Pascual Momparler: “Having three world bosses, Van Aert, Van der Poel and Pidcock, in Benidorm is a luxury”

This Sunday the city ​​of Benidorm will be the capital of the best cyclocross on the occasion of World Cup which is argued in this gem of White beach. The leader of the competition, the national elite men’s road and cyclocross coach Pascual Momparlerattending the MD and explaining all the ins and outs and secrets of a test that has caused great excitement and can mark the before and after the journey of CX in Spain. The rate of tickets sold is very good and the show is guaranteed, with a promising circuit and the presence of three cyclocross tenors: the Dutch Mathieu Van der Poel, the Belgian Wout Van Aert and the British and world champion Tom Pidcock.

How did the possibility of the Cyclocross World Cup come to Benidorm?

This is because I have two long-term goals. One is to make a special classic like the one in Jaén Paraíso Interior, a race that does not exist in Spain, and another goal is to propose that the Cyclocross World Cup returns to Spain. I had to do a good search, do a field study and I found that the best possibility, the best way and a place that suits everyone is Benidorm. Why Benidorm? Because Benidorm has to fight seasonality, in January it has many empty hotels, and it needs events to fill the hotels, because Benidorm wants to show the world that it is more than party, sun and beach and the truth is that it has a lot more things to contribute; and then I also have to find a place where it’s easy for Benelux fans to come and watch the race. Alicante has very cheap flights from all over Europe, from Belgium, Netherlands, Benelux and also from England. There is no better place in Spain than Benidorm to host the Cyclocross World Cup. People needed and requested a Cyclocross World Cup event and all I had to do was break my knuckles knocking on the doors of all the town halls, until Benidorm and the Valencian Community opened up to me.

What kind of circuit will the riders and fans see?

The first part of the circuit will be very technical and the second is the old cyclocross, straight, with climbs, for strong people. The truth is that cyclocross will come out of Belgium and the Netherlands, and those responsible for the World Cup want it to change, and not just be muddy and have everything to see in Spain, the United States or France. They don’t seek to have the same circuits that they have in Belgium here, which is something that surprised and pleased me. What they want is to see the Mediterranean forest well, they pass through places where the roots of pine trees are visible, not because it is a highway for them, but for the cyclist’s method to be important and for it. to be a technique that might change the winner and the stronger in the mud is not always the winner, so that there is more dynamism. So they will look for a Spanish circuit, very technical and very strong, where the old and the new cyclocross come together. That people don’t expect mud because there won’t be any. There will be grass, grassland and Mediterranean forest. It will be a World Cup like the Belgians want, one unlike what they had there.

The truth is that this Cyclocross World Cup is especially impressive, with the three bosses -Van Aert, Pidcock and Van der Poel- putting on a show.

I’m enjoying it like all fans. To see Van Aert, Van der Poel and Pidcock at the front fighting as they fight to the end, giving the show that they give, is a luxury, and I think we can only thank the cycling fans. They are cyclists who win on the road and when they win they do it spectacularly and in cyclocross they do the same, and they continue to make it for us all to enjoy, and I think they also love it and want the each other.

What do cyclocross stars on the circuit ask you the most?

They asked a little about the circuit, how it is, how it is not, where to stay. I think they have the same desire as us for the day to come and see what they are going to find. In the end, behind us we are, a company that knows how to organize events and that is going to take care of them and they are really looking forward to it.

The same in this test of the Cyclocross World Cup in Benidorm is growing more CX fans in Spain.

Yes, yes, now the fans in Spain will grow, because Felipe (Orts) is growing fast, because Lucía González is having some good seasons, because we have three bosses in the world who bring the fans along and I think we will do the test in Benidorm so that in the winter here in Spain they talk about cyclocross. I think this year is the most talked about cyclocross, maybe because we will also do the World Cup event and we all look forward to that day, to see it, touch it and experience it.

And there may also be more sponsors and cities jumping on the cyclocross bandwagon.

Look, the head of the Flanders Classic says we could break the record for tickets sold before a cyclo-cross event this year, so see what we’re up to. So hopefully this trial will open doors to other cities and countries and cyclocross will be externalized as much as possible.

And, the Benidorm test, was it born with a vocation to stay on the World Cup calendar?

What we hope, the Flandes Classic and the UCI, is that the test in Benidorm will remain here in Benidorm for many years and that is what we are doing, working as much as possible so that we have this test for many years. as possible.

And, how do you suffer more nerves and headaches, managing the national road team or managing the Cyclocross World Cup?

You always have nerves, a lot of nerves, what happens is that luckily with the organization of the World Cup I am not alone and I have a good team behind me, and that makes you more relaxed. As a coach, when you go out there you have the same team and everything, but in the end it’s your strategy, your racing tactics, your ideas, that will make the team worse or better, you have more responsibility. Here if something goes wrong, it’s everyone’s fault, just like if it’s right and we all hug each other. So I think I’m more nervous behind the wheel of the Spanish national team car or cyclocross coach than at this event.