Clubmember Profile - Emiliano Frigerio

Clubmember Profile - Emiliano Frigerio

In the Clubmember Profiles section, we highlight the people behind Cycle Capital. Our club is built on a diverse, international community of riders, entrepreneurs, professionals, and cycling enthusiasts, each connected to the bike—and to each other—in their own way.

From competitive racers to social riders, and from mechanics to business founders: every member brings a unique story, background, and perspective. It is this diversity that defines Cycle Capital.

Through these profiles, we offer a closer look at our community. Not only what someone does on the bike, but more importantly who they are beyond it, and what connects them to the sport and the club. In doing so, we continue to build an open, international cycling community where connection, inspiration, and shared ambition are at the core.

In this first edition we will introduce our clubmember with an Italian background, Emiliano Frigerio, to you.
Do you prefer to meet Emiliano personally? Then please subscribe to our social rides or join our Development training program :-).

Who are you?
I’m Emiliano, originally from Canossa, a small town near Parma in Italy. It’s a place known for its history—but really, it’s all about the food: parmesan, Parma ham, balsamic vinegar.
My path hasn’t been linear. I trained as a chef and moved to Amsterdam to work in fine dining, chasing the world of Michelin-level cuisine. Today, I’m a bike mechanic—still working with my hands, just in a different way. In the end, I realised I’m better with bikes than with plates.

What brought you to Amsterdam?
Cooking school set everything in motion. I wanted to learn, improve, and experience a different level of cuisine. Amsterdam became the place where that journey unfolded—though not quite in the way I expected.

What was your first cycling experience here?
Like everyone, I started on a city bike—riding out to Zandvoort, just to escape the city for a few hours.
Then came a fixie. No brakes, just simplicity.
Eventually, I brought my road bike over from Italy, and that’s when cycling here started to feel serious again.

How is cycling here compared to your home country?
In the Netherlands, cycling feels… calmer. The roads are good, and people are generally aware of you.
Back home, especially in the mountains, it’s different. Narrow roads, fast cars, and moments where you’re climbing at 15 km/h while someone comes up behind you at 70.
Here, you lose the mountains—but you gain the wind. And sometimes, the wind is worse. At least in the mountains you feel like you’re going somewhere. With wind, it’s just you… and resistance.

What does cycling mean to you now?
It’s both work and passion.
I ride three or four times a week, stay connected to the sport through my job, and it’s become part of how I structure my life. It’s not just something I do—it’s part of who I am.

How did you find Cycle Capital?
Through Strava, around eight years ago, when the club was just getting started.
I joined a social ride, met people, and stayed. Over time, I even helped out as a mechanic for the women’s team. It grew naturally from there.

What makes this club special?
The mix.
You’ll find competitive riders, social riders, and everything in between. That variety creates a different kind of atmosphere—one where you can meet people, connect, and find your own place within the club.
Fun
· Rain vs wind: Wind (at least you stay dry)
· City bike vs road bike: Road bike
· Coffee stop vs keep riding: Keep riding
· Group ride vs solo ride: Depends—but group rides win most of the time
· Race vs social ride: Race

Best cycling moment in Amsterdam?
A team relay race in Zandvoort last year—we finished third.
What made it special wasn’t just the result, but the team. One rider had only joined three weeks before, had never ridden in a peloton, and still held his position. Just pure determination.

Worst Dutch cycling habit?
People on e-bikes who don’t move—or take it personally—when you signal that you’re coming through. Especially near the beach, it can get… interesting.
One word to describe cycling in Amsterdam?
Organized chaos.
At an intersection, no one really stops. Everyone looks at each other, adjusts by a few centimetres, and somehow it all flows.