Don’t be surprised if you hear more shouts of ‘Bravo’ at bike races, with a capital ‘B’. While the chant is a common exclamation to praise skill and courage, it’s also the surname of Brazil’s latest sports personality, 19-year-old cyclist Henrique Bravo. He’s on an upward trajectory far away from his Brazilian roots, now making noise in Europe with Soudal-QuickStep Development.
There was another Enrique who became a role model in Brazil for a rising generation of cyclists: Enrique Avancini, who won World Cups, stages at Cape Epic and world titles with his mountain bike skills. Rather than a Kaká, Neymar, Rinaldo, or Rinaldinho, it was this athlete with two names and two world championships in marathon MTB who caught the attention of Bravo, carving a passion for the mountain bike and a path to a pro career on the road bike.
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To start this year, Bravo won a stage at his first UCI 2.1 stage race, Tour du Rwanda, and then won the first GC title of his young career at Tour of Antalya. In less than two weeks, one day before his 20th birthday, Bravo will take the start of the U23 Liège-Bastogne-Liège for a second time, landing 21st in his debut.
Cyclingnews: Tell us about growing up in Nova Lima, a large town in the mountainous region of south-east Brazil. How did you got involved with cycling?
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