Full coverage, live racing, news, videos and photos all available on Eurosport: bit.ly/EurosportHome

Wow, lots of comments missing the point. An average man is not an amateur rider, so he wouldn't ride with cleats. Also, on their site, it's said that they went with flat pedals for safety reasons. Think about how an inexperienced rider would have unclipped at the end, in the area full of spectators. Also, he's riding an average man's bike, would you have him on a 5 kg climbing bike then complain that nobody could afford one? Sure, he would've done a lot better on a compact groupset and MTB cassette, but the point of this vid was the show how brutal this climb is compared to everything else...

I thought he did quite well for an average joe with no specific leg strength/ endurance. Zoncolan is brutal!

Perhaps the guy knew he would be going slowly and decided not to wear clipless for safety.

I think it's a cool reminder that regular people can ride (at least part way) up the Zoncolan to watch the racing :)

average man would climb the zoncolan only on a bus. way above average man would even dare to give it a try on a bike very much far above the average would actually be able to reach the summit. that's how brutal it is

Thanks for sharing lads! Motivation and then some. Average guy here! Layperson, amateur cyclist. As "amateur-ish" as can be, BUT, passionate. This kind of insight and motivation is what we people need the most. Cheers! George from Hellas.

putting on running shoes probably is the best option for the zoncolan. especially if you are not outside riding your bike but having time to comment on a video. nicely done eurosport

Great and deserved respect to this guy , even pros have been forced to stop on this monster ,and I.believe they have found an even harder way up , well done that man.

Someone buy that man a triple chainring! I'd totally ride this climb, if it weren't on the other side of the planet from me :-( More Average-Man please!

Great Vid. That certainly looks a savage climb.

You call him average but he's probably still in better shape than most of us on here 😂

Man at 6:15 was thinking.... damn! Shia LaBeouf has put on weight!

As a beginner not even an amateur cyclist, the Zoncolan made me rethink what I've been thinking about pro cyclists. This video made me rethink lots about 🚴. My respect

Recorrer los 4 primeros kilómetros con ese porcentaje en 38 minutos, significa ya un buen estado de forma, well done.

THE OVARO HALFPIPE (35km\+2500m) I cycled up Zoncolan from Ovaro and it is quite brutal but if you really want BRUTAL go down the same side again, cross the bridge in Ovaro and go up the road to Passo della Forcella (It is paved and ok for road bike tyres). It rises 1330m over 8.2km with up to 28%, some switchbacks have around 32% on the inside. Zoncolan felt like a warmup suddenly. The full "half pipe" ride is close to 2500m elevation gain over just 35km and it will make you reconsider your life choices.

Hell yea!! This is what it really looks like when I climb.. Yea sometimes I have to stop and check my sanity😝

Respect!!!

I'm from Sutrio. Thanks for the video. I have a mad plan to do Zoncolan, Sutrio side, in tennis shoes and a borrowed bike. I am an "avarage" gal. I did a scouting tour in December, but only got to 3Km of the top and then the snow covered the route. I actually spat blood in the last part I managed to ride, in the snow, around 15% gradient and -9 degrees temperature. I kicked the bike & questioned my sanity. Oh, and I was there to greet Froome when he won :)

Intieresting insight, I'm planning a trip to the Zoncolan, good to know what awaits us mere mortals hah

hahaha. that is awesome. Props for even attempting it.

Respect... just using normal shoes... I’m sure by now ( 2019 ) with his dedication he improved a lot

Good effort seeing as though he doesn’t train, the climb looks absolutely brutal.

I kept expecting average man to start singing "your own, personal, Jesus"

Nice stuff. Makes people understand how hard is cycling and how well prepared cyclists must be to tackle this type of climb

Whatever the comments say he still would be having an easier time in cleats, you never gave him a chance from the word go. I'm an average Joe, almost 50, never been in a cycling club and I know I'd ride it

3:23 Story of my life ;-(

Nice video, the average person in the UK is overweight and this guy has a ‘healthy BMI’ but even this relatively healthy amateur athlete struggled instantly, cool vid

I can't imaging and average man competing in 5 half marathons then cycling Zoncolan in sneakers.

I did it one week ago, it is true insane !!!! from ovaro, but huge memories for me.

I did 5 times and my best was 1'14'30 (around), but I got a triple, so I used a 30X32. The central 6 kms are hard, 14% and almost no time to take a breath. You can't trick on it.

It would appear Rule #5 wasn't followed.

Some people’s comments... and we wonder why cyclists are unpopular! 13-14% gradient over the last 2 km is very hard (and not your typical club ride) albeit he came into it fresh. Most of the bad comments on here are clearly written by people who have never ridden anything greater than half that.

at least he remembered to put a cap on, made a difference in the end. slightly less important but worth taking in future would be a water bottle and cycling shoes.

Great effort, chapeau ! I know this is supposed to be average bod on average bike but if there's one thing that would have helped it's gearing. That ratio looks brutal for starters. There's no shame in high cadence 'granny' gears to get up these long steep climbs in 'relative' comfort. Whilst clipless would be more efficient there is a level of skill involved which the rider may not have had to unclip safely when in those crowds near the top.

Wish I had a zoncolan out in my back garden. Not very likely though in the British fens ;)

Did it last year. From Ovaro. With compact and 12-29. It was harder than I tought to be. On top, my face skin color was all white :-).

