Paula Blasi still carries the broken voice of an unforgettable celebration. He just made history in LaVuelta and he tells it naturally, between laughter, emotion and the feeling of someone who has not yet finished assimilating everything he is experiencing. The Catalan speaks with MARCA of suffering, of ambition, of Angliru and how his life has changed in just a few days.
Ask. What balance do you make after that victory? How have you celebrated it?
Answer. With many emotions. I think from my voice you can imagine that the celebration got a little out of hand. I’ve been recovering for a couple of days, but fine. It was beautiful to see not only the happiness that I could have with the people closest to me, but also the entire team. From the masseuse to the mechanics. Seeing everyone so happy made me even happier because I realize how beautiful this sport is. Only one pedals, but everyone gets excited and the victory belongs to everyone. It’s been a very nice last few hours.
Only one pedals, but everyone gets excited and the victory belongs to everyone
Q. You said you almost got off at Angliru. The day before I commented that I hoped I wouldn’t find such hard slopes and they were. How did you experience that?
R. It was funny because I tend to think: “See, I was right.” Because at first it’s easy, Angliru doesn’t sting as much. We went there and we had traveled three or four kilometers and I said: “People are exaggerating. Ramps of 11, 15… I’m doing very well.” And when Marion Bunel attacked before the hard slopes I thought: “I follow her because I’m doing well, I’m a little off point, but nothing happens.”
When I saw that infinite straight line that looked like a vertical wall, I said: ‘Oh, the Virgin, if that was true
But when there were three kilometers left and I saw those horseshoe curves and that infinite straight line that looked like a vertical wall, I said: “Oh, the Virgin, if that was true.” I didn’t have any more development to add. I was trying to think that if people are not passing you it is because they are more annoyed than you. So I just pulled. I reached the finish line crying from suffering. I think he had suffered so much in life. It was very hard.
Historic Paula Blasi! First Spanish to win LaVuelta after an exhibition at L’Angliru
Q. And what was that party like afterwards? He is almost voiceless.
R. I call it stage eight of LaVuelta, because it was also hard. First we had doping control, a ceremony, getting to the bus, celebrating with the team… and then three hours to Bilbao. We arrived around nine and went to dinner. Then they started: “Come on, we’re in Bilbao, your coach is there, everyone is there…”. And we ended up going out a little bit to party.
If you only focus on training and training, you also need that final reward
It was celebrating with the whole team. Each one was happier than the last. And I also think that’s part of the victory. If you only focus on training and training, you also need that final reward. A day to treat yourself and go out. It was very nice. But everything was controlled, we didn’t spend much either.
Q. Now many people wonder what their ceiling could be. The Tour this year?
R. I have been saying for a long time that sometimes it is difficult to answer honestly because it seems that if you dream big you are crazy. If a week ago I said that I wanted to win LaVuelta, they might have looked at me strangely. They would have said ‘but this girl thinks she thinks she is’. And now it seems easier to say it because it has already happened. Of course I didn’t think I was going to win it, but that was my ambition. I already said in an interview that we were going to make the podium. And with that, even many people didn’t take it well because it seemed out of touch. And I think that sometimes you have to leave room for the athletes’ imagination, because it’s nice to be able to dream. If it is not achieved, at least that ambition remains.
I think from my voice you can imagine that the celebration went a little out of hand.
And where is the ceiling? I prefer my rivals to wear it on me rather than wear it myself. Both my coach and I dare to dream big. For this year, perhaps the Tour is difficult, not so much on my part, but because there is already a pre-selected squad and objectives set within the team. But they know that I am always open. And if it’s not this year, the opportunity will come. There are other borders too. This year I really want the World Cup and I am going to try to fight for it.
But will he do ‘a Seixas’ with the Tour? At first I wasn’t going to go, but it’s so good and since it’s preselected…
Yes, in the end that’s it. Just like the Ardennes, I wasn’t going to go, but in the end I went and it didn’t turn out bad at all. I’m willing to do whatever they ask of me and we’ll see what happens.
Q. In Rwanda you commented to MARCA that you still didn’t know what type of runner you were going to be. Do you already consider yourself a grand tour runner?
