“We need a Carlos Alcarazit will help a lot”, he muses aloud. Edward Chozas what is preached in the gossip of Spanish cycling, in this drought so deep that the four drops that represent the rose of Juanpe Lpez in the Giro they are received with optimism. They are the green shoots perhaps, with two names like two illusions, two twentysomethings on whose backs the whole weight of the national tradition falls.
Son John Ayuso (Barcelona, 2002) and carlos rodrguez (Almucar, 2001), to whom in each pedal stroke, in each gesture, in each flash, similarities are traced, although their teams still do not propose them to compete in any of the great ones. “They are going to be very high. They are going to be phenomenal and they are going to excite the Spanish fans again. They have everything there is to have”, he praises them Pascual Momparler, the national coach, who licks his lips at what is to come. “But there is no need to be in a hurry, we are in the midst of a generational change, with Valverde the prodigious decade is coming to an end,” says Chozas cautiously.
Juan and Carlos are tomorrow, like Igor Arrieta (Huarte-Araquil, 2002) or Ral Garca Pierna (Tres Cantos, 2001)talent with illustrious surnames (children of former professionals José Luis Arrieta and Flix García Casas), both at Kern Pharma. What Ivn Romeo (Valladolid, 2003), who gained experience at the Hagens Berman Axeon before moving to Movistar, or Xavier Romo (Villafranca de los Caballeros, 1999), already in Astana. Because the present is still a wasteland, crumbs compared to not so long ago, when Accountant, Purito or Valverde. Not to look a little further, the abundance, that 2008 in which Carlos Tailor won the Tour, Contador the Giro and the Vuelta, Valverde the Liège, the Dauphin and the San Sebastián Classic, Samuel Sanchez olympic gold, scar Freire the Ghent-Wevelgem… “That this will be repeated is not in sight, because there were several unique talents coinciding in the same temporary space. It seems that the crack will be Ayuso, but I will have to confirm it. The bar is very high”, Chozas points out, one of the legends of the national squad, winner of four stages in the Tour and three in the Giro, and now a commentator on Eurosport.
Because it has been almost seven years since there was a Giro leader, there are three Tours without winning a stage and Valverde, at his amazing 42 years, is still one of the few who still raise their arms. Enric Mas, Mikel Landa, Pello Bilbao, the members of the ‘lost generation’ hold their pulse, but the bar of enthusiasm remains low in the media. Although the sparkles of a couple already shine in the background to dream.
“Ayuso has made two incredible races. In the last Tour de Romanda, if you study how old he is, his movements… He made a race to put money on the table and bet on him,” advances Momparler, who draws parallels: “He is an Alejandro Valverde, capable of winning a sprint at 100 meters, on a super explosive climb or on a high mountain pass.”
The Barcelona native, raised in Jvea, and signed by the UAE Emirates last year, already amazed at the Giro sub-23 in 2021. His 2022 raises expectations. Second in the Laigueglia Trophy after his partner Polanc, fifth overall in the Volta (and second in the La Molina stage) and fourth in Romanda. “He is explosive, capable of shooting high,” adds Chozas.
“Pressure for”
“Carlos is complete, regular, for big laps. Working now as a domestique at Ineos is going to come in handy,” continues the former Madrid cyclist. “Perhaps he doesn’t have that killer-winner instinct of Juan, but he is a cyclist to swell up to win big races,” Momparler highlights Almucar’s talent, third in the last Volta a la Comunidad Valenciana, fourth in the Vuelta a Andaluca and winner of stage in Itzulia. Although it was in the Strade Bianche where he left boasts of the future. “He’s more of an accountant, it’s a little harder for him to define, but he’s a cyclist who when he starts, walks, hurts. And he’s doing well in the time trial. In the Strade Bianche he came out behind Pogacarthe only one that had value”, highlights the coach.
With all eyes on them, with the desire to see them soon in a Tour or Vuelta, expectations play against them. Although here is another of his virtues, an improper maturity, boys already professionals at 20. “The pressure is on their side. They have a lot of character, a bit like Alcaraz. They know what they want and they don’t care what they are asked for. They don’t know what they want.” they wrinkle. They are going to take an exam to oppose and they will enter at 60 beats, “says Monparler.
Both run for two of the most powerful structures in the world squad. Both were caught by foreign squads at an early age, as was Juanpe López (Trek Segafredo). “I wish in Spain there were six teams with a budget to retain that talent. But that is not the case, investment is needed. There is a lack of powerful teams,” protests Momparler, who heads the quarry work promoted by the Federation so that these geniuses not only occur by spontaneous generation.
“For years, the Federation has taken the best of each team to the best competitions in their category. The Nations Cup, the Tour de Porvenir, Flanders… We work there. In addition, there is a modernization plan that we started four years ago. We detect the deficiencies and hold concentrations in which the professionals teach them, both male and female. Also with the medical team, with trainers, psychologists…”, details the coach.
Along the same lines, Chozas. “We have a lot of youth, the second-class professional teams like Caja Rural or Euskaltel do a great job, but we need others with bigger budgets, there is a great lack there, so that in this globalized cycling we don’t miss out on talent”. And he concludes: “A great runner like Contador or Indurain will help.”
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