The partial view of the back wheel, expressing the racing cyclist’s forward motion, evokes a photographic illustration from La Gazzetta dello Sport. The painting's allure rests on the vehemence with which Sironi has applied the oil paint—in vigorous choppy strokes on the grass to the right, with flicks of white to suggest the wheel spokes, and streaks for the fast approaching corner; broad planes for the tense left leg and feathery touches for the slack right leg.