Conculini said Silio proposed cycling to the United States after previously riding from Madrid to Russia and from Madrid to Qatar for past World Cups. The trio left Gualeguaychú on Aug. 16, crossed into Laredo, Texas on May 1, stopped in San Antonio where Manu Ginobili hosted them at an NBA Western Conference semifinals game, and arrived in Kansas City on June 3 as Argentina trained there.
They faced altitude sickness in Bolivia, 24 hours without drinking water in western Paraguay, and a bomb laden truck explosion roughly 12 miles from a restaurant where they were dining in Colombia. Conculini, who quit a hotel job in the Netherlands for the trip, documented the ride on Instagram at @enbiciandoalmundo.
Well, Miguel has already been to two previous World Cups by bicycle. He rode from Madrid to Russia and from Madrid to Qatar, and now he's successfully completing a third one. So, the idea comes from that crazy guy.
I think the whole journey has been beautiful, with its challenges, the wonderful people we met, and the scenery, but arriving feels like completing a major nine and a half month chapter, spanning 17 countries and 17,000 kilometers.
After struggling to buy tickets through FIFA's site, the cyclists were honored at the Kansas City Unity Cup on May 6 in Olathe, Kansas, and received tickets for Argentina's June 16 opener against Algeria. They hope to attend Dallas matches on June 22 and 27 and follow the team through the playoffs toward a possible final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
A lot of people want to see Argentina right now because of Messi and the way the team plays, and they aren't Argentine, so we have to fight to get those tickets.
