On September 5, in the middle of the patron saint festivities of my town, Barbastro, I went to Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz) to participate in the HANDBIKE SKODA JEREZ Grand Prix.
I ended the season after participating in the World Cup in Elzach (Germany) but there was still some gas in my veins so I went down to Jerez with the hope of doing a good job.
Spinal cord injury has many risks and one of the most common is urinary infections. 20 days before going to Jerez, I started with antibiotics to eliminate the bugs, one course was not enough and I had to take two, ending the treatment shortly before the test. The gas in the veins was there but the strength in the muscles was not.
In Jerez there was an important international representation of handbikers, the level of the event rose and being with the best seemed complicated to me.
I positioned myself well at the starting line, I started hard but on the first slopes the power began to fail, my arms couldn’t give any more and I watched as the best ones slipped away from me.
I placed myself far from the lead, in a third chasing group made up of 5 handbikers. We had to do 10 laps of the Jerez speed circuit, about 45 kilometers. I was comfortable in the group, the relays were constant between almost all the members, we rode at high speed and I enjoyed the moment.
I planned the moment to attack, I had to change pace and not wait for the sprint. The last lap would be a good moment, 4.5 kilometers from the end.
After crossing the finish line, I took the lead and made a strong change of pace on the steep slope, quickly opening a large gap. He controlled his rivals in the rearview mirror. The distances were increasing. There were 2 kilometers left and I could see them more than 300 meters away. I felt like the winner of the group.
He gritted his teeth to get there but his arms were beginning to weaken. She was 1 kilometer away and she had them close. “It can’t be, come on, come on, come on, come on,” she told me. Just before making the last curve at the finish line, 350 meters from the finish, a rival overtook me. My plan had failed. I tried to compete in the sprint but another teammate overtook me shortly before crossing the finish line.
The race taught me again, to continue learning. “If you are not up to many rockets, do not attack from so far away.” I enjoyed the test, I collaborated with the group in the relays and I tried despite not being in the best conditions.
In the final classification I appear with 1 lap lost compared to the winners and far from my group, the reason is due to the loss of the chip in the last laps, my real time was not computed. We finished just 20 seconds behind the 2nd group and more than 5 minutes behind the winners.
Without a doubt, running on the Jerez Speed Circuit is a real pleasure, magnificent asphalt and layout that allows you to achieve spectacular average speeds, without having to touch the brake throughout the race, so I encourage you to attend future editions.
“Chapeau” to the organization that puts us up in a wonderful hotel and entertains us with gifts.
I leave you with the last photo, the members of the Team Quickie Sopur Spain team. If I can, I will return. Thank you.
