Kong Fùfù: The man, the myth and the unmasking...
It was the opening of Café du Cycliste’s new home in the old Port of Nice that drew the mythical Kong Fùfù out of hiding. Or at least we like to think so. But whatever the reason was, when he surfaced for a double espresso recently we couldn’t resist the opportunity to learn more.
We were lucky enough to arrange a sortie into his natural habitat and after following him (as best we could) up some lesser known climbs and then taking more than a few moments to draw breath, we sat down and started firing.
CdC: It’s hard to believe that an amateur cyclist can beat the pros on the testing cols of the Cóte d’Azur. Surely you must be an ex-pro?
No, I’ve never been a pro. I was an elite mountain bike rider between 1998 and 2004 so I rode in teams with riders who went on to become professional road cyclists but I didn’t follow them.
CdC: So you were good enough for the pro ranks, you just choose not to take that route?
I don’t know if I was good enough, I’ll never know for sure. I have had experience training with pros, racing a few of them on the MTB and obviously the Strava times give an indication, but that’s not the same as actually competing in the pro road racing ranks.
CdC: Who did you ride with who went on to go pro? Can you name names?
I used to ride a lot with Alexander Blain (who has ridden for Team Cofidis, Endura Racing and Raleigh), we had a lot of fun. I remember riding the Col de la Bonette with him way back in 1999. I had a GT bicycle that weighed about 10kg and the highest gear was a 42x23. We arrived at Bousieyas, and he was very upset. He asked me to go slower but I told him ”I can't, I have a 42 on the front and I'm on the 23 at the back, I can't go slower!”
CdC: Now we’re really intrigued, can you drop some more?
I entered an endurance MTB race back in 2002 where there were quite a few top riders on the starting line. I remember thinking I had to start fast if I was going to keep up with them and so I followed Jerome Chiotti (ex Festina and 1996 World MTB Champion) and Peter Pouly up the first climb, which went on for about an hour. Eventually after 90 minutes I was caught by Jean-Christophe Peraud! I finished about 15th in that race but remember him coming to congratulate me after the race for the way I rode.
CdC: What about road racing, did that ever appeal?
Not until about ten years later! By then I was 35 years old but I decided to race in some road races. I finished 4th in the Tour de Corse and during that race placed 2nd behind Antoine Lavieu on the Mont Faron Climb. Antoine was at AVC Aix, and that year he won a stage at the Tour du Val d'Aoste before being signed for the La Pomme Marseille team in 2013, so he was pretty quick.
CdC: And so was it after that you decided to go Strava hunting?
I didn’t really decide to, in fact it was much more of an accident. A friend of mine told me I should register on Strava but I was riding without any computers and I was not very interested. But he insisted I take his old Garmin and that’s how it started.
CdC: Do you remember the first KOM you got?
I think the first climb was Côte de Peille (which usually features in the queen stage of Paris-Nice) but actually it was something that happened around the same time that sort of motivated me. It was very hot day in August but I had this crazy thought that I should go and climb Col de la Madone. I must have been crazy that day because I really attacked it from the start and about 3km before St Agnès I saw a guy climbing above me in the distance. I thought he must be as mad as me to climb in this heat but when caught him I saw that he had a Team Sky jersey and a Pinarello. Just as I reached his back wheel I realised that it was Ritchie Porte! I immediately congratulated him for their victory that year in the Tour with Chris Froome. We shared some words but as he seemed to be riding quite slowly and suffering, I wished him a bonne journée, accelerated and continued to climb.
CdC: Not every day you leave someone like Porte in your wheel (to say the least), that must have encouraged you to compete with the pros over segments?
It gave me a kick for sure. After that I started to share my rides and ride my favourite climbs to see how I would compare. Then about a year later Strava sent me a video of my activities: and I had more than 380 KOMs.
CdC: Definite proof you could compete with the pros.
Over Strava segments at least! And of course that was another kick and the start of a period when I really raced for KOMs with a few different guys. The two I ‘virtually raced’ regularly with were Ian Boswell and Joe Dombrowski. I knew that some of their followers thought that I was a cheat and were saying that I took the KOMs with a car. But they were great, when we fought for the ‘La Redoute’ segment and I eventually retook it Peter Kenaugh tweeted 'Kong Fufu is going!'
CdC: The pros were taking notice but did you ever ride with them?
Never. For two years we raced on Strava but I’d never met Joe or Ian. This summer I was at Café du Cycliste when Joe arrived. Of course there was no reason for him to recognise me and he went to speak to Mikael the mechanic. After a few minutes, Mikael asked Joe whether he knew who I was but Joe had no idea. Mikael explained that I was Kong FuFu ad Joe immediately got out his phone to take a photo, as if I was about to disappear! That was really very nice.
CdC: But your riding isn’t all about KOMs is it?
Not at all, that was just a period. And also I made a decision to run more as well. I love trail running as it really gets you into the wilderness of the mountains and to some very beautiful places.
CdC: We’ve seen your Instagram feed, it looks like it shows every nook and cranny of the Alpes—Maritimes and the Mercantour National Park ?
Quite a few of them anyway! I love to explore, on my bike and on foot. That’s where the real enjoyment is for me, riding to discover new places and have new adventures. Nowadays I lose more KOMs than I gain, that’s for sure.
CdC: Which must bother you a little bit?
Not at all.
CdC: Just a tiny little bit?
No, okay, I admit, I’m curious sometimes. Like when I lost the ‘Mont des Mules’ segment by 20s and then a couple of days later I lost Col de la Madone by 50s to the same guy, his name was Shaky Shake.
CdC: Suddenly you knew how other people felt?
Exactly. And over the following months I kept getting the Strava emails telling me I’d lost my KOMs to the same guy. Every time I lost another one I wondered who he was and after a while I thought I would have to find out.
CdC: And did you manage to?
Eventually. I kept checking where he was on his Strava profile, I saw he was in Tenerife during the winter for example, and then I talked to some people I know. Finally I found someone who knew. Shaky Shake is…Lieuwe Westra!
CdC: Lieuwe Westra , the new Kong FùFù...there's just one more thing we obviously have to ask, about your name?
That's easy, it was my young son mispronouncing a cartoon character, I thought it sounded good so I used it.
CdC: We actually meant your real name...your actual name...you must have a real name...where are you going?
If you’d like to see how you stack up again the man himself (Kong Fùfù that is), join the Café du Cycliste Strava club.
