Four-wheel F1 charger and two-wheel Ambassador

Valtteri Bottas' passion for cycling - fueled in large part by his relationship with partner and Aussie pro-cycler Tiffany Cromwell - is about as strong as his devotion to Formula 1.

Any break in the F1 calendar usually encourages the Alfa Romeo charger to seek out new country roads, winding climbs or trails in the wilderness to indulge in his favourite sport… after F1 that is.

And like many passions, his current infatuation is rooted in his childhood.

"My first experiences with the bike was commuting to school when I was six years old," he says.

"It was like a few kilometres’ ride every day in and out, no matter if it was summer, winter or minus 30 degrees, and windy! And then after school, I’d be meeting friends with the bike very often in the beautiful nature of Finland.

"When I started riding more than running, I could quickly feel the gains and it just became an addiction, almost like you just want to be better.

"So yeah, I love seeing places with a bike and exploring. I quite often travel with my bike, so it's one way to see places and a great form of training for me without impact, like you get in running."

When things got serious, Bottas' choice of equipment was quite logically German company Canyon whose works women's team includes Cromwell, the Finn's better half.

On Friday, Canyon announced that the ten-time Grand Prix winner had formerly joined the company as a brand Ambassador.

"Obviously F1 is high in technology with a lot of innovation," he comments. "But you see the same thing nowadays in bikes. Y

"Yes, a bicycle might be a lot simpler than an F1 car, but in both sports, the top athletes want the best equipment, you know.

"There's always going to be innovation, there's always going to be huge development. There's been huge development since I started cycling myself and that is really cool to see."

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