Bottas on epic bike trek: ‘The mind starts to play games’

When a frustrating spin knocked Valtteri Bottas out of last weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix, the Cadillac driver didn’t jump on a short flight to Singapore. Instead, he grabbed his helmet and set off on a 200-plus-mile cross-border bike ride across the Malay Peninsula. The idea originated as a passing joke from his partner, pro cyclist Tiffany Cromwell, given the proximity of Kuala Lumpur to Marina Bay. Intrigued, Bottas mapped a route with local cyclists, complete with a nearby support car. Covering roughly 100 miles on Monday and Tuesday, he saved a shorter leg for Wednesday as a “recovery ride” ahead…