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Here’s a 12-Year-Kid Outpacing Pro Cyclists at 2021 Tour of Britain

Motivation and a certain sense of self-awareness can come from playing with the big boys, and this was probably the case here. A 12-year-old cyclist raced against pro riders at the 2021 Tour of Britain, briefly outpaced them and made a name for himself as the latest viral star.
Pascal Eenkhoorn and 12-year-old kid have a moment at 2021 Tour of Britain 9 photos
Photo: Twitter / Pascal Eenkhoorn
Pascal Eenkhoorn and 12-year-old kid have a moment at 2021 Tour of BritainPascal Eenkhoorn and 12-year-old kid have a moment at 2021 Tour of BritainPascal Eenkhoorn and 12-year-old kid have a moment at 2021 Tour of BritainPascal Eenkhoorn and 12-year-old kid have a moment at 2021 Tour of BritainStage 1 of Tour de France 2021 sees massive crash caused by a fan holding a cardboard signStage 1 of Tour de France 2021 sees massive crash caused by a fan holding a cardboard signStage 1 of Tour de France 2021 sees massive crash caused by a fan holding a cardboard signStage 1 of Tour de France 2021 sees massive crash caused by a fan holding a cardboard sign
No one but a child or a fellow professional rider would think of racing against professional cyclists, that much is certain. On Saturday, the Tour of Britain convoy was passing through Edinburgh, Scotland and, as it so happened, Xander Graham was on his way home from a cycling event, BBC reports.

He knew the convoy would pass by there and he had made a plan to see it for himself. An already accomplished cyclist (he won the 2019 and 2021 road bike series with Scottish Cycling), Xander then decided to join the convoy. It was a spur of the moment thing, he would later tell the media and, albeit briefly, he was able to outpace the pro riders.

Videos of his stunt are available at the bottom of the page. Technically, Xander didn’t outpace the cyclists because he got a head start, but he was able to keep the unfair advantage for a short while. The young cyclist tells the same media outlet that he estimates he was going as fast as 25 kph (15.5 mph), and notes that it was an honor for him to ride alongside his heroes.

One of them, Pascal Eenkhoorn of Netherlands’ Team Jumbo-Visma, acknowledged Xander’s efforts by handing him his water bottle. Catching cyclists’ water bottles was a tradition until months ago, when it was banned on considerations of safety and in order to avoid littering. Xander says the water bottle was his big prize for his unofficial race and that he plans to have a shelf built in his room specifically for it.

One of the Tour of Britain sponsors reached out to him after Saturday’s stage and gave him VIP passes to the final stage in Aberdeen. He got to meet all his heroes in person and was surprised to learn that they already knew who he was.

While Xander’s short-lived race against the pro riders went viral earlier this week, with many praising the kid for daring to test himself against such a high standard, there are also those who point out that what he did was illegal. Riding on the pavement is illegal throughout Scotland. Children are the only exception to the rule, but Xander is past the legal threshold, which is 10 years of age.



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Editor's note: Photos in the gallery also show the 2021 Tour de France pile-up caused by another fan, this time more reckless and less sports-oriented.

About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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