Mireia Benito: “You really have to be brave to bet on women’s cycling”

While preparing dinner based on vegetables, with a little rice and seitan, the Catalan cyclist Mireia Benito (27 years old) attended MD excited to be one of the main characters of the first edition of Women’s Cycling Tour of Catalonia.

How do you deal with the start of the women’s Volta Ciclista a Catalunya?

Very excited, this is a very important step to take, you really have to be brave to bet on women’s cycling in this way. We already know that men’s cycling has its share, but women’s cycling is long-term that is why I am very grateful to all the sponsors who made possible the first edition of the women’s Volta Ciclista a Catalunya.

For what purpose did you go to the exam?

We went to the Volta with a very strong team, a team dedicated to different racing scenarios, with Ashleig Moolman for the mountain stages, who came to the Volta at a good time so it will give- let us fight for stages. .

And what will be its purpose?

Right now, it’s up to me to help the team in any way I can and I don’t know if they’ll give me more freedom to approach the race more aggressively. I know I’m one of the most watched cyclists, as was the case in the Vuelta a Andalucía. The team’s goal is to win the Volta and we have to see how we race, I will try to take advantage of the opportunities that arise.

Can you imagine winning a stage?

Ugh, I love that. I am in a very good state of form, but the victories are with the team’s goals and everything depends on the team’s goal, which in Volta is nothing but winning the race. We will try to play our cards well and win at all stages.

What do you think of a first edition with three episodes?

Undoubtedly, this is a very good start. I know how complicated climbing days are in a race, in an ideal situation it would be ideal for it to have as many stages as The Women’s Vuelta (it consists of eight stages). I know this is a step too far, but a good bet is being made. It is better to go little by little, and go from organizing a one-day race like reVolta very well to betting on a three-day race. Going from one to ten stages would be too ambitious. Three days is fine. For me, reVolta at the European level is one of the best organized races.

This is his second season with the AG Insurance-Soudal Team and his contract is coming to an end.

Yes, and I can’t make my future public yet, but I can say that my cycling career will be long. Within the team, they always treat me well. They take people into account, and this is one of the aspects that I consider the most important. From the first moment they created a great atmosphere. All of us girls understand each other well and this is one of the reasons why a team succeeds. Bad behavior affects the results and I think we are still in the growth phase, because we have very young colleagues who are growing a lot.

Did you notice a big change when you jumped from the Continental Massi-Tactic category to the AG Insurance World Rour category?

The biggest difference is in having financial peace of mind. Once cycling becomes your job, everything changes. It’s no longer about chasing my dream, but about my job. This was an important step because it allowed me to free myself from looking for work under the rocks. Then, competing with a 100% World Tour calendar is a challenge.

Can you continue studying because cycling is your profession?

I am looking to enroll for Master. The first year as a professional I kind of put my studies aside. I studied biotechnology and did a Master’s degree in molecular biology and medicine, in addition to a Master’s degree in teacher training to enter the field of education. I have worked as a teacher for a while, and now I am studying C level of English at UOC and I want to continue studying.

You should not leave your studies.

No no. In fact, I started in the world of cycling as an adult, when I was 22 years old. At the time when I started, there were only six professional women in Spain and for me being one was a very distant dream. I saw it as something out of reach, because my level was not enough to aspire to win as well. When I started, I didn’t finish a degree for a year and I built my dream little by little, until the beginning of 2022 I started to see that it was more doable and that’s when I told myself to do it. I made a two-year personal bet and told my parents that if I didn’t get a professional contract, I would rethink my future, and in May 2022 I got the contract.

What do you remember about the day you received the contract?

It was an unforgettable moment. The first contract you sign remains etched in your skin, head and heart. I remember being in the Sierra Nevada looking out the window with the contract in hand. It’s amazing how your hobby can become your job.

Where do you think women’s cycling stands?

I see you are making progress. This is a very important change (it refers to the new regulations created by the UCI for the Continental teams that, among other things, think of a minimum salary) that had to happen, but it happened in a very fast way. Aid should be generated for the teams and they should have financial support, but the fact that the teams have to multiply their budget by four from one year to the next has caused some teams to were lost and others were downgraded, because they did not access the necessary conditions. On the other hand, I hope that this change will also bring new things and that all the people, cyclists and staff, who compete in the UCI category are professionals and can make a living from cycling. We are not talking about getting rich, but we are talking about having a viable job offer.

The Volta is very important for Catalan cycling.

There is a foundation that must remain firm. We should continue to bet on girls growing in the lower categories and stay firm on this bet. Don’t expect a performance response in the first two or three years. The bet should be firm and the margin of five years should be considered. When you provide resources and teach the values ​​of cycling, a good foundation is built, but it is true that you need to invest more. And, in that sense, the Massi-Baix Ter team is doing a great job and is the only Catalan team betting on it.