27 Sep. 2015 – Elias ABOU RACHID was the only cyclist to participate in the World Road Bike Championship in Richmond, United States. He was accompanied by the president of the Lebanese Cycling Federation Vatche ZADORIAN and Nazareth HABIBIAN.
We previously mentioned that this kind of races, especially the Road races, are teams sports where collaboration between team members is very important to follow the tempo of the race and stay with the pack.
Elias gave his best at this World Road Bike Championship. He certainly gained more experience, discovered a new place, met new people and competed with the greatest in the world!
“The Race didn’t go as planned, no excuses. These guys are too strong for me. On the bright side, I had the best mountain bike ride ever in Richmond. I just can’t get enough from this beautiful city!” Announced Elias ABOU RACHID on his Instagram account.
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Zaher EL HAJJ, who is known to be the best cyclist in Lebanon with a long and fruitful career behind him, is coaching Elias and riding with him as a teammate. He is a professional in the field of sports, especially in cycling. He is also a holder of a PhD in physiology of exercise.
“Elias is the greatest talent I have ever seen in Lebanon. When it comes to physiological numbers, he achieved crazy figures: he does his 3-4 min intervals at ~ 400 Watts, his anaerobic threshold is ~ 350 Watts! Those numbers are just amazing if we take his weight into consideration! His commitment, intelligence, motivation and humility are rare. And this makes him an exceptional athlete!” Said Zaher.
“I seriously think he is something else, however, he is still a bit far from world class level, and this is normal. It’s impossible to get there without turning fully pro, and training with professionals as well.” Continued Zaher EL HAJJ.
We also know that Elias won this year both the road and mountain bike championships, he also won the time trial! He is certainly a complete and multi-talented cyclist. We asked Zaher where does he see him in the future, and his answer was clear: “I personally believe he will be better in MTB. Not due to his physiological characteristics, but simply because he loves it! However now I believe he is better in Road Bike and specifically in time-trial.”
What’s stronger than love an athlete feels for his sport?
All the best Elias!
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