As he climbs up the steep incline, hundreds of supporters cheer him on, his bicycle shoes slipping backwards as he edges onward and upwards.
Nystrom finishes far behind the other contenders. He stops and acknowledges the gathering while standing in shadow under the chilly sun. They give him another round of applause in exchange.
On a muddy cyclocross course in the southern Netherlands, Nystrom’s journey to these moments has been harsh and agonizing.
It has included suicidal thoughts, homelessness, and mental anguish.
Felipe Nystrom: From hopelessness and drug abuse to winning a world championship
The applause grows louder as Felipe Nystrom gets closer to the slope. He reaches the bottom, his bike squelching and sliding through the muck, and he hops off, shouldering the frame.
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