"I don't have to wonder anymore if I'll ever win" - Will Barta ticks off big box after first professional victory in Valencia
Cycling
When he looks back, Will Barta can already be happy about this season. After all, the 28-year-old American scored his first professional victory. And it was not an ordinary win as the Movistar Team rider pulled off amazing near 50-kilometer solo ride in the final stage of Volta a Comunitat Valenciana.
"Obviously you do wonder a little bit – will I ever win?" Barta told Cyclingnews. "Because at the end it’s not that many riders who win races. So for me, it was a big box to tick off because once you see if it’s possible, even if not in the most conventional way, it gives me a lot of confidence going forward."
"I’d spent time at altitude, but I would say the biggest thing, honestly is that in the first years in my career, I didn’t have good winters, I kept having injuries," said Barta. "So to have these two consecutive years, it kind of stacks on each one, and keeps building and I think that’s the biggest key to getting good form."
Barta’s stepping up a level was reflected at the opening time trial of O Gran Camiño, where he took a very promising fourth place behind stage winner Joshua Tarling. "It was always going to be hard to beat Tarling, and for me, as a rider who’s quite small, I’d say it was harder on a road bike. But in any case, he was on another level, there was no beating him."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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