Tweets of the week: Ineos Grenadiers' three wise men, team jersey déjà vu and World Cup celebrations by bike
Here's our social media round-up, featuring a cycling all-star nativity


It's two more sleeps 'til Christmas, and the cycling world is getting into the festive spirit.
This week, Ineos Grenadiers staged their own nativity at their team camp in eastern Spain. It's uncertain whose idea it was, but I'm sure Geraint Thomas and Luke Rowe were the masterminds.
The two Welshmen joined forces with British road champion Ben Swift, swapping their helmets for paper crowns and declaring themselves the "three wisest men".
Who was the Virgin Mary? You might ask. Well, that role fell to four-time cross-country mountain bike world champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot. The Frenchwoman, the team's first female rider, wore a dressing gown and slippers, draped a tablecloth over her head and walked through the hotel lobby trailing the newly instated Wise Men. It looked quite the scene.
Elsewhere, it's been a bad week for G's Twitter namesake, and a fiery new kit design has left some with a feeling of déjà vu.
1. A team camp in Bethlehem
The three wisest men 🕯️ pic.twitter.com/TkQFSeDAQfDecember 16, 2022
2. Happy Birthday, Axel Zingle. Sorry they made you pose like that
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Joyeux anniversaire à @AxelZingle qui fête ses 24 ans ! pic.twitter.com/EZysLzpQxLDecember 18, 2022
3. I knew I'd seen that design before somewhere
pic.twitter.com/Luileq4bpdDecember 19, 2022
4. So did Bahrain Victorious, it seems
Turning up the @tourdownunder like…#RideAsOne pic.twitter.com/z08fnkS3hsDecember 21, 2022
5. It's a chilly time of year, best hold on to that natural layer of warmth
No shaving during winter training camps 🥶 pic.twitter.com/tWiY2xeK1ADecember 21, 2022
6. There's a bike made of pebbles in this picture and it's still not the weirdest thing
A post shared by Marlen (@marlenreusser)
A photo posted by on
7. Even in his retirement, 42-year-old Alejandro Valverde is putting youngsters to the sword
Me in hour 6 of a December training ride with @alejanvalverde pic.twitter.com/B4Hs7QNxMfDecember 19, 2022
8. Geraint Thomas is riding the Giro d'Italia next season and doesn't his namesake know it
Oh for f pic.twitter.com/h02DYP3njbDecember 22, 2022
9. In fact, it's been a tiring week of Twitter notifications for 'not a cyclist' @geraintthomas
And now I'm getting random trees in my DM's. https://t.co/7pFWylDfexDecember 23, 2022
10. Is there anything Demi Vollering can't do?
A post shared by Demi Vollering (@demivollering)
A photo posted by on
11. A bike saddle is always the best seat in the house
Moments before the last penalty kick, in Buenos Aires pic.twitter.com/nPIdYged8TDecember 19, 2022
12. From World Cup winner to WorldTour sprinter, Lionel Messi might be set for a career change
Lionel Messi: "My legacy in football is complete. I have decided to join Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux"#Parody #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/FMHjIR1eRRDecember 18, 2022
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Tom joined Cycling Weekly as a news and features writer in the summer of 2022, having previously contributed as a freelancer. He is fluent in French and Spanish, and holds a master's degree in International Journalism. Since 2020, he has been the host of The TT Podcast, offering race analysis and rider interviews.
An enthusiastic cyclist himself, Tom likes it most when the road goes uphill, and actively seeks out double-figure gradients on his rides. His best result is 28th in a hill-climb competition, albeit out of 40 entrants.
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