INTERVIEW José Félix Parra on his Tour de France debut: “We gave it our all, eager to keep fighting”
Cycling
José Félix Parra gave a positive assessment to CyclingUpToDate’s microphones of Caja Rural Seguros - RGA’s Tour de France debut after the opening team time trial. The Caja Rural rider highlighted the experience of racing the French Grand Tour, analysed a route shaped by wind and heat, and explained the strategy he executed alongside teammate Alex Molenaar.
“It’s a very special experience, because just being here at the Tour de France is already amazing,” Parra said after crossing the line. The Spaniard declared himself satisfied with the team’s work and eager to keep pushing. “Happy because we gave everything, and keen to keep fighting.”
The wind was a major factor, especially on the most exposed sections of the course. “It’s very windy, especially in the open areas. We were facing a strong headwind in many parts of the time trial,” he explained.
Parra also underlined the demands of the team time trial discipline. “It’s always a very agonising, very tough specialty, because it’s about giving your maximum and, above all, the teammates’ technique matters a lot, riding in perfect sync.”
The Caja Rural rider revealed the tactic they had prepared for the final part of the course, saving Alex Molenaar for the last kilometre. “We know my teammate Alex Molenaar is faster over one kilometre, so we kept him a bit for that section because he’s our most explosive rider. The tactic worked just as we planned.”
Even so, he stressed that the key was to empty the tank. “I’m happy because we gave everything. When you give everything, you can’t ask for more.”
Caja Rural in action on the Stage 1 TTT at the 2026 Tour de France
Heat at the Tour start in Barcelona
Asked whether the time achieved was positive for the general classification, Parra preferred not to crunch numbers. “Today we focused on a good result in the stage with my teammate Alex (Molenaar). The GC is there, but at the Tour de France you have to go day by day, think about today and tomorrow. At the end of the race we’ll see where we are, but I don’t think beyond tomorrow.”
Finally, he also spoke about the high temperatures during the opener. “Yes, it’s very hot. It’s July, it’s summer, and it’s very hot, but it’s something I like, so I handled it well.”
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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