Kenneth Mercken was a semi professional cyclist from 1998 to 2001. In the year 2000 he became a national amateur champion and was offered the opportunity to join an Italian top semi-pro team. In Italy his results were not bad, but they lacked consistency. A top Italian cycling doc labelled him as a ‘non responder’ to the usual performance enhancing therapies. There where always solutions to his problem, but he was only prepared to go so far with his body and health.
Disillusioned with the sport Kenneth decided to quit cycling and returned to Belgium to study film directing. In 2004, the funds he made while cycling had all run dry so he had to give up his filmmaking dream and he decided to earn some money again by going back to racing as a semi- pro.
His results where quite impressive which led him to believe his health issues where over and he caught the eye of the manager of a small professional team who invited him to be a test-rider. Afterwards he signed his first pro contract and despite of his enthusiasm about film studies, his cycling heart had not given up.
But as he was given only a one-year contract, this appeared to be too little, too late. The stress of having to prove himself in such a short period without the aid of illegal substances, took its toll. An intestinal inflammation was discovered much too late, his first and only season as a pro was over and so was his childhood dream of becoming a cyclist.
‘The Letter’ is Kenneth’s master thesis project. He is currently working on his first feature film based on his experiences...
http://vimeo.com/18846950
Disillusioned with the sport Kenneth decided to quit cycling and returned to Belgium to study film directing. In 2004, the funds he made while cycling had all run dry so he had to give up his filmmaking dream and he decided to earn some money again by going back to racing as a semi- pro.
His results where quite impressive which led him to believe his health issues where over and he caught the eye of the manager of a small professional team who invited him to be a test-rider. Afterwards he signed his first pro contract and despite of his enthusiasm about film studies, his cycling heart had not given up.
But as he was given only a one-year contract, this appeared to be too little, too late. The stress of having to prove himself in such a short period without the aid of illegal substances, took its toll. An intestinal inflammation was discovered much too late, his first and only season as a pro was over and so was his childhood dream of becoming a cyclist.
‘The Letter’ is Kenneth’s master thesis project. He is currently working on his first feature film based on his experiences...
http://vimeo.com/18846950
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