Felipe Orts previews chances at European Cyclocross Championships: "The more rain and mud, the better"

Felipe Orts is the man of the moment in Spanish cycling. With the road season over, the Alicante native is the benchmark in cyclo-cross and his recent fifth place in a World Cup race has got the crowd excited.

In an interview with the colleagues of the newspaper AS, the still Burgos BH rider (he will ride from 2024 in the Forts Team) has spoken before facing the European Cyclocross Championships: "I know I'm fine and that you can fight for anything. The European is always a special race, because many favourites also lower their arms when they see that they are not going to win. So, we have to take advantage of the positive momentum we have and try to achieve the best possible result. Dreaming of the podium I think is a bit too much, just as on other occasions."

He believes that the rough and muddy conditions could be good for him if they happen at the elite race next Sunday, November 5 in Pontchâteau, France. "If the track gets really dangerous and hard, then, in those conditions, I do really well. Now it's going to rain, so in the shape I'm in, I think the harder and more complicated it gets, the better it's going to be for me. Hopefully it will rain as much as possible and make it a difficult race.

He believes that this is the moment when he has to give his all to achieve good results. "You also have to be realistic and know that I do not have much more room for progression right now. The level is already very high and yes that this season I have focused a little on looking for the maximum level in January, so now I have to be well, but not at 200%. The preparation should point to the fact that there is still one more step for important races at the end of the year".

About his team project, the Forts Team, he speaks with enthusiasm."We are getting the support we were asking for. That's the important thing, that the project is going to come out with enough guarantees. That is also motivation. To have these results and give visibility to the discipline, I think it is the best guarantee that everything that is betting on the Forts Team is going to have its repercussion. We are returning, before starting, the confidence that I have put in us."