A common bond
Opposite ends of cycling spectrum, Howes, Payne share a love for the sport
Alex Howes and David Payne are on the extreme opposite sides of cycling.
Howes, from Boulder, Colorado, races many of the world’s toughest courses, with tortuous mountain climbs, including Tour de France in 2014 and 2016.
Among the hundreds of competitors vying for one of four national championships during USA Cycling Pro Road & Time Trial National Championships Saturday and Sunday, June 24-25, in Knoxville, Howes paid a visit to West Bicycles in Farragut Friday afternoon, June 23.
Payne, a Farragut resident who met Howes at West Bicycles last Friday, never rode a bike regularly until last August.
However, Payne shares a love of cycling with Howes, though a much less competitive variety, while also preparing to take up his own challenge: ride across Iowa July 23-39.
Howes
About his Tour de France experiences, where Howes was one of nine riders on his Cannondale-Drapac team, he said, “It’s very demanding, mentally it’s pretty stressful. And you have a lot of obligations outside of the race through media and sponsor obligations.
“I think the only way most people can picture it is like if you were trying to run a marathon every day and also have a new baby in the house,” Howes added. “Luckily it’s only three weeks.”
About his first Tour de France experience being harder than he envisioned, Howes said, “It’s best not to think about the whole thing all at once. You break it down day by day.”
Based in Spain for much of the first half of each calendar year, Howes already has completed “The Giro,” a grueling course in Italy, and will travel to Austria.
About the Knoxville course, “I hear it’s got a nasty stinger in there,” Howes said about what he also labeled “a hard hill. It’s about a half-mile long or so.
“Down here in the southeast, the heat and humidity always play a factor,” he added. “… I come from Colorado where we have the heat, but it’s all at altitude.
“If you get over three percent humidity in Colorado you’re having a humid day. This isn’t what I’m necessarily used to, but it’s a hard race and hard racing suits me.”
Payne
A retired U.S. Navy officer who most recently was commanding officer at the reserve center off Alcoa Highwa. Payne said about his relatively new hobby, “I was looking for something to do and I was getting out of shape. … A friend of mine rode his bicycle and said it was enjoyable.
“I just walk in one day and [owner Fares Schlank’s] son [Evan Schlank] sold me one,” he added.
About his Iowa challenge, “It’s 411 miles and it goes from the Missouri River [east] to the Mississippi River,” Payne, 53, said what is expected to be a seven-day event. “… They’ve been doing it about 45 years. … It’s the largest group ride in the country, 20,000 people.
“You may go 60 miles a day. … At the overnight [stay] towns it’s like a big fair, they have a concert at each place.”
Payne’s longest ride to date, however, was West Bicycles’ CryBaby Ride of 62 miles in early June.
To prepare, “I’ll ride 40 miles four or five days a week,” Payne said.
Joining Payne in Iowa will be his son, David Thompson from New York.
“He just bought his [first bike] three months ago,” Payne said. “I talked him into it. He’s been riding around New York.”
