CyclistIts nice to enjoy the ride; its important: Dorian Godon profileDorian Godon is not your typical pro cyclist. The fast-finishing Frenchman is constantly in motion, whether sprinting at 70kmh to WorldTour victory (five this year already), going paddleboarding and rock climbing, or shopping on his vintage bike. The world is there to be explored and life is to be enjoyed.Splitting his time between Andorra and Girona, every day is an opportunity for adventure. Before racing this years Tour de France for Netcompany Ineos, Godon made the most of his downtime around training by hiking up Pyrenean mountains with his girlfriend.Sometimes we took a picnic and a book, he says. I had the best raspberries I ever ate. The simple life.Godon has spent much of his sporting career studying physiotherapy and has a completely different vision to most of his peers. Even a different look too, given the moustache he has maintained since the 2025 Tour Down Under.Its important to shave or clean it sometimes I always have some food or whatever on it, he says, laughing.Its a case of stache and grab, as Godon has taken 13 pro wins since adding the fuzzy facial fairing. Get rid of it and maybe he would lose his Samson-esque source of strength.Moustache is power, he once joked.Indeed, vive la diffrence: at the time of going to press, no rider on Netcompany Ineos has more road victories in 2026 than the 30-year-old. All but two have come in the WorldTour top tier too, including a stage victory at Paris-Nice, a brace of sprint wins at the Volta a Catalunya, plus the prologue and a stage at the Tour de Romandie. He has enjoyed a seamless transition from Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale last winter.I was surprised they had no stress, no pressure. Sometimes in French teams they push a lot. They [Netcompany Ineos] give you all the keys to do your best, he says.In its Team Sky days, the team had a reputation for being robotic; Godon is anything but.I thought it was like that, he admits. Then I got there and saw it was super-familiar no groups, everybody talking to each other and not about what theyd done before. There was no I won this race and that race. It was very humble. I was surprised a good spirit to perform.Godon was attracted by the opportunity to try a foreign team after nine years with French teams Cofidis and Decathlon: Maybe I didnt have the maturity before, he reflects.The race-opening Barcelona TTT at the 2026 Tour de France was already on his mind when he joined a squad that leaves no stone unturned in their preparation. In October, they spent time in the velodrome working on positioning.I started to like doing TTTs again. I didnt before so much, Godon says.As it turned out, second place in the Catalan capital was the high point of the race for Godon. The route didnt offer many opportunities for someone who says he is not a true sprinter and prefers when its harder.On Stage 12, his Tour mission turned from seeking success to survival after a heavy crash in the final. Godon says it took more than ten minutes the next morning just to get out of bed, but the X-rays did not show anything and he soldiered on. It turned out post-Tour that he had fractured four ribs.I couldnt breathe. I went after Stage 17 to the radiography check and they did a similar thing. Sorry to say, but the medical directors are just there for the image of the race; the medical staff seem like they are on holiday, he says.Maybe if I knew I had something serious, I would have DNF-ed, but I had already booked a restaurant in Paris so I had to get there. Every stage I said, Just one more day to go. Its the Tour de France, I dont like to DNF, its not in my spirit. But sometimes I should.Motivation can come in many different forms. His 94-year-old grandmother was waiting in Paris for him with his family, as was a special meal.A friend of mine studied at a famous culinary school in France and he has a Michelin-starred restaurant, so it was a good opportunity to go there on Monday. I had that on my mind.Article continues belowDavid PowellDorian Godon with his partner Margaux. They met while studying physiotherapy and Margaux is now a soigneur for Canyon-Sram.David PowellGodon rides into Girona on his vintage bike for all his groceries: The Motobcane is the most beautiful bike I have sorry Pinarello.David PowellDavid PowellDavid PowellWant a strong core like a pro cyclist? Simple. Lift weights (previous photo) and juggle bananas on an exercise ball.David PowellGodon also uses an Exxentric box a weight training platform that uses a flywheel for resistance to help build explosivity.David PowellDavid PowellMoustache is power, says Godon, but the moustache inspired by the locals on the Tour Down Under must be trim.David PowellGodon heads out to train on the quiet roads around Girona, and his taste for adventure sometimes takes him off the beaten track.David PowellDavid PowellBread isnt the only thing Godon gets from his favourite local bakery they sometimes slip him free cakes as well.David PowellGodon appreciates that life as a pro cyclist affords him the time to enjoy his favourite thing: being in nature. His preparation for this years Tour de France included hiking in the Pyrenees.David PowellDavid PowellDavid PowellDavid PowellDavid PowellAlways on the moveBeing a top rider requires a lot more than hours in the saddle. Godon works out in the gym three times a week, and has been doing injury rehab for a crash thats still giving him pain six weeks later.Twice a week Godon uses his Exxentric box a weight training platform that uses a flywheel for resistance instead of traditional weights spending 20 to 30 minutes on it per session.When you push and go down, because of the pulley you cant stop. Its good for explosivity.Godon says its especially good for working his back, strengthening the muscles that connect the shoulder blades to the spine. Then theres core work, lifting weights and spending time on the exercise ball, something he demonstrates to Cyclist while juggling bananas.Who doesnt love bananas? he says. We are all monkeys.After weights, Godon gets out on his bike, training on the quiet roads around Girona. Then afterwards its onto another bike his grandfathers Motobcane, which is over 50 years old for a spot of food shopping around town.The Motobcane is the most beautiful bike I have sorry Pinarello. But Motobcane doesnt