Aleix Espargaró has begun a new sporting stage in his life. After 20 years as a MotoGP professional in the World Championship, the still rider will combine his role as a tester with his new job as a cyclist for Lidl-Trek, one of the main UCI World Tour teams.
They have to see what kind of cyclist I am and help young people. “I’m not very eager to see what I’m going to do, there will be time.”
The man from Granollers, who has signed for one year with the American structure, commented in a press conference from Andorra that his intention is to run gravel and mountain bike events, and his dream is to run road races.
Aleix Espargaró, dressed in the colors of his new team
“I will do gravel and mountain bike races at the beginning of the year, which is what I like. My dream is to do road tests, but it’s too early to talk about this. Now I will spend three months until February accumulating kilometers and many hours of training, and from February we will see,” commented the former Aprilia rider, who has participated in a 33-hour training camp with the best climbers of the American team.
Regarding his role in the team, first of all Espargaró will be an ambassador. “My figure enters the scene to help give visibility to this sport,” he said. But, of course, he will also run, although his role has to be defined.
“I’m a crazy person, a cycling romantic, I would like to do a race, but the calendar is very big and extensive.”
“I am not going to take away the place of any young person (from the Lidl-Trek youth structure). I have never been able to train more than two weeks in a row. Now I have two weeks with 60 hours. I am a crazy person, a cycling romantic, I would like to do a race, but the calendar is very big and extensive. They have to see what kind of cyclist I am and help young people. I’m not very eager to see what I’m going to do, there will be time. In this training camp many cyclists on the team did not know their sports calendar, so imagine me.”
Pilot and cyclist at the same time
The 35-year-old from Granollers will combine his two facets: “I still feel like a pilot, I will be able to do both things”
Aleix Espargaró, 35 years old, will combine his two facets, as a MotoGP rider and as a cyclist in the Lidl-Trek.
“I will be able to combine it with motorcycle tests. The magic is being able to do it. It is something very beautiful. I’m looking forward to getting back on the Honda, I still feel like a rider. I will have very little activity as a tester, one test a month. I will be able to combine it well,” stated the man from Granollers.
Although his role in the team has yet to be defined, Aleix is ruled out to participate in the grand tours and classics of the international calendar.
”I retired from motorcycles to rest and to get away from risk, not to be a cyclist. It has been a spectacular gift from God to join this team. I’m not up to racing a grand tour, a Tour, but I am very professional, I have done many physical tests, in the laboratory, in the field, outside, and I have learned a lot. My role is what it is. “I’m enjoying it a lot,” said Aleix, who confessed that he had decided that he would leave the MotoGP World Championship at the Austin race. ”And before the Tour I started talking to the Lid-Trek board.”
His arrival to the American cycling team has been somewhat abrupt, due to the announcement of Lidl-Trek, but Aleix’s affable character has softened the landing. “The team took a while to announce the signing, it was a little difficult for me, but I am open and talkative. Everyone asked me and asked for photos. They told me I was crazy. The second day they saw that I had not come just to take photos, but that I was adapting perfectly. I have respected all the great figures of the team, I have trained with everyone every day. We ate together and we had a great time. They ask me about my sport, they are all superbikers.”
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