Quarter past twelve in the afternoon. At the headquarters of Megamo, in Vilablareix, the good atmosphere is palpable. A pat on the shoulder here, a smile there, hugs dressed as greetings. “We want to be a team that inspires”, they say from the Buff-Megamo Team. “And to consolidate ourselves as a reference on a global scale”. There is no denying that the goals are big.
But so is the spirit of all the people who make up a team that not only aspires to win, but also wants to make a mark. Between drinks and canapés, they highlighted the cycling boom that the city has experienced. «Girona it is becoming a space for cycling». Within the seven bikers that make up the squad, in fact, we find Txell Figuerasborn in flaccia. “Desire is everything in life. And I plan to empty myself”, he expresses. Last year, the year of his debut in the team, Figueras won theAndorra MTB Classic-Pyrenees and finished second in the Spanish Championship of XCM as in Catalunya Bike Race. He can brag about it.
We walk through the factory, where the workers continue their shift. Nothing is left to chance, because every detail counts. It’s part of their DNA. They love the project. “It’s great to discover that this team is made up of such a wonderful group of people. The good atmosphere and group cohesion they have makes it very easy to work with them and this factor is reflected in the great results we have had, which cannot be obtained without good work from the whole team”, he opines Patxi Plazaolahead of product and engineering at Megamo.
Distributed around the world
This year, the team has taken another step in its internationalization. They are a family even if they were born in different places: Enrique Morcillo he is an Ibizan who has been in the structure for seven seasons. “One wants to be where the best are, that’s why I’m here. In this time we have never stagnated, we have always grown. Why should I change something that is going well?”, he asks. He is absolutely right.
the dutch Hans Beckingthe Portuguese Jose Diasthe French Hugo Drechouthe Estonian Peter Pruus and Switzerland Janina Wusta stimulus for Figueras and who gave a wink to the Catalan thanks to his “good day”, complete a very competitive squad that has put the spotlight on the world championships, the Europeans and the best tests by stages of XCM, modality in which long distances are covered both in one-day tests and in stages.
“Adapting to changes is difficult”, reflects the biker from Girona, who continues: “I felt a bit stagnant before signing, but I wanted to continue on the bike because cycling is my passion, it makes me happy”. Figueras, who has changed coaches and will have the presence of Wüst, second in the European Championships 2022 and third to the Mediterranean Epic, has all the ingredients for a great season. “Yes, but as I say, no pressure. It’s ironic, because there’s always a lot of expectation and I want it to be better than what I contributed last year. And enjoy, of course. Enjoy the opportunity in front of me.” Ambition knows no bounds.
Enhance the image
The impact of the Buff-Megamo Team is highly positive. “We are very happy with the image they give wherever they compete, and proud that our brand is linked to this good image, helping us to grow internationally”, adds Plazaola. “We have been able to keep almost the entire squad and form a large structure of first-line sponsors that allow us to face this season with maximum guarantees”, he defends Gil VilarBrand Partnership Manager de Buff.
In addition to becoming benchmarks at the XCM, one of the challenges will be to arrive with good preparation at the Cape Epic 2023the mythical proof of MTB which is celebrated in March a South Africa. “This year we have four main goals: to make the podium and win stages in the Cape Epic, our talisman race, to try to get women’s and men’s medals in the European and world championships, to be the best team in the ranking UCI at the end of the year and consolidate ourselves as the most powerful team on a global scale in the XCM modality”, he admits pau zamora, Team Manager of the Buff-Megamo. “We are ambitious”, concludes Vilar. Non-conformists, they do not leave indifferent.
