The Massi-Tactic UCI Women’s Cycling Team, from Torroella de Montgrí, will start the fifth season in the world elite of women’s road cycling with a team made up of 12 cyclists and with three main goals: to be one hundred percent professional, to compete at the highest level to consolidate in Spain and especially in Europe, and to bring to society the empowerment of women in women’s cycling. the ilerdense Iris Gómez, the Vallirana cyclist Patri Ortega and the Terrassa runners Elisabet Escursell and Estefanía Jiménez They are the four Catalan athletes from a group completed by eight foreigners: the Corinna Lechner from Germany, Aurela Nerlo from Poland, Miryam Núñez from Ecuador, Adèle Normand from Canada, Petra Zsankó from Hungary, Cécile Lejeune from France, Jennifer Ducuara from Colombia and Vera Vilaça from Portugal. The professional category team made nine signings and renewed three riders.
The first group of women Baix Ter Cycling Club continues to be run by Manel Gonzalo and Engel Gonzalez and will begin the season as a continental team on February 5 at Valencia (Tour around the Valencian Community). Runners and members of the coaching staff met this week at Hotel Terraverda – Golf Empordà de Gualta to conduct the preseason and it is now, on Archeology Museum of Catalonia – Empúrieswhen the presentation of Massi-Tactic 2023 was held. The event was attended by the advisor of Presidency of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Laura Vilagrà; the general secretary of l’Esport i l’Activitat Física, Anna Caula; the mayor of l’Escala, Josep Bofill; the sports councilor of Torroella de Montgrí, Genís Pigem and the president of the Baix Ter Cycling Club, Sergi GüellBesides others.
Anna Caula has defined Massi-Tactic as “a team that destroys horizons and stereotypes”, in addition to saying from the Generalitat “we want to project an image of Catalonia in a female key, giving help to women’s sport. That is why we have moved from words to deeds, because every day there is a sport that is made and managed by women. Massi-Tactic consists of 12 cyclists who have impressed us in their images of power and competitiveness, and we want to be with them”. In the same vein, it was expressed Laura Villagra: “Today is a good day for women’s and Catalan cycling. We are next to a unique and historic team that has done something extraordinary. We want to be there, offering our full support. Financial aid has increased year-on-year to 195,000 euros this season, a huge amount. We hope to continue to help in the future. With the aim of competing with the elite, to help become professionals and so that more runners can become professionals in Catalonia and not have to leave here. Women’s sports are powerful and we want to be more ambitious every day”.
Fifth year of life within a club founded in 1990 and new subsidiary for Massi-Tactic in 2023
CC Baix Ter was founded in 1990 and created its first women’s team 13 years ago to give projection to girls from the entity that left the training stage. Despite the formation of the UCI team in 2019, the Costa Brava club continues to bet on the growth of their squad. In 2023, Massi-Tactic adds a subsidiary to its structure. The Massi-Tactic Academy takes over from the until now second amateur team that Club Ciclista Baix Ter has, Catema.cat, and will be thought to promote the Catalan promises for between six months and two years and to have , in the future, a first team composed almost entirely of cyclists born in Catalonia.
In the fifth year of its life, the great goal is to make the team one hundred percent professional. talk about himor Sergi Güell: “With the help of the Generalitat de Catalunya we have made a step forward in this matter. We also have the support of other public institutions and the private sector, with companies in the territory. We believe that the time has come to take a step, to be functional and for our girls to be able to dedicate themselves to cycling, to raise the level of the team and compete face to face with European professionals” . The squad is strengthened by foreign riders, but the presence of four Catalan cyclists also stands out. In this spirit was born the Massi-Tactic Academy, a subsidiary created this year with the aim of “training people from our house who can become professionals in the world of cycling tomorrow with the first Massi -Tactic team”.
