PRESS CONFERENCE: “If there is one sport that dignifies collective work, it is cycling” - Andres Iniesta explains NSN project as Biniam Girmay targets Tour de France green

The 2026 Tour de France can already be felt in Barcelona. Just a few days before the peloton rolls out from the Catalan capital, NSN Cycling Team held a press conference featuring former footballer Andres Iniesta, one of the team’s owners, and the squad’s major sporting reference point, Biniam Girmay. CyclingUpToDate was present.

Iniesta, who joined the project as a shareholder a few months ago, explained how he is experiencing from the inside a discipline he has always been passionate about, and highlighted the values cycling shares with football. The man from La Mancha also spoke ahead of the start of the Grande Boucle about the growth of NSN Cycling Team, the preparation demanded by the sport and the Spanish national football team, while also giving his view on figures such as Lamine Yamal, Leo Messi and Kylian Mbappe.

Answer: “Special. I think it’s special for everyone. Because it’s Barcelona, because we are all involved in this wonderful project. There has been a lot of work, especially from the people in the team, from everyone involved in the team, and there is a lot of excitement, a lot of desire for the Tour de France to start, speaking as a fan. It is, so to speak, the most spectacular event, and having the chance to be part of it is brilliant.

“And since the whole team is here, I want to take the opportunity to wish them the best of luck. We will be supporting them throughout the whole race and, therefore, I hope everything goes as well as possible.”

A: “Some time ago I had the opportunity to get involved in this project. Cycling, as I said a few months ago, is something I grew up with from a young age, especially in the summer, watching the Tour de France during Indurain’s era. So being part of this project and being surrounded by these kinds of professionals is an incentive.

“Also, as a person, it allows me to keep learning. I think when you discover how a cycling team works, with everything measured down to the millimetre, with the professionalism they have and their way of working, it is fascinating.

“I love teamwork and, if there is one sport that dignifies collective work, it is cycling. Hopefully this project lasts for a long time. There are a lot of people working towards that, and we are here to support the riders so they can achieve their goals.”

A: “I think both sports are very similar, although cycling is even harder. Everything is decided by millimetres or seconds.

“I was really impressed when I was with the team at La Volta a Catalunya, sharing the bus and seeing how they prepare each stage and how they work during the race. Their way of working impressed me hugely.

“For me, it is a privilege to be part of this project and, on top of that, to keep learning from them, because I love sport, I love cycling and I love football.”

A: “I don’t know exactly. They are different sports, although they also have many similarities.

“From our side, we are trying to build the values of the team. I think that is what can make fans identify with us. Not everything revolves around money. I know money is important, but we are trying to create something special.”

A: “In every team, both in cycling and in football, everyone has their role. The important thing is collective work to achieve the objective, which in this case would be winning a stage or fighting for the green jersey.

“There are many players who could be compared, but I prefer not to name names.”

A: “The World Cup is very difficult. Any detail can punish you a lot. The group stage is one thing and the knockout rounds are something very different.

“For me, Spain remain one of the favourites because of the players they have and because of what they convey. I am very optimistic and hopefully we can increase the number of stars on the shirt.

“As for Lamine, I’m not going to reveal anything new. He is a very important player for the national team and a large part of the team’s future depends on what he is capable of doing to make the difference. But the really important thing is the group, because Spain have many decisive footballers at their clubs.”

A: “What has surprised me most is the preparation. The planning of each rider’s role, everything that can happen during a stage, the work with the sports director... Everything is calculated in detail.

“When you get to know this sport from the inside, it is fascinating, because from the outside you only see the riders, but not all the work and strategy behind it.

“As for the Spanish national team, I still think they have a group capable of aiming for the very top. Anything can happen afterwards, but I still have complete confidence in them.”

A: “So far, both Leo Messi and Mbappe have been the most decisive players because of the level they are showing.

“As for Spain, my perception does not change at all. They remain one of the favourites to win this World Cup.

“As for coaching Barca or the national team, that is still a long way off for me. I am beginning my training as a coach and I am not a manager yet. Time will put everyone in their place. Obviously my name will always be linked with Barca and the national team, but right now that possibility is still a long way off.”