exist anymore, so I can say that.On his vintage bike, Godon heads to the market for fresh produce, and he has his go-to local spots for meat, fish and yoghurt, eschewing big supermarkets. That extends to supporting his favourite bakery, La Puntual, where they often offer him a free cake when he stops by.Thats why Ill never be a climber, he says.Godon is a gourmand, who loves pastries, Breton salted butter and cheese.I won a race a few years ago in the Jura, he says. They gave me 35 kilos of Comt. We shared it out behind the team bus for all the staff, but I still had 16 kilos left. I put it in the fridge and ate everything.Although the fromage made it onto the scale, Godon doesnt weigh his meals at home.Im a little bit old school, he says. I dont even count calories so much when out for a ride. On hard ones I try to eat as much as I can. Im not crazy about the numbers.After dinner he goes for a city stroll, and can be tempted by the ice cream shops more than excusable given he burned an estimated 6,000 calories in training on the day he spoke to Cyclist.Godon struggles to stay still for more than five minutes, which can lead to some rest day walks, barbecues or rock climbing sessions. He tried golf for the first time recently too.The first shot was super-nice. I went, Wow, this is easy. I was close to the hole. And then after it was shit, always in the lake.Then there is ptanque, which he introduced to some of his teammates at a training camp after the Tour Auvergne-Rhne-Alpes.Its the French national sport. As a Frenchman, I always have the kit in my car.Mind, body and soulWhen he was younger, it was the bike, not boules, that won his heart, although Godon says he took a scenic, pressure-light route to the pro ranks. Growing up in Lyon, he competed sparingly in the spring due to his focus on school.My parents [an IT project manager and international purchasing worker] never pushed me. I have a completely different vision and thats why I have a long career too, because cycling is part of adventure for me. When I was a teenager, on Wednesday afternoons friends and I would go out into the countryside, always exploring. And that is still on my mind. Recently [teammate] Thymen Arensman and I did a super-nice loop and found a new 5km gravel road. We punctured, but whatever.Godon claims that his approach to the sport is at odds with many of his contemporaries.Pro cyclists look at their computers. I come across many who are in the airport most of the time and listening to their music; they cannot just listen to the birds or simple things. They need distractions. Its a bit how the world is going, but I like nature. Even now, if I have five hours endurance training, I sometimes go on my gravel bike. I like to change it up thats why Im never bored riding. I always say Ill end my career when I know all my home roads. Its nice to enjoy the ride; its important.As for training, he says, I like the effort, suffering and everything, but Im not a machine. I know some riders always do efforts on the same climb. I cant do that. Im not a robot.Despite some promising results as an under-23, Godon didnt know whether Cofidis would give him a full-time contract for 2017. Having applied unsuccessfully for physiotherapy school in France, he saw one across the Spanish border in Girona and signed up.I thought it could be nice to ride there; I didnt know anything about the history, he says of Gironas role as a cycling hub. I always put study in front of riding and said, Theres time.Godon juggled education and perspiration. He cut down lesson time around races and did his required time practising physiotherapy between September and February. In all, the four-year course took him eight to complete, but not only did he get his degree, along the way he also met his partner Margaux, who is now a soigneur for womens team Canyon-Sram.Since focusing fully on cycling at the end of 2024, there has been no more waiting for Godon to fulfil his potential. Describing himself as a puncheur more than a sprinter, he has shot to prominence, with his long finishing kicks becoming a fort. Ultimately, he says, the eclectic life he chooses makes him happy.Its a super-nice opportunity to discover the world by bike and get paid, he says. I like to be outside too, I live my passion, I do the job I want to do. Im not a general classification rider so I dont have to make a lot of sacrifices.Its more about travelling and training camps. We are away a lot that is the biggest sacrifice for me. Sometimes Id like to stay a bit more conservative or train at home, but for me this is the easy, simple life. I like it.Weighting for GodonThe training plan of Dorian GodonIntensity, intensity, intensity: Godons most frequent sessions apart from going to the bakery are lactic work and 30-second sprints. Short efforts build power for sprints.Adapting to the calendar: At the beginning of the year, everybody goes pushing in zone two on their training rides, then when I start again in August Ill start in zone two then go for high intensity or work on specific capacity.Get the miles in: A big week of training for Godon is 24 hours in the saddle, with two or three gym sessions.Work with the coach: Adrin [Lpez, coach] is super-human, not all about data. Its a lot about sensations. Sometimes we call each other and we dont even speak about cycling I dont want to have a data analyst, trainer or whatever. Even on the races, Im not a climber so I dont need to have numbers.And relax: Partner Margaux has also studied osteopathy so she sometimes gives Godon a massage, helping with the recovery after riding.Fuelling the fireA typical days food for GodonBreakfast: Overnight porridge with Greek yoghurt, oats and milk. Today I put in French jam and chestnut cream, which made it taste better, he says. Sometimes he has eggs and avocado on toast. Salty butter from partner Margauxs home region of Brittany and his parents honey are a must.Post-ride meal: Rice or pasta with salad. Godon has recently discovered Colombian delicacy arepas a type of flatbread thanks to teammates Egan Bernal and Brandon Rivera.Dinner: On the day Cyclist visits, Godon has made a tomato and feta pie for later in the day. He eats a lot of vegetables at home, given the amount of pasta consumed for carb-loading in races.The post Its nice to enjoy the ride; its important: Dorian Godon profile appeared first on Cyclist.