The adversities do not bend the morale of the general director of the Vuelta. Javier Guillén (Madrid, 1972) always seeks a positive reading, despite the fact that circumstances punish a Tour of Spain full of uncertainties. The round begins tomorrow, with the highest peaks of the second wave of Covid-19 and alerted by cases of infections from the Giro d'Italia, a test with which it competes and which last week suffered the loss of two teams. The Unipublic manager, who has already had to seek solutions to the refusal of the cities of Holland and Portugal to host various stages of the round, assures that he has perfected the security protocols of the Tour de France, although he has asked the spectators to do so that they do not approach the race. Let them stay at home and follow the stages on television. He is also confident that, despite the cold in autumn, Tourmalet and Angliru can be climbed. Of course, they will be climbed alone, without an audience. Never seen.
The fracture of the security bubble in the Giro d'Italia is worrying and puts the Vuelta on alert. Of course it is better that they had not appeared positive for Covid-19, but what happened reflects that the system works because cases are detected.
Now the peloton is protected. Does this uncertainty about what may happen in the Vuelta overwhelm you or stress you out? I'm not going to hide from you that all this is viewed with concern, but concern has always existed.
You have to deal with situations.
We translate that concern into more concentration, in more measures, in more intensity.
But do not fall into disquiet.
You don't have to throw in the towel.
We are worried, like anyone. Is the situation different from previous editions of the Vuelta, is that why the security ratio will have increased? Yes, in addition to the Civil Guard or national or regional police mechanisms, we have increased the private security group , until reaching 40 people, who will work so that the public limitations at the start and finish and the restrictions in the ports are respected.
They will also carry out awareness-raising work on health issues, remembering that you have to respect the safety distance, promote the use of masks, be careful with hygiene ... The agents will ensure that the bubble remains in its integrity. Will there be in the exits? Very little.
We have launched a public awareness campaign so that this year they can see the Vuelta from their homes.
It is necessary that they do not come, in order to avoid any type of agglomerations or concentrations in the vicinity of the race areas.And in the ports? All mountain finishes are restricted to the public, who will not be able to climb either by car or by bike.
You will even be discouraged from walking either. Is it a more refined isolation bubble than the Tour de France? The Tour did great.
We have taken all their protocols and, as far as we have been able, we have perfected them.
Thus, we have further restricted the presence in high arrivals, departures and goals, without differences by the territories we visit.
We have reduced the staff of the Vuelta.
This year there is no advertising caravan, neither Vuelta park, nor Vuelta Júnior, nor promotional actions in the departure areas.
The number of troops working in the organization of the race is reduced.
We do not make them better than the Tour, but we reinforce the necessary measures more. Will they apply the Tour agreement to expel the team with two positives, regardless of whether they are runners, assistants or staff members?
We follow the UCI rule, which says that teams will be excluded if there are two riders with positives in less than seven days.
Of course, in the event that the staff and assistants have a high number of infected, the organization of the Tour will take the measures it deems appropriate.A recurring question among fans is whether the Tourmalet or Angliru can be promoted due to the possible presence of snow or difficult weather conditions.
Will the alternative routes be of quality? Right now we handle a scenario in which they can be climbed, but we have alternatives prepared to adopt them days before the climb or even on the day of the stage.
But we think that they will be able to go up to the top. Are you afraid that with the arrival of the second wave of Covid-19, some cities will rethink hosting start or finish line arrivals? No, because I think now the numbers of the pandemic in Spain are improving.
We have entered the second wave before the rest of the European countries.
While some are growing in numbers of infections, in Spain it seems that we are stable.
I do not foresee that impact on the cities that you say, but you never know what will happen tomorrow. You take on the greatest challenge in the history of the Vuelta: getting the race to finish. Said like that it seems a bit grandiose, but I think that This is not a special situation, because the Vuelta is not in a different difficulty status than other activities.
The schools have developed their activity in a more optimal way than expected, the companies continue to work ... The responsibility of the weight of the history of the Vuelta does not fall on me.
That there is a great difficulty, of course, but the questions should not be translated in terms of success or failure, but in terms of possibility or no possibility.
We can be happy or sad or disappointed if things don't work out.
Now we are impregnated with all this, and it is happening in all sports, with their things or incidents.
If you ask the Professional Football League, they will tell you about empty fields, basketball has its problems, we have not seen Roland Garros with empty courts and cold weather recently, the organization of Roland Garros cannot be compared with all the network that moves the Tour of Spain No, but that does not mean that the rest have no difficulties.
We are not different. And the sporting aspect, the highlight will be the return of Chris Froome, right? It has merit after the double way of the cross that has happened, with the injury and the pandemic.
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