UPV at the Vuelta Femenina of Spain

It is every athlete's dream to play in a mythical venue such as a first-class stadium or Wimbledon's Centre Court. Emotions can run high when they do so alongside their favourite players. Fourteen cyclists from the UPV Women's Cycling Team confirmed this after taking part in the first stage of the Vuelta Femenina 24 by Carrefour.es, one of the most prestigious races on the international calendar. We try to capture the emotions they felt on 28 April, an unforgettable day for them and a historic one for the team, through the protagonists. (Video)

Nerves and illusion

The UPV Cycling Team had the privilege of opening this year's Spanish edition as a guest team. At home and with the best cyclists in the world. "It's been hard to sleep this week, and now that I see what's going on, I'm more nervous than I've ever been in my life," said Lluna Hervás during the warm-up just an hour and a half before the start. Cadet Aitana Pérez, on the other hand, was more relaxed: "At the moment, I'm calm, but I'm looking forward to the start, that's for sure. Let's see how it goes, although I always feel better with my teammates".

The participation of the UPV Women's Cycling Team in the Vuelta was summed up in the fact that two of its four teams (the Elite-U23 categories and a combination of junior and cadet riders) had the privilege of riding the 16 kilometres of the team time trial, starting and finishing in the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia. They would do this half an hour before the start of the competition, and their time would set the first benchmark.

A prize to enjoy

The international category of the race, the type of race, the stage, the public present... there were many factors for the 14 cyclists to record every moment. The result was the least important, as David Sánchez, team manager of the U23 elite team, and Vicente Gimeno, director of the junior categories, pointed out. "This is a prize, and it's all about enjoying it," insisted Sánchez. But nothing, the riders wanted to fly the flag high.

"Even though we are an invited team, we want to do our best. In my case, my family came from Venezuela to support me," said Mar Jolie Sosa.

"Satisfactory result"

The UPV Women's Cycling Team Elite U23 team covered the 16 kilometres of the race in 22:15, "a symbolic and satisfactory result, considering that the organisers asked us to take extra precautions and not to take any risks," explained Sánchez.

"Not everyone has done a team time trial in the Vuelta, even if it went better or worse," commented Lluna Hervás, who was a little disappointed with her performance: "I feel that I could and can do better, but the nerves have taken their toll on me". "It was a lot of fun and exciting. To experience the atmosphere before the race, to be next to our competitors and to run where they are going to run, was top. It was incredible, really," said Andrea Lores with a smile from ear to ear.

"It was all about enjoying the experience and doing well on a technical level. They always show a competitive spirit, which gives me personal satisfaction because it shows that there is always room for improvement. That is exactly this team's philosophy: there is always room for growth and no ceiling. It shows that there is a project with the help of the UPV," concludes David Sánchez.

National reference

The UPV Women's Cycling Team is a semi-professional cycling team that, despite its short career (founded in 2022), is experiencing a meteoric rise and has already become a national reference. Last season, it finished third in the national team rankings. The 52 cyclists who make up its four squads (Cadet, Junior, Master and Elite under 23), and which were presented on 19 January (news), include the Dutch Nicolien Luijsterburg (World Champion in the Master 40-45 category in 2022) and Isabel Ferreres, regional champion in road cycling and member of the national cycling team of the modality.

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