It has been six years since Joaquín ‘Purito’ Rodríguez (Barcelona, 43 years old) hung up his bicycle and assumed the transition from former cyclist to citizen. A passage that has sometimes left passages of depressions, dependencies or broken lives (Pantani, Chava, Ullrich, Aitor González, Juanmi Mercado) in cycling. ‘Purito’, a name he earned twenty years ago at ONCE due to his impetuous and outgoing character, represents the opposite. A top-level athlete, supporter of the Spanish peloton along with Contador and Valverde for five years, who has not encountered the difficulty of managing another life. In the Vuelta a España he spoke with ABC. -How is the life of the exciclista? -I thought you were going to say the life of the retired, ha, ha, ha. Actually yes, I am a retired cyclist. I have adapted very well, I am still linked to the world of cycling, I have my cycle tour in Andorra, I am with Orbea, I am an ambassador for Caser, a television commentator. -But how is that transition from being a star in your sport and moving on to a more anonymous life? -Well, I would tell you that I feel that I work more than before. Adapting to the new life has been easy, it has not been difficult for me to stop being a cyclist, from minute zero I started doing things that have helped me to make the transition not uncomfortable or painful. Or at least that it greatly affected my personal life. Related News standard No Vuelta a España Sheikhs in cycling: the millionaire team of Pogacar and Marc Soler José Carlos Carabias standard No Vuelta a España Marc Soler fills a gap of two years and 121 stages of Spanish cycling José Carlos Carabias -There are people who don’t He knows how to be a former athlete, who has a hard time, who falls into depression. In cycling there are quite a few broken toys… -I think there are two ways to quit cycling. One is to choose the moment in which you have to hang up the bike. This is how Contador, Valverde or I have done it. And another, because circumstances force you, an injury, you don’t have a contract. This is where the problem can arise, because the cyclist has not psyched himself up to understand that the time to say goodbye has arrived. -Can it also be a matter of mental strength, of spirit? -It can be, yes. In my case, I already knew that I was going to retire a year ago and I was almost, almost, counting the days. Therefore, the mentalization process did everything so that there was no trauma. -He never considered doing a Valverde, resisting in the platoon until he was 42 years old… -I never considered it because I understood that he was no longer going to be able to give the same performance. I am confident that Alejandro will enjoy his last Vuelta a lot and can win a stage. He was born for cycling and at 42 years old he continues to fight. -He regrets something he has done? -No, no, you’re welcome. If I could go back in time, I would change some form of racing, the Vuelta that I lost or the Giro or the World Championship that I did not win. They are the three hot spots of my career, the three lost races that were possibly won, and that I think about them the most. -I would also win races that others had lost… -Yes, yes, too. Surely someone was wrong and I also won races that others lost. Something that I would have liked to change from an emotional point of view is not having said goodbye in the Vuelta a España. I retired at the Rio Games and not at the Vuelta. And when I was home, I realized that I could have enjoyed the affection of the public in one last Vuelta. -Contador left, you and Valverde will leave and it seems that that combative spirit they had is fading. -I don’t think so. The next generation rises with great force. With great respect and great care, Juan Ayuso has already been seen, I see him with the possibility of fighting for the general classification, or of being close to the podium. To do a Vuelta like the one Pogacar did in his debut in 2019. I don’t see it that far away. And the same Carlos Rodriguez. -What is different about the Vuelta? – Oysters, I have always said it. It is very difficult for the Tour to copy you, and the Tour has copied the Vuelta with the type of routes. Those impossible ramp endings. The short stages with very mountainous paths. -He was another type of pioneer. The first cyclist who emigrated to Andorra. Now those who live there are legion. Yes, yes, there are a few. Now it is impossible to train alone in Andorra, you always find someone. My children were born there, it is already difficult for me to go back down. It’s a great place to live.
