Maverick Vinales took advantage of the race-free weekend after Spielberg to face a no less strenuous competition, namely an Ironman
MotoGP riders are among the fittest athletes around. The demands on the physical condition of the riders are higher than ever. Aleix Espargaro was the first to confirm this. “You have to be physically at a very high level, also because everything is so balanced,” explained the current World Championship runner-up.
That’s why he and his MotoGP colleagues train every day away from the track. Some also take part in other sporting competitions, time permitting. Espargaro, for example, has competed in bike races. His Aprilia team-mate Maverick Vinales even recently took on an Ironman.
At the “Ironman 70.3” in Zell am See, Austria, the Spaniard completed 1.9 kilometres of swimming, 90 kilometres of cycling and 21.1 kilometres of running. Added together, this gives a distance of 70.3 miles, hence the name of the event.
So instead of taking the race-free weekend off after the Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg, Vinales looked for the next sporting challenge. Nevertheless, the 27-year-old says: “It wasn’t really stressful. It was fun. “
“Of course it’s true that the Ironman is a demanding event. But I can say that I trained really hard for it at home. In that respect it was actually very good and I enjoyed it a lot. I had a good time, also with my family. In Austria, there are great views and beautiful places there.”
And Vinales and co. were also sporting in the run-up to this weekend’s San Marino Grands Prix. Because on Wednesday evening there was a football match with riders from the World Motorcycle Championship, MotoE and World Superbike Championship, who – split into two different teams – competed against each other.
The first edition of MotoGPFootball ⚽️ was SO MUCH FUN!
We can’t think of a better way to warm up for the SanMarinoGP and we can’t wait for a second round! pic.twitter.com/n8AhvJpcC1
– MotoGP™ (@MotoGP) August 31, 2022
Vinales acted as captain of the Riviera di Rimini team and apparently did his job well. Because the friendly match ended with a clear 6:2 for his team.
“I love playing football,” says Vinales, who also scored a goal himself. “But the last time was a while ago. I hadn’t played since November last year. I really enjoyed playing, especially against my fellow riders. “