Cyclistes, Bronze sculpture in Lausanne, Switzerland
Cyclistes is a bronze sculpture in Lausanne, Switzerland, showing three male cyclists leaning over their bikes. The figures are almost identical, with smooth, hairless heads and muscular bodies, and each bike has wheels with thin spokes, golden rims and dark tires, all mounted on a rough dark gray base set on light paving.
The sculpture was created by Hungarian artist Gábor Mihály between 1985 and 1986, and it was commissioned by Juan Antonio Samaranch, then president of the International Olympic Committee. It was later given to the Olympic movement as a gift from the Hungarian National Olympic Committee.
The work is a gift to the International Olympic Committee from the Hungarian National Olympic Committee, and its wheels are arranged to form the five Olympic rings. Visitors often notice how the cyclists' posture echoes the effort of a race, linking sport and art in a public space.
The sculpture sits on a low mound beside a strip of grass, with a clipped hedge and a building behind, so it is easy to spot from the surrounding path. Visitors can walk around it freely, and the open setting makes it a simple stop to observe the details up close.
Although the sculpture is titled Olympia and shows two cyclists, the five wheels of their bicycles are meant to represent the five Olympic rings. This detail is easy to miss at first glance, as the wheels appear as ordinary bicycle parts until you look closely.
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