The 2023 season will run until next September and the runners will compete in a total of 37 racessome of them from the calendar UCI World Tourjust like Burgos Tour, Flanders Tour, Itzulia and Romandie Tour, among others. “We hope to position ourselves on a national and international level, as we have done in previous years. We are a young group, with many new faces, who want to show what they are capable of. We have many runners who will be discovered, with brave people, who are not afraid of anyone. We will go out in every race to show our faces and look for results. One of our goals is to reach the podium in one of the great events in Europe”, added Sergi Güell.
the cyclist Patricia Ortega He spoke on behalf of the whole group. “This year we will let ourselves be seen because we have a very complete team, with very good runners in various fields. We understand each other very well and that helps us achieve positive results. I have seen the evolution of this team, which moved from the subsidiary a few years ago and competed for the first time in Belgium, which continues to this day. All this growth would not be possible without the support of the Generalitat and private companies. We are making history and we want to continue in the same line”. Last season, the fourth in a row as a team of the UCI Continental category, Massi-Tactic participated in the events of the highest division, the UCI WorldTour, where they stood up to the best teams in the world, as well as collecting podiums in international European races. .
seniority and youth; experience and desire to possess
Among the different profiles are the nine signings presented by the team to face this course, where it will have runners between 18 and 36 years old. A mix of youth and experience, with resumes full of national and international success, and others with careers and achievements yet to come. A season, 2023, marked by returns as three cyclists will experience a second phase at the club. Starting with ilerdense Iris Gómez, 36, who comes from Biscay Durango and has a past in the subsidiary of Mass TacticsThe Catema.cat. Patri Ortega, 34, also experienced and had successes in his previous venture with this team: he was third, for example, in the final stage of Return to the Czech Republic with a good performance in the elite Spanish Cup and the championship of Catalonia CRI. The other return is Elizabeth Escursell. The 26-year-old athlete from Terrassa leaves his time in Italian cycling and has also competed in the Spanish team, as well as being the state champion in the time trial and speed in the base category.
The youngest runner this season is the Catalan Stephanie Jimenez, almost 18 years old and living his first Massi-Tactic experience. A versatile cyclist, he is regularly called up for the Catalan team and has already taken part in international races, such as the Tour of Portugal. From 2002 is the Canadian Adele Normand, a runner with the facility to tackle more mountainous trails and coming off fourth in the last Alpes Grésivaudan Classic. A year younger, from 2001, is the Hungarian Petra Zsanko, who debuted with a continental team after breaking into the world of road cycling in 2021.
The French Cécile Lejeune (1998) also recently arrived in a continental team, coming from taking the fourteenth position in the last national championship of her country, in addition to occupying the fifteenth position in Mont Ventoux Denivele Challenge. Also good results this last season for Colombian Jennifer Ducuara, 27 years old and with a more complete profile. He came to lead the final Vuelta a Burgos, in addition to finishing in the top ten at the 2022 Eibar Grand Prix. The chapter of incorporations closes with the Portuguese Vera Vilaça, winner of the Cup for her country in 2021 and coming from being third in the most recent edition of back to portugal. He comes from the world of triathlon, where he has competed for 14 years, to focus this course exclusively and exclusively on cycling.
Three cyclists continue compared to last year. They will live, therefore, their second consecutive season in the Massi-Tactic lCorinna Lechner from Germany, Aurela Nerlo from Poland and Miryam Núñez from Ecuador.
DATA SHEET
Team: Massi-Tactic UCI Women’s Team
clubs: Baix Ter Cycling Club
Campus: Torroella de Montgrí (Baix Empordà, Girona)
Seasons: 5 (Baix Ter Cycling Club, 33)
President: Sergi Guell
Technical staff: Manel Gonzalo (sports director), Àngel González (team manager), Juan Sánchez, Ivan Álvarez and Xavier Palacios (mechanics); and Javier Solá and Marc Vilanova (physical trainers).
Transfers: Adèle Normand, Jennifer Ducuara, Cécile Lejeune, Vera Vilaça, Petra Zsankó, Estefania Jiménez, Iris Gómez, Patri Ortega and Eli Escursell.
Renewals: Corinna Lechner, Aurela Nerlo and Miryam Núñez.
low: Belén López, Mireia Benito, Mireia Trias, Martina Moreno, Spela Kern, Maaike Coljé, Sara Méndez, Nathalie Eklund, Sofia Gomes and Andrea Ramírez.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
