essional and have devastated. They have won grand tours, Monuments… but that is not normal. People have to understand that this is not a youth competition. Young people must be given time to develop, to mature and to learn little by little. It cannot be demanded that all the young people who arrive have the same impact as those I have named before. You have to give them margin and patience. With everything you’ve experienced, what advice would you give to young cyclists starting out now?
Enjoy. Let them enjoy what they do because this is a passion. Be persistent in your goals. That they are constant and make an effort in their daily work. Let them learn from their mistakes, because this is continuous learning. Let them be humble and value their colleagues and the people who help them. In short, they should be good athletes and good people.
And what plans do you have for the future?
Now I’m going to take some time to disconnect. I have been training a kid in the lower categories and I would have liked to continue, but with the knowledge that I am going to acquire with sports management, I could still have a position on a team. The idea is to take a more advanced course and be able to help the youth team and continue enjoying cycling from another perspective, from the car. And, of course, being with the family, now is the time to dedicate more time to them and enjoy them.
Enric Mas, Nairo Quintana, Alejandro Valverde, Andrés Iniesta… A long list of names he has had as teammates. This year he will also have to live with Miguel Indurain in the tribute that will be held for him at the Vuelta.
Listen to me, I have all my admiration for him. I admire him a lot. I think it represents a lot. I know him, he has directed me on several occasions, we have gone by car together… he is a person who awakens admiration, respect and affection in me. He is a phenomenon. I think it will be one more suffering among the sufferings I have in life. He has a lot to give and he is going to leave us with our mouths open on some things.
