How Not to Get Dropped When You Haven’t Been Riding

When he’s not on tour, professional golfer Camilo Villegas loves to mix it up on pro-level group rides. Here’s his advice on faking your way fast.


Selene Yeager |

When he’s not on tour, professional golfer Camilo Villegas loves to mix it up on pro-level group rides. Here’s his advice on faking your way fast. – By Selene Yeager

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Professional golfer and avid cyclist Camilo Villegas says his cycling life “is consistently inconsistent: I’ll have maybe four weeks off the bike and then three weeks on, over and over throughout the year.” That first group ride hurts, he admits, “but I hate being dropped, so I’ve learned how to hang on.” You can, too.Be smart in the pack. “In golf you’re pretty much on your own. In cycling you can position yourself on good wheels and use the riders around you to perform better.”RELATED: What Not to Do Before Your Next Group RideLook deep into your soul. “Cycling isn’t as crazy mental as golf is, but it still requires unbelievable focus and strength. You have to ask yourself how much you want it.”

Remember that it gets better. “[Santiago] Botero, who has become a great friend of mine, asks, ‘How do you take so much time off and freaking ride like this?’ I grind it out because I know that those first three days back will be the worst, and then in a week and a half I’ll see big improvements.”­

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