Rookie: Anglo-Saxon term that describes a person in his or her first year of a sport, someone who is new to a profession, training or activity.
Continuing our particular set of rookies of the year now is the turn of Tim Ceresa, a young French who started the season doing a great result in the National Moutarde Crit of Dijon that allowed him to be part of a great team, ride a large number of races, and even achieve some podium.
Tim is besides a ski and bike lover, is a brilliant person. We leave you with his interview so that you know a bit more his history and we recommend you that if you have a chance, you may know him personally.
1. Who is Tim Ceresa?
I’m 27 now. On two wheels or on the skis, I am a fan of sport and adrenaline. I share my life between my work as ski instructor in the Alps from November to beginning of May and cycling in Paris the rest of the year, among others. I tried different sports like skatepark and ice hockey during 8 years , however my 2 real passions since I was 3 years old, are skiing and cycling (with no stabilizing wheels), maybe I should have kept them, after my accidently September J! I will come back to this later.
2. National Moutarde Crit where everything starts. Tell us about your experience in Dijon, where you were the first rider (without team support).
It was my first fixed gear Crit, the timing was difficult, because I just have finished my ski season and cycled only during 3 weeks. In France, there is only a real Criterium, the National Moutarde Crit in Dijon. I had in mind this type of races for a while; unfortunately I never had the chance to participate, due to my work schedule. This year finally I had this opportunity, so I didn’t hesitate, I told let’s register and see what happen!
During the race when I saw the leader group asses (ha,ha,ha), I held on to the first group like crazy, to be honest I could hold on due to my good physical condition at that moment. During the whole race I was thinking “Such a great feeling…I want more and more” even if my legs were thinking the opposite! The speed, the type of the race, the adrenaline, the concentration, etc… all together makes me feel amazing. It was my first time and it was not the last, I became really addicted!
I finished 9th and I realized that I am the lucky one to win an 8bar bike intended for the first non sponsored rider. To be honest I really need one bike. This prize had a huge sense for me and for all those who are not sponsored by a team. 8bar make this dream true, so I consider that was a great detail from his side.
Incredible feeling to get into this universe, I love it!
3. How starts your collaboration with 8bar?
At the finishing line of NMC, I met Stefan Schott (Mister 8bar), then all started for me, I asked him quickly “what will be the next? Where are going to be the other races like this? I want to race all them…”
He gave me a small list of races that he wished to do with 8bar and I my next destination, with my new 8bar bike which its geometry and reactivity matched me perfectly, was Spain, to participate in Donostia Kriterium. There I met Maxe and Max, my other teammates. We are 4 at the beginning and I liked the feeling with those guys because they didn’t receive me in a sport team otherwise in their little 8bar spirit family! I loved all, the first podium and many others things…unforgettable.
Later on, in Oñati, the Kantoikrit, first victory, sprinting the last part against my boss ha,ha. And there, I discover an after race party in Spain, this place was amazing…
Then Criterium Gijón, it was a great race with higher level and final meetings around “Chupitos”.
For 8bar, the team expanded and the following is going to be exciting.
The following is going to be… RHC finally!
4. RED HOOK CRIT. Tell us about your experience at RHC Barcelona.
The race, everybody told me something about. I participated in the Red Hook Crit Barcelona 2. As a rider, I had no idea what I could expect, I came back from skiing after spending 20 days working on a glacier, which means almost no preparation, not so much cycling but my condition in the end was on top. Everything was as I guessed, the place, the loop, the level, the speed, the atmosphere, only my result was low (the 24th) because of a fall in the last hairpin, during the last lap when I was really in the head of the first group (well, that’s part of the race, little thought goes to Pablo J), I used to forget that I raced less than 5 Crits in my life, so I need more experiences to progress. In General I have good memories however a bad one is haunting me, the fact that I could finish in a better position.
5. Why-how- when do you start to practice cycling as sport? And when do you start with fixed gear? Why cycling is so special for you?
I participated in 2-3 mountain bike races when I was young (downhill/trial/cross-country). But I started cycling, as a sport when I was 16, my past as a high-level skier restrained to certain trainings and I needed to change. Thereafter, it was not only leisure, I wanted to ride faster. I started riding a fixed gear, 5 years ago, when I arrived to Paris, now I spent more time on the fixed gear than on my road bike.
Why cycling is special to me? My father was a track racer then a road cyclist, it was always a part of my environment, cycling is like a childhood game that lasts for a long time already…
6. FALLING AND RISING. Tell us what did happen and about your recovery?
I never had a real crash by bike before, when I spent my time training like crazy for the Milan RHC, a car invaded my lane and crashed head-on, 50km/h, a huge shock, but except my road bike and two fingers, pretty damaged – nothing broken, really lucky in the end. One week later, the same day than the week before, car slammed on the brakes to avoid running over a pedestrian, I was ridding my fixed gear bike, I jumped over my bike, stretched my arms to not hit my head. What I feared arrived, two broken elbows and the clavicle. Goodbye Milano as a rider.
But I went as a spectator, standing near the course to see my second RHC!! And I have wonderful memories with my magic arm at the after race partyJ!
I had also many injuries with skiing (9 fractures, 6 operations, I spent in total more than a year of my life in reeducation centers, which I already know the way to come back there).
Today everything is good, I’ve restarted my ski season, I will be back on my bike in May with a big motivation and with 8bar for another Crit season.
7. A sentence that represents your passion for bikes and cycling.
“What’s the next“, because life is like cycling, you have to go fast to not lose the balance.
8. Thanks to…
My father, because everything I know about bikes, comes from him. The rest of my family, to give me support at all times
8bar for giving me this opportunity, my teammates, my friends from Paris (Ride du Mardi, Street Pistard…). My friends,Sven and Charlotte from Warsaw Cycling.
Caro Paulette, for her lessons about the fixed gear basis.
Luis and Amparito, because they take part in what I like in the fixed environment.
The Kantoikrit team for the encouragements.
And of course, thanks to you, RAW Cycling Mag for this interview and all this crazy moments.
I Like it!
