Rubén Fernández enjoys the crowds at Tour of Guangxi: "The most striking thing about China for me is the passion of the fans, they are very involved"

Rubén Fernández is currently riding the Tour of Guangxi, but took the time for an interview with the Spanish sports newspaper Marca before the first stage. In this interview he indicates, among other things, that we are currently in the best time in cycling history. He mentions Wout van Aert as the person he is most impressed by.

The Cofidis rider is full of praise for the Belgian. "He performs in all areas, which is not usual. You usually only see a classics specialist in the classics, but he also does it in the time trials and the mountains." When asked whether we are currently in the best period of cycling, the Spaniard is clear. "Yes, that's true. There are of course different periods. For example, you used to have riders like Chris Froome and Nairo Quintana, now you have the riders from Jumbo-Visma."

While it is all roses for the Dutch team, the same cannot be said about Fernández's team and the Spanish teams. "It's very difficult nowadays because there are a lot of great riders. At the moment it is difficult to get on the podium in a grand tour when Jumbo-Visma or UAE Team Emirates also have great teams. But we keep fighting and that's the most important thing."

Finally, the 32-year-old rider from Cofidis indicates what he expects from the Tour of Guangxi and what strikes him most about China so far. "We came to the end of the season with a good feeling, despite the ups and downs. I had a crash and then rode in the Vuelta. We'll see how things go here. The most striking thing about China for me is the passion of the fans, they are very involved."