"It is important that girls have a sports reference like Paula Blasi"
We have experienced three great days of cycling with the third edition of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, everything went as planned.
The truth is that yes, if we had been able to make a request for how I would have wanted the race to develop, it would have turned out the way the Volta went, but I always say the same thing. It is not right for the organizer to take sides with anyone because, in the end, whoever wins the race wins it fairly, but it is true that Paula Blasi winning the women’s Volta was good for her, of course, for the Volta record and for Catalan women’s sport and for cycling in this case, because it is necessary for young people, young women who cycle, to have references to look to.
It is necessary that young people, young women who cycle, have references in which to look at themselves like Paula Blasi
This has been the third edition of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya in stages, maintaining category 2.1; What options are there to continue growing?
The option to continue growing is there. We started with the one-day test, three years ago we moved to a three-day test. Yes, we want to continue growing; Not next year, we are going to maintain three stages, but who knows if in 2028 we can go to four. In the end, this is an economic issue, to organize an event of this nature you need money. What you can’t do is embark on doing something and then leave yourself owing money to suppliers, participants or whoever. Let’s go little by little. For now, we are going to consolidate it as we have it, in three days, and in two years we can try to go to four.
(+) Listen to the full interview below:
You have commented on more than one occasion that in the men’s Volta you miss the participation of companies, of private sponsorship, does the same happen in the women’s Volta?
Yes, in the end the two races are within the same budget and yes, what we lack is private financing, private sponsorship. On behalf of the institutions, starting with the Generalitat, Provincial Council and city councils, we have no complaints, it is true that we have sponsors for many years who have been supporting us and to whom I am very grateful, but it is true that we lack this extra sponsorship from private companies to further enhance the Volta. In the end, it’s not about making money. We don’t make money with that. We are a non-profit club, but increasingly cycling, if you want to be at the level, has some demands and these demands are worth money.
We need this extra sponsorship from a private company to further enhance the Volta. In the end, it’s not about making money. We don’t make money with that. We are a non-profit club, but increasingly cycling, if you want to be at the level, has some demands and these demands are worth money.
We are at the gates of the Grand Départ of the Tour de France in Barcelona on July 4, a speaker, a springboard that the entire cycling sector, including the Volta, could take advantage of.
That would be good, but we are talking about a great event that, it is true, may arouse interest in some companies and some firms that see in cycling the possibility of joining and empowering each other; to us as organizers and to them as a brand.
What do you have planned for the fourth edition of the Women’s Volta?
I like to tell the truth, and yes we have things planned and it is true that now is the time to consolidate, to see how everything has gone and start planning for next year, but it is true that in both the men’s and women’s races we already have things prepared and thought of.
And, as I said at the beginning, we are very lucky to enjoy a runner like Paula Blasi, a reference that must be taken advantage of.
Absolutely, Paula is an excellent runner and an excellent person and, as I have said before, it is very important that girls who cycle have a reference like her to be able to think about tomorrow and have this level.
