Pascual Momparler, the head coach of the men’s Spanish team, is rueing the past. “Since Alberto Contador retired in 2017, for years we have lacked a big champion. OK, we had Alejandro Valverde, but he was old and we were waiting for him to retire.
“Now, I see it completely differently. Now I look at Spanish cycling with optimism. Muchísimo optimismo. We have a few big champions coming, and last year, despite apparently doing nothing, Spain were ranked second in the men’s UCI rankings. There’s so much to be excited about.”
One of the four pillars of cycling, Spain has a rich bike racing history, a mountainous and hot landscape that has spawned male champions as illustrious as Contador, Miguel Indurain, Luis Ocaña, Federico Bahamontes and Pedro Delgado.
