VIDEO INTERVIEW: Felipe Orts settles for brave silver at European Championship 2024 - "In the end Thibau was stronger"
CyclocrossThe 2024 European Championships have been very memorable for the sport in Spain. Felipe Orts, in Pontevedra, took a brilliant runner-up finish achieving a historic result for the country. In an exclusive interview with our colleague Rubén Silva, the 29-year-old rider talks about it right after the race.
Orts has granted our Spanish sister channel Ciclismoaldia an interview after finishing 2nd in the elite men's race, a result that almost no expert expected. In front of his home crowd, the Spaniard fought until the end for a victory that ended up being taken by Thibau Nys.
Q: What a career! What do you think of your performance?
A: "The truth is that it has been a great race. I felt very good. I came to fight for everything, and I did. There were moments when I thought I could even fight for the gold. But in the end Thibau was stronger. In the last lap I was very, very tired, and the truth is that I was quite afraid of making a mistake. On the planks he took a few seconds off me, which was already insurmountable. So I think the result is more than satisfactory".
Q: When Thibau Nys attacked and you were the only one who responded, what did you feel at that moment?
A: "I was going pretty much to the limit. The truth is that to maintain that small advantage of 5-10 seconds I had to risk a lot. I was touching practically all the fences. And well, I had that constant uncertainty of knowing that at any moment I could lose the race. That's why winning the silver is a great joy".
Q: What will be your next big goal?
A: "Now I want to enjoy a little bit of this, rest a little bit because the beginning of the season has been intense. And then think about the start of the World Cup and Christmas, which is the next period in which we have to be in good shape."
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Thanks Dadmobk22-12-2024
- Hard to believe with the advancment of modern medicine he can not find a cause for this.frieders321-12-2024
- You continue to platform these two cheats. With that in mind I can no longer use your site. I know my leaving means little, but, sometimes you have to take a stand. See ya!DJ21-12-2024
- Look at what Froome’s won since his last TdF, stop denying there is still more than possible one outcome to the future.Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- Bruyneel understands nothing about clean competition.Sweep21-12-2024
- Exactly. Remco won 3 WT races/stages last year compared to Pogocar's 19. Remco's single stage win in last years TdF earned him a meager 12 seconds over Pogocar who shellac'd him by 9 minutes in GC.Sweep21-12-2024
- Fortunately and as you point out, more than one strategy is possible and worth trying and I’m sure all concerned riders are well informed and counselled on this subject and don’t need such basic personal advice through media from an outsider.Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- The main SPOTY award is "decided" by public vote but the BBC "expert panel" decide who you can choose from, that choice has an equal split of genders and is focussed on the sports BBC show and a disabled athlete. Oh yea the ubiquitous "Pub Games" candidate there too, Darts and Snooker are not sports. The other awards are decided by the "Expert Panel" again it's about the sports BBC show, cycling has had it. Cav got his for his years and achievements in the sport, not just that 35th TDF win. Unless the BBC get access to Pro Cycling it will never feature "adequately" on SPOTYslappers6621-12-2024
- Ahhh..... you have to understand the "strange" diversity concepts of the BBCslappers6621-12-2024
- Avoiding him is a good strategy, you get more wins and then you can compete in the TDF relatively relaxed. Pit yourself against Pogi and not only there will be no wins, it will be considerable mental setbackabstractengineer21-12-2024