Liking the Eurosport kit

Before watching I say there’s no way in a thousand years

Beers per week.... 9? Lol

darned brave to even ATTEMPT that climb. Even when i was super-fit teenager racer i would never have been able to make it up that. now at age 64, i do an 18 percent grade most weeks of 330 meters (slowly lol). two years ago i had to walk up 1/2 way. there is one steeper hill in my area.. not sure but definitely over 20 percent and peaks higher towards the top... so far only made it up 1/2 way. anyway, well done sir.

holy crap that music

Come on, you could have given the poor average guy a decent gear ratio. It's like he has to climb the thing with Tony Martin's 55x11 😁

I think it is funny how some people are so upset about the video. 1st time I have seen "average man" and yes I was surprised there were no cleats; So what. the behind the scenes look was good for me, because I will never personally go to the ZONCOLAN. More surprisingly was that fit blonde @ 5:26. My friends are going to have a run at me when and if they see that comment. @ 2:30 encouragement w/ bell ringer - sweet. I didn't notice quality of bike, but appeared to be reasonable for avg. up to date weekender. Cool video. FROOME was an animal here.

The poor guy is on flat pedals!

Good effort! For an average man. By the way, how to get one of those cycling eurosport kits?

Probably, even a pro could not get to the summit using flat pedals

He’s not even wearing bike shoes

if this man rides this mountain everyday 1000x he will become a pro soon

Moral of the story: Average men needs MTB gearing to get up the steepest climbs.

is it b twin 900 AF alu bike.52x36 and 11x28.good bike from b twin

You don't deserve to ride the last km's of such a legendary climb if you have been shuttled up a part of it.

do more of these reports, people never understand how un-human pro athletes are cause they never get an honest comparison against regular people

But good work,nevertheless.thanks for the report.

well done! that takes balls! keep on riding, man. guys like you impress me than my race buddies and me on our slick gear. we had a guy recently keep up at 45 kph on a 30 k group ride, using a 1970's woman's Raleigh with flat pedals and sneakers and regular cheapo shorts ! impressive!

I did it and it took 2 days to recover. Brutal. Harder than the Mortirolo

I wish you guys put what gears you gave this dude haha probably a 11-25 hahah for mt zoncolan

All those folks wondering left and right at random on the narrow road - check!

At least give the poor guy a 32 cassette. This was cruel.

Liked because of the lad at 2:32

He climb this wall with baskets...😂

Nuts!!!

He very clearly has the wrong gearing, the best cyclist in the world used a 34x32

gogogo go ahead!!!

there is a point... mostly try to do Zoncolan from both sides ...but there is a third...from Villa Santina to the top of Zoncolan but passing ...the forests with MTB... where just lumberjacks go.... there are points when from far you can't believe that is a way.....35-40% ....road ...is hard to say but a way...there are points that are cement in the middle of forest done with light stairs, light scars on the floor to give grip and drain water..... incredible...if you not see with your eyes... coming back from the same way I got problems with Discs ..over heating the brakes I had to jump from bike to a side to save me... second time I changed the brakes with 180 front and back Shimano Xtr trail ...no problem.. but with the previous...Hope brakes ...scary...

42T is must 😂

Gotta say, I’m impressed that he was able to do it at all wearing runners on a decidedly non-lightweight bike!

That's bs. An average man would not be able to climb out of the saddle

i hope he also use the 38-34 chainring

Sorry but I don’t see what people are complaining about, in Cumbria 23% is basically nothing

By the way, Contador climbed the Zoncolan in 2011 with a 34x32. You probably gave the guy something as a 26 at the rear, was it just a move to torture him ?

What was his gearing?

Quality

But Boy u have got a nice pedalingstroke. Heels down and from toe upwards…:)))

Interesting choice of gear... Hardly spinning to win is he? I'd say he's riding at 50-65rpm...

It is easy if you walk that 4km 15.4% part and that 18% at the end. I'm a sprinter somatotype (~24 FFMI), I rather walk fast than bike when the climb is over 12% - then it's easy.

without click-pedals ???

I would give a lot to try that myself.

Hmm, no compact crank set, and a 26 max at the back, and flat peddles.

He should've used Chris Froome's bike. He would've done a lot better

What was his gear combo?

34-34 + spd pedals and Bob is your uncle.

Just in case anyone else comments on the trainers/pedals/bike/gearing situation here is the story: www.eurosport.co.uk/cycling/giro-d-italia/2018/the-story-behind-average-man-vs-zoncolan-eurosport-s-visit-to-the-giro-s-steepest-climb_sto6770362/story.shtml

Give the poor man some cleats.

You need a compactChain rings

38 min for 540meters climb is very good for an average man

Ever tried Hardknot Pass ?!

Why is he is trainers and not in cleats??

I’ve done the zoncolan 4 years ago and average man done better than me!! When I was 27 I was above the.....well above the average man on the street. So how average is he? I also had a b-twin... yes,average. How average is he? Is he on the hot sauce?

i would like to see everyone who is complaining he hasn't cleats trying to restart on his own on a 15% road after a stop with cleats shoes. The average man falls in his own backyard trying on cleats for fuck sake.

Did he died?

He is on a very easy gear

Get the poor guy some clip in shoes

Poor "Average Man"

What’s with all the people walking in the middle of the road? Sheesh!!!

Proper shoes would mean you can push and pull using hamstrings also. Never had a chance in trainers although I get the safety reasons so pretty pointless experiment

Wait a sec...! Is he riding on compact chain rings (50/34) and 11/32 at the back? I don't know about Froome with is Oval chain rings...but in the back he runs 11/32 for sure. Heck get an Ultegra 11/34 in the back...he will be fine. Just need freaking stamina and keep eating on the way up!

Not even clipped in

scarpe da ginnastica !!!!!!!!

I thought there would be more tears, and vomit...