Florent Poilane & mountain biking

Florent Poilane was born in the countryside of France where there are mountains, which is very suitable for riding mountain bikes, so he became a professional cyclist and won many prizes at international competitions.

Florent Poilane was born in the countryside of France where there are mountains, which is very suitable for riding mountain bikes, so he became a professional cyclist and won many prizes at international competitions.

While living and working in Ho Chi Minh City, Florent Poilane established a club to help young people practice this interesting sport.

At weekends, Florent Poilane and members of his club often gather at the practicing ground near Da Lake (the Thu Duc University Village) or Den Hung Park in District 9 for training.

For this sport, besides selecting a suitable bike, the cyclists need a pair of cycling-specific shoes, clothing, cycling tights, cycling gloves, socks and more which will keep them stylish, safe and warm.

During each training session, depending on the ability of each cyclist, Florent Poilane will instruct them on proper techniques, from simple to difficult.

Ho Duy Tuong, a 21-year- old cyclist, said: “This sport helps improve my flexibility and quick reactions for sudden and difficult situations and the ability of mastering my own bike”.

He added that he started this sport one year ago and now can handle many difficult techniques, such as the bunny-hop, jump and whip.

When he established the club, Florent Poilane desires to bequeath his passion for mountain biking to young people in Vietnam, helping them feel confident to overcome challenges and discover themselves.

To further promote the development of this sport, he plans to build a place on Dinh Mountain in Vung Tau for training and organising contests in the future.