Hermida tune their guns
Although there are still nearly eight months to the Olympics in London, Jose Antonio Hermida, the best ‘biker’ in the history of Spanish mountain bike, trains its guns, those who wore and made famous with gestures at the finish in Athens, where he held the second, after the ‘Cannibal’ Frenchman Julien Absalon.
Although these months the cyclocross spend their time, their goal points to August 12, the day, if everything is normal, will start as one of the favorites for Olympic gold.
PAST: “When I was young and gave me a pair of gloves, I could think to get where I am”
Six times World Champion, three of them individually, and four times European champion, the Olympic title is the icing is lacking in his extraordinary achievements. “I also lack an overall World Cup,” he recalls, “but I would be fine if I had to remove so that I have, because I touched the Olympic dream in Athens, when I was second.”
The cyclo-cross, as we say, is your occupation right now and although it has begun to run later than their rivals, and has three victories: Amezaga (Álava), Valencia and Catalonia Championship. “I’ve been preparing a little more advanced than other years because of obligation,” he explains, “and I want to start strong mountain bike season and in 2012, being an Olympic year, the timing is advanced.”
Nothing better than the specialty mountain bike winter in preparation for the “Other years between World cyclo-cross and the first round of the World Cup mountain bike had two months, then I could not require the maximum, but this year there is only one, so my intention is to get good at BMX World, which interests me more than ever, strong to begin the World Cup “, the first test will be March 18 in South Africa.
THIS: “My intention is to get good at BMX World, which interests me more than ever, strong to start the World Cup mountain bike”
“You can pick up points in May, then although Spain has already secured three seats, will have to get the job,” he says wryly, as in reason no one before him has secured the square. “The program plans to stop a little in May, for breath, and then all followed, The Jerk”, because the European is in July, the Olympic Games in August and the World Cup in September. “But if I can close the year in August, without waiting for the September exam, the better,” he adds with characteristic grace. Road 34, Jose Antonio is already an institution in the bunch of ‘bikers’. “Together with Sauser, which is somewhat greater than I are veterans,” said Hermida. “But we still endure. I think I can still be three or four years running at high level: three in the Olympic discipline, because I do not get to Rio, and then long distance, as the Cape Epic tests.”
Since it began competing at age 14, has two decades climbed to the bike. “When I was young and gave me a pair of gloves, I could think to get where I am. I have to be grateful,” he repeated again and again. “The next will be my fourth game and my name still ringing.” Of all his victories, José Antonio has two specially recorded in his brain: “The first victory we got in the World Cup, in 2001, in Napa (USA), because I won all those who Habaiah been my idols, and the World Last year’s elite, for closing the circle after being champion in the other categories, “he explains,” although the fourth at the Sydney Games was the beginning of everything. ”
Absalon, the alien who has mastered many years the mountain bike world has returned to earth. “But now there is another dictator,” says Jaroslav Kulhavy by Czech. “This year he has won almost everything. It is clear that new generations are being consolidated, but that encourages me and helps me to challenge.”
Evans, a ‘biker’
Hermida could have run on the road, but has declined: “It is that mountain biking is my life,” he explains. “I enjoy the mountain bike, is a way of life. It’s like if you asked Carlos Sainz and Loeb why they have not raced in Formula 1.”
FUTURE: “I would be fine if I had to remove so that I have, because I touched the Olympic dream in Athens, when I was second”
However, almost daily trains professionals route: Arrow, Danielson, Vandevelde and a long list of cyclists who are prepared by the Cerdanya. “This year we have also joined the group Boonen and Chavanel,” he says.
For Jose Antonio, the BTT is your life, but other ‘bikers’, as Rasmussen, Evans, Fuglsang, Kessiakoff Sagan and switched to the road, where shine, “Evans’s victory in the Tour is the victory of mountain bike” says Hermida. “The ‘bikers’ we are proud that one of us has won on enemy territory.” he adds.
“Until 2002 I fought with Evans,” Catalan explains further. “Although I never managed to be world champion, was very good. I had a great technique, strategically was very good and seemed obsessed with the preparation. I have not missed his victory in the Tour, because I had prepared to the millimeter and had everything studied while taking into account the potential rivals could also have won the other. “