• Interview: Alejandro Valverde

He listens to the journalist's call after walking his dog around his home in Andorra, where he remains confined with his girlfriend. The Balearic Enric Mas (Artá, 1995) is one of the 60 professional cyclists settled in the Principality, a new paradise for runners due to tax advantages and the 21 mountain passes that adorn this small country of 77,000 inhabitants, which has also been whipped by Covid-19, with 753 infected and 44 deceased. The new Movistar climber counts the hours to start training outside his home. This Monday the International Cycling Union (UCI) will announce the calendar of an atypical course in which the most outstanding disciple of Alberto Contador still hopes to get something out of it. The Tour and the Vuelta are the main objectives of a rider who, according to all specialists, will command Spanish cycling in the coming seasons.

You live in Andorra, where confinement is less severe than in Spain. In a way he is lucky. This situation is difficult for everyone, but if I compare myself with other colleagues I am lucky because the restrictions are not as strict as in Spain. Here, for a few weeks we have been able to go for walks on alternate days (one day the domiciled leave in even number and another, odd number). The most vulnerable or at risk people have their own time slot. We cannot go out to train outside the place of residence, but from this week we will be able to do it, just as it happens in Spain. Of course, always individually and with some conditions to maintain a margin of safety and not favor contagion. During this period have you had any tests for coronavirus? No. The most important thing, both in Spain and in Andorra and in all the countries of the world, is that the tests are done on infected people and those who really need it. We athletes who are well do not need them now and we should not have priority. We are in our homes and there will be time to do them. Does the sport have to return to encourage the population that is locked up for many hours at home? In the situation in which we find ourselves, we have to be positive, try to pass this in the best possible way. form and as soon as possible. Sport has to return. You have to face the situation as positively as possible. In this crisis, in Spain it was advised to use the bicycle to go to work, however professional cyclists have not been allowed to train. This makes sense? It may be somewhat contradictory, but I understand that athletes have to start training all at the same time, so that there are no comparative grievances. In this sense, I consider that those who command have done well. Going out for a while will be a relief, because working only with the roller is a psychological martyrdom, right? It is monotonous, but they are works similar to those we do in preseason. In my house I have space and a terrace to exercise. I roll in the morning or in the afternoon, alternating it with gym sessions and stretching. There are days when I do a double session. If in the morning I do three hours of cycling, in the afternoon I do something different. How do you motivate yourself in those complicated days of confinement in which you don't feel like doing anything? Uff ... A good solution is to keep in touch with your colleagues, because with them you have fun and good vibes. We all cheer up. To maintain the personal relationship we resort to social networks, to the phone. Thanks to digital platforms we can connect and train at the same time, so training is more enjoyable. What do you miss the most in this situation? Training with colleagues, talks and coffee after pedaling for four or five hours. On a personal level, going out to dinner, strolling through the center of Andorra, going to the movies ... Life in general Egan Bernal has obtained permission from the mayor of his town to train outside his home. Does the Colombian already start with an advantage? Each one who does what he sees fit. If they have given permission, good for him. Alejandro Valverde said he sees very black that this year can run some test I hope we can run. Let's see if we start training to set ourselves short-term goals. I want to be positive and think that we are going to compete. I hope this year is not completely lost and that we recover some of what we have left behind. Despite this break, is the Tour still its main objective of the season? Yes, although we still do not know how we are going to prepare for the race. The idea is to gain experience for the future. See what happens. The Olympic Games, which are no longer going to be held, and the Vuelta also included in my plans for the start of the season. The Vuelta will be held in November and for the north of Spain, do you think the route should be changed to avoid the cold that can prevent the ascent to some of the planned ports? The cold will be a problem, but I think that the organizers of the Back they will take a good solution. I don't know if they will keep the planned route, but what is clear is that behind the starting and finishing cities there is a lot of money at stake, and after what we are going through with this pandemic it is difficult to find people who want to put money . Among all of us, we have to find the best solution.

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