"I don't want to put pressure on him, but what he is doing is tremendous" - Alberto Contador sees Pablo Torres as jewel of Spanish cycling
Cycling
Spanish cycling is going through a period of excitement regarding its long-term future. Among all the worldwide talent that is beginning to stand out, there is a name that is on everyone's lips, and it is none other than Pablo Torres.
In an interview with AS, Alberto Contador, among other things, talked about the 18-year-old Spanish talent, who is developing in UAE Team Emirates Gen Z as another of Joxean Matxín's big projects. Torres shone in the last Tour del l'Avenir, where he took two stage wins and came very close to winning the overall classification of the race with a comeback that would have been spectacular. About the young Spanish rider, Contador is clear that his ceiling is very high: "Many times I prefer not to put pressure on kids who come with a great future, but what he is doing is tremendous," said the Spanish legend. "He's only 18, but he's racing in a professional category and winning races. Let's see how far he goes. But I think he's going to be a rider who can give us Spanish fans great joy. You can see that he thinks big, and that's the mentality".
A future candidate to win the Tour de France?
The last Spanish rider to win the Tour de France was Alberto Contador himself in 2009, and the last time he stood inside the final podium was with Alejandro Valverde in 2015. It has taken a decade to see again a young man with so much potential to be able to dream that he could win cycling's premier race in the near future.
"If you really want to win the Tour de France, you have to imagine yourself doing it. If not, it's very complicated for that to happen," concludes Alberto Contador about the good mentality that Pablo Torres has, and that will surely lead him on the right path to success at UAE Team Emirates.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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