Cycling
Movistar, involved in the fight for UCI points to maintain the category, does not allow the Murcian to leave with the national team
Spain is looking for cyclists for the World Cup, which will be held in Wollongong (Australia) on September 25. Pascual Momparler, the coach, does not stop running into closed doors in the teams that are fighting at this end of the season for UCI points, either to avoid relegation from the World Tour, such as Movistar and Cofidis, or to fight to be the first in that classification, like the Ineos. That prevents the coach from having, for example, Alejandro Valverde and Aranburu (Movistar), Ion Izagirre and Jesús Herrada (Cofidis) and Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos). These three squads do not give up their riders for the world championship.
The squad list is always published during the Vuelta. Momparler fails to fill in the gaps. Neither will Pello Bilbao, who will close his season after the classics in Canada and who was not selected for the Olympic Games when he deserved a place. Mikel Landa and Luis León Sánchez from Muleño have also had a very busy campaign. Thus, Juan Ayuso and Marc Soler, both from the UAE, will be the leaders. To complete the selection you will have to “look for young people with a desire to work.”
The relegation system by points obtained in the races has generated a paradoxical situation for the World Cup. “Teams don’t want to give up cyclists because their rider may work on the selection for a teammate from another team involved in the fight for those points. In the end, he still works to save another. And they see that as unfair,” Momparler explained. The coach even considered resigning from the World Cup and sanctioning those who refuse to be summoned. But he will not take any action. Movistar and Cofidis are two of the pillars of the team.
Momparler sees many gaps in the points model imposed by the International Cycling Union (UCI). «He has exploded in his hands. How do you explain that Valverde and other figures are not going? The best have to go to the World Cup », he complained. Thus, Valverde, champion in 2018, will not say goodbye in style to the World Cups en route.
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