really lucky, because I had a problem with a pair of training wheels and they were in a bike shop, so I was a bit late going out training,” Pickering told reporters
Australia’s Green becomes IPL’s most expensive overseas player
- Kolkata Knight Riders sign Cameron Green for $2.77 million at player auction for 2026 season
- Aussie cricketer is set to play in the third Ashes test against England starting on Wednesday
Australia all-rounder Cameron Green became the most expensive overseas player in the Indian Premier League (IPL), after Kolkata Knight Riders signed him for 252 million Indian rupees ($2.77 million) at the player auction for the 2026 season in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Green, who was initially registered as a batsman due to an error, was the subject of intense bidding between Kolkata and Chennai Super Kings before being purchased by the three-times champions.
The 26-year-old is the third most expensive player in IPL history, after India’s Rishabh Pant (270 million Indian rupees) and Shreyas Iyer (267.5 million). “We are very happy. This is something that we were really focused on... I think he adds a lot to our team,” Kolkata CEO Venky Mysore said.
Australian Mitchell Starc, the previous most expensive foreign player in the competition, attracted a bid of 247.5 million Indian rupees in 2024 from Kolkata, who have made three of the five most expensive buys in IPL history.
Green, who missed the IPL this year as he was recovering from back surgery, is set to play in the third Ashes test against England starting on Wednesday.
Kolkata also spent big on Sri Lankan seamer Matheesha Pathirana and Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman.
Five-time champions Chennai splurged 142 million Indian rupees each on wicketkeeper-batter Kartik Sharma, who has hit 16 sixes in this season’s Ranji Trophy, and all-rounder Prashant Veer, making them the most expensive uncapped signings in IPL history.
Delhi Capitals bought England batter Ben Duckett and South Africa’s David Miller for 20 million Indian rupees each.
The 19th edition of the IPL begins on March 26, after India co-hosts the Twenty20 World Cup starting in February.
