Being assigned race number 13 is considered to be unlucky for cyclists. At least, it used to be back in the “old school” racing days. To combat the number’s alleged unlucky vibes, many riders would attach the number upside down on their jerseys and bikes. While most riders aren’t all that worried these days, you sometimes still see this occur in modern racing. It is also Rule 13 of the Velominati, if you’re a follower.

www.velominati.com

In the 2023 and 2024 editions of the Tour de France, no rider wore number 13. Instead the teams chose to skip over that number in their rider line-up. The last rider to don number 13 at the TdF was Steven Kruijswijk for Jumbo-Visma in 2022. He unfortunately crashed hard on Stage 15 and had to abandon the race.

Steven Kruijswijk crashes wearing race number 13 (pinned upside down).

While I’ve never received the lone “unlucky 13” race number, it seems that almost every time I enter an event or race, I get a “13” included in my rider number!

Gravelista # 131
Tour de Brisbane # 1113
Adelaide Epic # 1301

I am not superstitious in any way, so for me it’s just an interesting coincidence. I try not to take myself or my cycling too seriously, so for a bit of fun at the Tour de Brisbane I pinned my 1113 on upside down (if you want to get technical, it doesn’t actually apply to these other “13” numbers). Just a little nod to cycling folklore and a conversation starter on the day. 😂

Do you have any cycling superstitions or pre-ride rituals?