R. I have always liked the idea of being a rider capable of competing in a Tour, a Vuelta or a Giro. But of course, now I have also discovered the classics and I really liked them. So I don’t want to close doors on myself. I like to think that there may be Pogacar-type riders, capable of competing in Paris-Roubaix and doing it well. I like to play with that limit of “this is not for you because you are too light.” Well let’s try it. After doing the Angliru and Praeres I have confirmed that hard days and long climbs are my thing and I can be there. But I also want to continue with the classics, prepare them well next year and open doors to races like Paris-Roubaix or Strade.
Paula Blasi toasts at Amstel: Spanish pioneer in the classic brewery
Q. What is the craziest thing that has happened to you these days?
R. That Pedro Sánchez knows who I am already made my head explode. But beyond that, I have always been a very discreet girl, my family knew me and little else. Coming back from LaVuelta, arriving at the airport at six in the morning and having people recognize me, congratulate me and ask me about the race… that impressed me a lot.
Seeing that the teams want you as a leader or as a future rider capable of competing in a Tour gives you a lot of ambition
And then seeing people you barely have a relationship with telling you that they cried watching your race. For me that is the most beautiful thing about sport. It seems like something very basic, pedaling, but you can move a lot of people. There is a boy I was coaching in triathlon who wrote to me recently saying that he had had to give up the sport due to illness, but that it was still his motivation to get back into training. I love things like that. I always say that sport is life. If I can inspire someone to start playing sports or take it more seriously, that’s beautiful too.
Q. She is the first Spanish woman to win LaVuelta. How does it feel to become a pioneer?
R. I haven’t spoken to Joane Somarriba yet, but I would love to meet her because a couple of years ago I did a university project about her and I was amazed by her achievements. I think I could learn a lot from how people ran before. And honestly, I didn’t know that I was going to be the first Spaniard to win LaVuelta. I had so many things on my mind that I didn’t even think about it. So it came to me a little bit suddenly: “We are making history.” It’s beautiful and I would like to be able to continue this story and that in three or four years we can look back and say ‘the one that is being cooked is beautiful’.
Win the Tour or a World Cup. With one of those two things I would be achieving my great goals.
Q. There are already big teams interested like Movistar. How do you feel when you see that they are fighting to sign you?
R. It’s a peace of mind. Cycling, like any sport, has a lot of uncertainty. You can be a great talent, but until you stand out it is difficult to sell yourself with words alone. And I’m very bad at that. I prefer the facts. Now it is proven on paper and on the road. I have clear ideas. And seeing that the teams want you as a leader or as a future rider capable of competing in a Tour gives you a lot of ambition. Sometimes what is missing in cycling is precisely the support of the team. Seeing that I can have it motivates me even more to try.
Both my coach and I dare to dream big
Q. Who has been your great sporting reference?
R. My brother, without a doubt. He has always been my reference and the person I compared myself to. Sometimes in an unhealthy way, but over time I learned to do it well. He has been my inspiration. While other classmates were focused on being the best girl, I looked at my brother’s times and thought: “He’s running 40 seconds faster than me and I want to get there.” I think that made my goal always much bigger than just being the best girl. I would also tell you Esther Guerrero. When I started to pay more attention to athletics, she was an example for me. Sometimes there are athletes who do not have as much media impact, but they inspire much more than they think.
Paula Blasi, podium in the Walloon Flecha
Q. And right now, which athletes do you follow the most?
R. Lucy Charles-Barclay, the English triathlete, and Sara Alonso. I have been following them for years because they teach a lot about how they train, how they get up from bad moments and I have learned a lot from them. The other day Sara Alonso congratulated me and I told her that I was not aware of how excited I was to receive a message from her. They are people you have been admiring for years and suddenly they write to you. It’s very crazy.
Q. A favorite port to train in?
R. The Puigmal. It’s half an hour from my house and this season I will have climbed it about 80 times. I go up to 2,300 meters and do almost all the series there. And when it’s snowy, if the team lets me, I go up on skis. It’s perfect.
If a week ago I said that I wanted to win LaVuelta, they might have looked at me strangely.
Q. A career that has especially marked you?
R. Strade. I was left with a thorn in my side this year because I made some mistakes, but it is a race that I loved and to which I want to return better prepared.
I prefer that my rivals put the roof on me rather than putting it on myself.
Q. And a great challenge to meet?
R. Win the Tour or a World Cup. With one of those two things I would be meeting my big medium-term goals.