Buenos Aires was still waking when Lionel Scaloni joined more than 3,500 cyclists at Parque Sarmiento, trading the Argentina touchline for a long morning on the capital’s car-free roads. The 48-year-old national-team coach completed the 129km Gran Fondo Buenos Aires route on Sunday in 3 hours, 17 minutes and 21 seconds.
The fourth edition of the event carried riders along major avenues and highways across the city, with sections passing near River Plate’s Monumental stadium and the Obelisk. Scaloni sustained an average speed above 39km/h.
Quick facts
- Scaloni rode the 129km Gran Fondo Buenos Aires course in 3:17:21.
- The event drew more than 3,500 participants and began at 6am from Parque Sarmiento.
- His route included areas close to the Monumental and the Obelisk.
- He had previously entered endurance races in Argentina and Spain.
For Scaloni, the attraction was as much the city as the distance. “Riding through Buenos Aires is very beautiful, especially without traffic and with the peace of mind that nothing will happen to you,” he said after the ride.
The Argentina coach admitted that recent international commitments had limited his preparation. “I was not able to train much because we had matches not long ago,” he said. “I have done races in better condition, but I wanted to come and enjoy the city without cars. It was very good.”
Cycling has become a regular escape from football for the World Cup-winning coach. In November 2024, he completed the 110km Gran Fondo 7 Lagos between San Martín de los Andes and Villa La Angostura in Argentine Patagonia.
His 2025 schedule also took him across the Atlantic. Scaloni covered 167km at Mallorca 312 in Spain in April, then returned to Argentina a week later for Córdoba’s Desafío del Río Pinto, where he finished an 85km mountain-bike course in 3 hours and 13 minutes.
The Buenos Aires outing came while Scaloni continues to consider his future with Argentina. Having led the side to the 2022 World Cup and two Copa América titles, he has previously said that balancing the demands of the national job with personal pursuits is important to his quality of life.
