Hylonicum

Light and its residues, by Nicola Polloni

Records

UCI Leuven 2021

In 2021 the World Championships passed in front of my house in Wilsele. I photographed from my doorstep as the race arrived – the ordinary street briefly turned into a theatre. Speed compresses the riders into a single organism: helmets, shoulders, wheels – yet each remains alone with fatigue and rhythm. Then they were gone, and the street returned. The subject is the strange intimacy of watching effort at arm’s length: an intimacy the race itself never notices.

Spectators beside the road holding a handmade sign supporting Wout van Aert during the UCI Road World Championships in Leuven.
Close view of cyclists in the peloton, with helmets, team kits, bikes, and concentrated faces.
Cyclists passing spectators and a flag during the UCI Leuven 2021 race.
Group of cyclists riding closely together, with several riders leaning forward in effort.
Cyclists passing through a crowded section of road, with spectators pressed along the roadside.
Group of cyclists riding closely together, with several riders leaning forward in effort.
Rear view of a compact group of cyclists in the peloton, with national and team jerseys visible.
Dense cluster of cyclists riding through the crowd, with wheels, helmets, and bodies overlapping.
Lone cyclist riding past spectators on a wide stretch of road.
Wide view of the peloton moving through a residential road lined with spectators.
Group of cyclists riding together, with bodies low over the handlebars and faces marked by effort.
Tight side view of cyclists in the peloton, with wheels and team kits overlapping in motion.
Cyclists riding close together, seen from behind and beside, with spectators watching from the roadside.
Lone cyclist passing children and spectators cheering from the side of the road.
Close side view of a cyclist passing cheering children along the roadside.
Small group of cyclists riding in line, with spectators and barriers behind them.
Close portrait of a cyclist in race kit and helmet, riding with a strained expression.
Cyclist riding ahead of motorbikes and race officials, with spectators along the road.
Alaphilippe riding in profile, bent low over the bike, with spectators in the background.
Two cyclists riding closely together, one in a white kit in the foreground and another following behind.
Lone cyclist passing a family of spectators, with children and adults watching from the roadside.
Lone cyclists riding beside a cornfield on an open road after the crowd has disappeared.

Places and dates
Leuven, 2021.