How do you cope with being away from the baby? What’s it like to be a professional athlete and a parent? How do you balance it all?
These are all questions frequently posed to the mothers of the professional peloton, of whom there are more and more in recent years, with maternity leave provisions making life easier for those who want to take it. Whilst conversations around maternity, motherhood and children are - rightly and belatedly - becoming a norm in women’s sport, it’s a topic the many fathers in the professional peloton are rarely invited to speak about.
Of course, parenthood for female and male athletes are two very different things. As a woman, having a child more than likely means a nine-month pregnancy, post-birth recovery, and possibly several months of breastfeeding and otherwise close care of a newborn. The physical demands almost entirely fall on the mother, and therefore the sporting impact is much greater compared to a father welcoming a new child.
Outside of the obvious physical differences, though, balancing parenthood and a job that requires a lot of time away from home and a very focused lifestyle is a challenge that mothers and fathers alike must face. So what is it like for the cyclists who are fathers too?