'You can start by calling me Brother Angel, I hope to be a Father in the near future'
Spanish cyclist Ángel Vicioso and the website El Pedal de Frodo played a rather unusual Día de los Santos Inocentes joke on December 28th, the equivalent of April Fool’s Day for Spain.
Claiming that he had decided to retire and to enter the priesthood, the 33 year old dead-panned that he wanted a more altruistic life. “It was time to start doing something I should have done long ago, to prepare properly to become a priest one day, God willing, of course."
Vicioso, whose name means 'evil' in Spanish, has raced professionally since 1999, when he joined Kelme. This year, he had a contract to race with Gianni Savio's Androni Giocattoli team in Italy.
"I know people will be talking about this, but I will understand because I'm the first to recognise that this is a complete change of pace in my life. Moreover, if I had read this same story about another cyclist, I would also be surprised," continued Vicioso.
"It is not so different, basically it is just about helping others. In cycling, you travel around the world to help the leader on that that particular day.
"There's been nothing wrong with being in the peloton, in fact, it's been a blessing to be a part of it. I am a little nervous, but happy for my future."
During the last 12 years in the professional peloton, Vicioso won two stages of the País Vasco, a stage of the Tour de Suisse and one at the Volta a Catalunya. His career took a turn for the worse, though, in 2006, riding for Manolo Saiz's Liberty Seguros team, he was listed in the Operación Puerto doping investigation files. He was later cleared, but afterwards rode for second and third division teams.
Time and circumstances has not made Vicioso bitter. Showing he still knows how to have a laugh, he gave this interview tongue-in-cheek on the Día de los Santos Inocentes. It was however picked up as fact by a number of news outlets, after which El Pedal de Frodo quickly added a footnote. “I confess it is a joke, one with the approval of Angel Vicioso.”
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Teams:
1999-2002: Kelme-Costa Blanca
2003-2006: ONCE-Eroski
2007: Relax-Gam
2008: LA-MSS
2009-2010: Andalucía-Cajasur