«I am a cyclist because of the influence he had Miguel Indurain in my family. My father followed him a lot when he won the Tour and other races. He wanted my older brothers to try the bike. “He instilled that love of cycling in all of us.” Paula Ohiz (Pamplona, 2007), the gold junior, recognizes that she could not have had a more appropriate reference than her countryman. «Miguel is a sweetheart, a very simple person, very close. I know him, and you couldn’t be better, he is always very attentive,” explains the cyclist who is now exhausting, in Italy, the last phase of an exceptional season and who will not return to the San Jorge neighborhood of Pamplona until October 16.
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Pogacar makes history with its fifth straight victory in Lombardy
Pogacar makes history with its fifth straight victory in Lombardy
In the last three weeks, Paula Ostiz has set unparalleled goals. In 10 days he won four medals (three gold and one silver) in the road and time trial events of the World Cup and the European Championship. The never seen. Some exhibitions that confirmed the progression of previous courses. In 2023 she was Spanish time trial and road champion in the cadet category, in 2024 she won the same titles in junior. In September of that year she became European junior time trial champion and world runner-up on the road.
Paula, a model of versatility, points out that the secret of her success is confidence and ambition: «I always go out to win. I’m used to being, almost always, the favorite, but that doesn’t cause me pressure. I get inspired and motivated by watching videos of tops, Nadal y Alcarazsome great champions.
That ability to always be on alert is admired by Jorge Sanzresponsible for the Movistar women’s team, who signed the Navarrese last year. «Paula is, above all, very professional at work, determined and super focused on what she wants. He has a shark mentalityalways thinking big. If her body and her progression support her, she will probably be a very important runner, but everything has to go hand in hand. We will see where he progresses and what his strengths and possible weaknesses are.
Don’t waste time
Pascual GemSpanish coach, affirms that Paula stands out for her tenacity, capacity for sacrifice and self-confidence: «She is very talented and very ambitious. She doesn’t care about competing, she just wants to win. He says he doesn’t run to waste time. Only gold is worth it. She puts the pressure on herself. She is a very complete runner, with ease for the route and the time trial. It’s also fast.”
Pascual maintains that Paula’s future is splendid but that she needs to adapt to the demands of racing in the elite with Movistar: «We have known her since she was a cadet. She knows what it means to make the jump from junior. She is used to being a leader and now she will have to work for other colleaguesmany times he won’t even finish the races. You have to prepare her so that she does not get frustrated, prepare her as an athlete and as a person, so that she knows how to overcome difficulties and unforeseen events. We explain to her that not only the results are worth it, she should maintain confidence in herself.
Paula agrees with the coach’s assessment: «I have noticed the jump to professionals, especially in the distances, because they go from running 70 kilometers to 130. From the age of 90 you already suffer from fatigue. “They advise me to dose myself, not to overdo it by following the best.”
The Navarrese says that she has a special memory of the gold medal on the Kigali World Cup route. «I worked very hard to get the victory. “I withstood the pressure very well,” explains a girl who is very attached to her family. When she was a child she played with the trophies of her older brothers, who were dedicated to cycling, she wanted to be like them and she went to see them race. Raúlthe middleweight was a runner for the Navarra Finisher until last season, when he was hampered by injuries, now he is preparing Transport and Logistics; Toni, The oldest is a regional police officer.
The double European champion, who is studying a degree in Health Emergencies, maintains that her environment is crucial for her performance: «They tell me that mentally I am very mature, that I look over 18 years old. All of this is due to the education received from my family. My mother has been fundamental For my brother and me, he has always instilled positive things in us, nothing negative. I have learned that you also learn from adverse situations. “When things go wrong is when you see who is really worth it.”
Paula Ostiz has also been advised by Joane Somarribathe best Spanish cyclist in history, and by the Movistar technicians. «They tell me to go step by step, without missing deadlines. “Let him be calm, because sometimes I will be up and other times down.” She also knows that the responsibility of raising Spanish women’s cycling and being the great heir of Somarriba and Dori Ruano. “We all have to fight so that girls have more visibility,” claims the new jewel.