Nico Deportago-Cabrera is officially the fastest bike messenger on the continent. He won the title last week at the North American Cycle Courier Championship. It went down on a closed course in New York City.
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"So literally you are delivering and picking up packages on a course, earning fake money, and at the end of the day the person who earns the most is crowned champion," Deportago-Cabrera said.
That winning total was $281 for three hours of cycling. It's decent money, but the 31-year-old from Logan Square admits he takes serious risks to earn his living.
His friend and colleague, Blaine Klingenberg, was struck and killed by a tour bus on Michigan Avenue in June. Police said Klingenberg ran a red light. His family is now suing the tour bus company for wrongful death.
"Incredibly unfortunate and it's certainly not the first time it's happened to a cyclist. I just hope it puts us on people's radars," he said.
It may sound contradictory, but Deportago-Cabrera said that's why he uses daredevil maneuvers on the job, such as touching buses or weaving in and out of traffic.
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"While they might not always like that, I'd rather they know I'm there! See me, rather then surprise them," he explained.
Now sponsored by Red Bull, Deportago-Cabrera is taking his job to extreme levels. In one video you see him racing - and beating - a Chicago cab.
So, in his quest to get packages to their destinations, does he ever go through red lights?
"On occasion," he said.
Yet, in 10 years of being a bike messenger in Chicago, Deportago-Cabrera said he's never received a traffic ticket.