Cartagena’s Raúl Martínez and Daniel Cegarra battle it out this Saturday for a place in November’s World Bike Trials Championship
The past, present and future of Cartagena’s cycling stage pass through the hands of Raúl Martínez (40 years old) and Daniel Cegarra (17), two riders who have won thirty titles in this cycling discipline based on overcoming obstacles. Both are aiming for a ticket to the World Cup in Abu Dhabi, the biggest event in a sport adding followers in the world. To do this, they need to win the Spanish Championship, which will be held next Saturday in Los Camachos with the participation of nearly 200 national drivers.
He knows very well what the movie Martínez is about. This Relesa operator has devoted 26 years of his life to becoming one of the kings of bike trials. He won thirteen Spanish championships like this Saturday, a world championship for teams, two European bronzes, two individual silver medals in the world championship and three Spanish cups, a competition in which he also currently leads. He has rope for a while.
“A long time ago I would have lowered the blinds and put the bike away,” he admits. The stage requires a lot of skill, balance and regularity in training as you have to climb on top of the rocks, pipes, logs and tires that make up the different parts of a circuit, without resting your feet on the ground. “I can’t imagine my life without bike trials. They tell me to dose, to focus on other things, but they are words that don’t fit in my dictionary. I really want to train,” said Martínez, president of the Cartagena Bike Trial Club, has a school with thirty children and hosts this Spanish Championship.
Martínez’s participation this Saturday is unknown until the last minute. He is taking part in the test, but less than a month ago he had to have surgery to break his radius during an exhibition in Pozo Estrecho. The area is secured with screws and has reduced the time to regain some mobility in the arm. “I will make a decision on Friday.” He has traveled the United States (he was caught in the 9/11 attack), the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland. And you don’t want to miss the Abu Dhabi appointment. He is the leader of the Spanish Cup and he has that bullet in the room to get his ticket.
Martinez is past and present. And Daniel Cegarra is the future of Cartagena’s bike trial. He is 17 years old and has just completed his first year of high school at the Salesianos School. Reserved, he unleashes all his skills on the bike. He has already won the regional championship six times, the Spanish championship twice and the cup once. Last year he was a two-time world champion in the Catalan city of Vic, first in teams and then by winning in the individual box, in the junior category, then it was the turn of the cadet. In 2022, it has already won three of the four tests that have been held in the Spanish Cup. He goes for more.
“I’m prepared, I feel good and we’re going to give everything to win that Spanish championship. I think the coach will be there and it’s important,” reveals the boy, who trains “between nine and ten hours” a week on the track he has in the mansion, in Molino Derribado.
“The most important thing is balance and foundation. When it comes to racing, you have to be focused and relaxed and try to make a good area,” he says. Cegarra would like to study engineering and “combine” it with bike trials tomorrow. His medium-term goal is to make the jump in the category, from junior to elite, “and compete against the best.”
The best mirror of this young man is his father, Daniel Cegarra. He is 44 years old and owns a bicycle shop (Mundobici, name of the team and the school). “I started competing in the 80s, when nobody knew about this sport and a few Catalans organized an exhibition in Murcia.” His career started there, marked by three world championships and eleven national titles. He’s still active, “as a hobby, because when I’m not exercising, I climb the walls.” Cegarra’s father will be in Los Camachos. And his daughter Paola, 15 years old.
This weekend, the municipality will welcome nearly 400 athletes from across the country in two nationwide events. The Los Camachos circuit hosts the Spanish Cycling Championship, with nearly 200 participants of all ages, while the Guimbarda Wssell Pavilion hosts 180 boxers from different autonomous communities.
The Cartagena Bike Trial Club organizes the national event for this cycling discipline. It does this with the support of various governments, federations and the Higher Sports Council. Also with the sponsorship of twenty small, medinas and large companies, which are of vital importance. There is about five thousand euros to cover in expenses, including between administrative costs and arbitration. The municipality has already organized such tests for the past decade, with increasing frequency since 2019.
All autonomous communities, except Ceuta and Melilla, will participate in the Spanish boxing championship from this week until Sunday. There are 180 athletes, including Gabriel Escobar, who obtained an Olympic diploma at the last Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Source: La Verdad
I’m an experienced news author and editor based in New York City. I specialize in covering healthcare news stories for Today Times Live, helping to keep readers informed on the latest developments related to the industry. I have a deep understanding of medical topics, including emerging treatments and drugs, the changing laws that regulate healthcare providers, and other matters that affect public health.
