Óscar Sevilla, on his dark past: "Before Operation Puerto I earned more money, but I was not happier"

Oscar Sevilla has just won a UCI race in Hainan at the age of 47. His career is clearly divided into two parts, the first in Spain where a positive for doping made him have to stop, pack his bags and start a second adventure in the Americas. For years he has been competing in Colombia. In an exclusive interview with Relevo, Sevilla shared his thoughts on his career.

"I race out of passion, not out of necessity," Sevilla said. "In races, many rivals confess to me that I am a motivation for them. Others tell me who their father was and that I raced with him." Not surprisingly, second overall, Australian Sebastian Berwick, is 23 years younger than Sevilla. It illustrates the legacy and lasting influence Sevilla has had on the cycling world.

However, Sevilla's successes are shrouded in an eternal shadow of doubt. Despite his longevity in cycling and his continuous demonstrations of cleanliness in anti-doping tests, the accusations related to Operation Puerto, dating back 17 years, continue to haunt the cyclist from Ossa de Montiel.

In the face of these accusations, Sevilla has developed a new mindset over the years. "Before, when I read those kinds of comments, the vein in my neck would swell and I would go crazy," Sevilla admitted. "Now I laugh. It makes me laugh. I tell myself, I'm doing a good job. That person is happy because he's accusing me and telling me I'm competing like this or like that."

Sevilla stresses that he no longer has anything to prove to anyone and prefers to be spoken of out of envy rather than pity. "He who cheats has bread for today and hunger for tomorrow. I have 25 years of regularity in the elite, walking every season well, every year winning something, one thing or another. Always ahead, without ups and downs".

The cyclist, now based in Colombia, is at peace with his career and his current life. "I was making a lot more money before Operation Puerto than I am now," he warns. "But I wasn't happier." In Bogotá, Sevilla has found a life that fills him with happiness. "I wouldn't trade myself for anyone."

Oscar Sevilla, with his ageless youth and a career full of ups and downs, defines himself as a "weirdo" in the cycling world. Instead of looking back and lamenting his past, Sevilla embraces his present and future with enthusiasm. "The body responds to me, I maintain the mental capacity to be disciplined and I feel the illusion alive," Sevilla concluded. "In the end, everyone chooses how long they want to be here and I really enjoy what I do. I am at my best. No pressure, no stress, not looking for a contract. I feel privileged and I feel that my victory [in China] is another example that if you want things, you can get them."

Article written by Juan Larra.