We're nearing the end of the first week of the Tour de France, traditionally a time of fast, stressful stages and doomed breakaways populated by riders you've never heard of.
The Tour is so long that it takes time for narratives to emerge: favourites cracking, underdogs surprising, and rivalries building. Are you feeling a little jaded? If so, this actual rap video performed by Kazakhstan based WorldTour team Astana will reignite your love of pro cycling. Probably.
- Team Ineos races on £5k Lightweight Meilenstein Obermayer wheels at 2019 Tour de France
- Elia Viviani’s Specialized S-Works Venge from the 2019 Tour de France
Astana bills this as the "first ever pro cycling rap" and, six months on from its release, I think that's still accurate. Why this is the case is anyone's guess.
The song features such immortal lyrics as "It's Astana tradition to be in the first position" and the decidedly normal and not weird "Please remember, our team is not from Palestine/We are not from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Uzbekistan/We are from Kazakhstan".
Team riders are seen throwing authentic hip-hop hand gestures and the man himself, team manager and Olympic gold medallist Alexandre Vinokourov, sports a fetching chain-and-chainring necklace that's one part Flavor Flav to two parts fixie fashion victim circa 2008.
Of course, we all know that there was only ever one cycling music video that mattered...
Which music genre would you like to see Astana master next?