Hedi Pourheidari grew up on the meadows near Ardabil in Iran. His dad was a shepherd and wanted his son to follow in his footsteps. Unlucky for him young Hedi was rather soft and more interested in flowers than sheep. There was reason to doubt his sexual preference but it was never openly discussed for obvious reasons.
Then on later age he began to like cycling a lot. He used the bike often to go out and look for special plants and flowers. His father saw his passion for the bike and took the chance to give Hedi a more 'manly' appearance. And so the boy began to ride in local races.
A few years laters Hedi was rewarded with an internship at Team Oasis. They liked his unusual talent; a reasonable climber with a big punch at the end. His soft character was a problem though. Thus manager Nooky Lair sent him to the Swiss Alps to toughen up, much required to succeed in the hard world...
Read moreHedi Pourheidari grew up on the meadows near Ardabil in Iran. His dad was a shepherd and wanted his son to follow in his footsteps. Unlucky for him young Hedi was rather soft and more interested in flowers than sheep. There was reason to doubt his sexual preference but it was never openly discussed for obvious reasons.
Then on later age he began to like cycling a lot. He used the bike often to go out and look for special plants and flowers. His father saw his passion for the bike and took the chance to give Hedi a more 'manly' appearance. And so the boy began to ride in local races.
A few years laters Hedi was rewarded with an internship at Team Oasis. They liked his unusual talent; a reasonable climber with a big punch at the end. His soft character was a problem though. Thus manager Nooky Lair sent him to the Swiss Alps to toughen up, much required to succeed in the hard world of OCM.
Eventually Hedi was trained for two specific races with a possibility to become a tour rider. He maxed out a bit too early for tours which limited his personal succes considerably. However he did win the two races he was trained for. Team Oasis manager Nooky Lair therefore considers Hedi as a small success.
For Hedi cycling has been as success on another level. As he stated once himself: "It has been a pleasure to cycle through all those diverse ecosystems around the globe. Without my sport i would have never known and seen so much." Hedi's future plans are to bring that knowledge homewards. His dream is to open his own Persian garden with plants from various parts of the world.
Iran