Alain Prost Interview
Mad for cycling
Nearly everyone knows Alain Prost as a driver (four-time Formula 1 world champion) or team manager (F1 then Formula E, where he holds two world championship titles). What they don’t often know is that Alain Prost is also passionate about cycling and has been riding seriously for nearly twenty-five years, always striving for precision and technique—as Richard Mille does with his watches.
“With cycling, it’s not about hitting a certain time for each ride, but rather knowing where you stand in terms of heart rate, energy used, average, and variation of climbs and descents.”
Alain Prost
Does your passion for cycling have its roots in your childhood?Not at all. Even when I was competing in Formula 1 it wasn’t part of my training regime, and it didn’t particularly interest me. I was more into running, cross-country skiing, weights, golf and tennis. Strangely, I didn’t feel comfortable on two wheels.
I ultimately turned to cycling through circumstances that took place during my sabbatical from F1 driving in 1992. My physical therapist at the time, Pierre Baleydier, was crazy about cycling. A former racer himself, he convinced me that the sport could be an especially worthwhile alternative to my training method because I was having problems with my knees and back. Since I didn’t quite know how to improve myself physically for my return in 1993, I began with mountain biking and decided to take on the challenge.
Preparations for ascending the Mont Ventoux, 1993
You quickly came to prefer road cycling...I was planning on buying a mountain bike, but then I discovered racing bikes. I was impressed by the bikes themselves, but also somewhat by the technical—and even technological—aspects, including the use of different materials. Most of all, my friends were already into road cycling in Southwest France and convinced me to join them.
In the summer of 1992, some people from Amaury Sports told me about their plans to organise a stage of the Tour de France for amateurs, around the time of the real Tour. Since this first edition of “L’Étape du Tour” was going to take place between Tarbes and Pau and include the Col du Tourmalet, Col du Soulor and Col d’Aubisque, our little group signed up.
It was a bit reckless—especially since, at the time, I was driving for Williams-Renault and was in the running for the title. But that’s how it went, and with it came an obligation to do it well—and therefore to train hard.
What did you like about cycling? Even though it’s a difficult sport, I loved it right away. It was good for me physically and provided a challenge as well, accentuated by the competitive aspect with my friends and the other riders in cyclo-tourism events. I noticed that thanks to Formula 1, where your heart rate can often reach 160 or even 200 beats per minute, I already had a good foundation. My legs suffered, especially in the beginning, but once you develop the right muscles and maintain them, you can enjoy yourself. I very quickly began feeling good, to the point where I was unable to go without cycling and the endorphins that it produces.
And it’s a sport where you’re ‘carried’. Modern frames are quite comfortable, so you don’t feel any stiffness, and I don’t get the traumatic impact to my knees or back that I did when I was doing Formula 1 in single-seaters with super firm suspension and aggressive driving. It’s a healthy, pleasant type of tiredness.
Sestrières, 1989
And unlike with driving, there’s no age limit?If you don’t stop cycling, there’s nothing preventing you from continuing well into old age.
You were known to be a very technical driver... are you the same way with bikes?Like I said, I adore the bikes themselves. I own around ten bikes, including two electric bikes and some mountain bikes. I like experimenting and testing out adjustments. Even a new pair of shoes can produce a different feel.
Do you hold yourself to a specific schedule?I do. Most of all, I try to ride as regularly and as often as possible, despite all my other activities (Renault ambassador for F1, Canal Plus consultant, and co-director of the Formula E Renault e.dams team, of which Richard Mille is a partner).
I’m going to try to bring a bike along in one of the team’s repair trucks so that I can ride while at a Grand Prix. The ideal would obviously be to train every day; however, I’ve decreased my use of the home trainer; it isn’t very good for my back. But I’m not the sort of person who catalogues my rides and training sessions. I wouldn’t be able to say how many kilometres I’ve ridden since I started cycling, but it certainly numbers well into the thousands. Depending on the year, I ride between 5,000 and 10,000 kilometres, which isn’t much compared to the high-level riders who ride more than 15,000 kilometres annually. I’d say that my level of cycling falls between maintenance and competition. When I’m training, I ride up to 20 hours per week. This year, between my professional obligations and travel, I’ve been closer to 12 hours per week.
