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A vegan cyclist has delivered a strong performed during a 24-hour endurance race.
Paolo Barbon finished 18th of 34 finishers in the Bellaria Igea Marina event. He was fifth of 14 in his category.
The mountain bike event follows a loop course which was sure to challenge the endurance of all entrants. Almost completely flat, it offered no relief as riders often welcome the rest offered by a descent.
‘A very tough race’
“The ground was very uneven,” said Barbon. “There were many small continuous jumps and a continuous vibration throughout the race.
“For me, it was a very, very tough race. This year I suffered a lot and then it was really cold at night.
“The temperature was very low and below 10 degrees, and there was a lot of humidity.”
‘An ethical choice’
Barbon previously revealed to Great Vegan Athletes that his decision to ditch animal products was based on ethics.
“I want to underline that my decision was an empathic and ethical choice,” he said. “Empathy towards animals is something that I have always had in me since childhood.”
The Italian has been vegan since 2004 and is involved in ‘Bike for Animals’ to raise awareness of animal issues including bullfighting and veganism.
