Tim Merlier and Bert Van Lerberghe, friends from Kortrijk for over 20 years, are preparing for the 2025 Tour de France, hoping to win the first yellow jersey. Van Lerberghe reflects on their humble beginnings, where cycling was a hobby rather than a profession. They enjoyed biking together casually without aspirations of becoming professionals. Merlier has competed in the Tour previously, while Van Lerberghe is making his debut. Their long-standing trust and friendship are seen as crucial for their sprinting success.
"We were in the same class when we were 11, 12 years old, so more than 20 years ago already and directly we had a really good relationship. We were best friends, and we both rode bikes."
"We were actually never thinking about becoming pro. It's really strange - we loved riding the bike, but we never said 'Ah let's go pro'. It was a hobby for us, and we were quite good at it."
"It would have been a dream if we dreamed about it, but we didn't dream about it because it was too big for us. We never thought about it."
"Van Lerberghe admits that even just racing the Tour was something that felt too big to even talk about, back when cycling just meant riding twice a week and the occasional after-school BMX session."
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