Are you also training to be able to compete?I have goals with regard to the people I cycle with and the club I belong to in Provence. In 2017, I’ve planned on doing five races, each with between 300 and 1,000 participants. I’m also participating in the Masters World Championship in Albi. It’s open to amateurs aged 27 and older, and the level is incredible. What’s more, pros that haven’t raced for the past year and therefore haven’t earned any UCI points are eligible to participate... But I signed up anyway, knowing that I wouldn’t be among the best, but really just as a goal.
Alain Prost and Jarno Trulli riding together at the Italian Grand Prix, 1999
What are your limits with cycling?On the flat, it obviously depends on the speed and the time. It’s easy to go for a long time at 30 kilometres an hour. But it’s always a compromise depending on the terrain. I don’t have enough strength in my legs, so I’m not a rouleur. With my build (1.65 m, 58 kg optimal weight), I’m more of a climber. But hills are tiring too. Going uphill, age sometimes lets you make up in endurance what you lose in performance. For now, I haven’t been training enough, and it’s quality training that leads to strong performance.
Tour de France Stage Reconnaissance, col du Tourmalet, 1995
Does the ‘cycling’ watch that Richard Mille has dedicated to you integrate this concept of performance?First, I have to point out that Richard is the one who had the idea for this watch. He initiated all of this. He suggested to me the possibility of making a watch together, since he’s also passionate about cycling. He’s also close to Mark Cavendish, who wears a limited edition even when he’s on his bike. For our watch, Richard wanted to blend automobiles and bicycles.
The former Formula 1 champion is an accomplished sportsman with a passion for technicity and settings. He owns no less than 10 bicycles suited to various courses and terrains
Is there a specific approach to time for cycling?With cycling, it’s not about hitting a certain time for each ride, but rather knowing where you stand in terms of heart rate, energy expenditure (in calories), average, and variation of climbs and descents. Integrating all this data—some of which is ‘catalogued’ by the watch Richard and I created—was quite a challenge in terms of watch mechanics. But cyclists want to be aware of all of these parameters. They make it possible to set personal objectives and to have a better understanding of how you stack up to the competition, or even just go out and ride with a club. The cycle compters is an example of an element that is integrated in the watch.
The former Formula 1 champion is an accomplished sportsman with a passion for technicity and settings. He owns no less than 10 bicycles suited to various courses and terrains
Were you involved in the design process?We had some epic discussions with Richard. He asked me a lot of questions on technical aspects and aesthetics, and our exchanges sometimes veered off into frenzy. He listened to my ideas and opinions, but he’s ultimately the one who made the decisions. I have complete confidence in his choices—he’s never been wrong.
Among the principles behind all of Richard’s watch designs for athletes, one is essential: each watch must be able to be worn by the athlete while doing his or her sport. Though at first it wasn’t easy to convince Rafael Nadal to wear a watch while playing, once he tried it, he never stopped. We collaborated and worked on this watch for more than a year and a half.
The former Formula 1 champion is an accomplished sportsman with a passion for technicity and settings. He owns no less than 10 bicycles suited to various courses and terrains
As with automobiles, do you think about danger?Paradoxically, even in Formula 1, I have always been careful with danger—and I have held onto this with cycling. At each of the cyclo-sportive events that I participate in, there are between 300 and 1,000 racers—so it’s always a bit tight, and the pace is very fast. If it’s raining, I don’t even line up for the start. I try to stay away from anywhere there might be a risk of falling. In early spring, I fell going at a snail’s pace and it took me three weeks to recover. Knowing the pain that results from a fall, I get a knot in the pit of my stomach when I watch a sprint on television. Even though I have a decent grasp on choosing lines, I am increasingly careful with descents. Of course, everything depends on the road conditions, but I’m not very good with descending. Like with a car, you always need to anticipate what’s coming. That’s the trick for staying on the saddle!
The former Formula 1 champion is an accomplished sportsman with a passion for technicity and settings. He owns no less than 10 bicycles suited to various courses and terrains
