Raúl García Pierna (Tres Cantos, Madrid, 20 years old) is one of the hopes that illuminate the future of Spanish cycling. The Madrid-born from Kern Pharma has known in his first season as a professional how to run on the World Tour, that “diabolical rhythm” of the great tests, such as the Itzulia, and now in 2022 he hopes to take a step forward and learn to pursue his big dreams, among them “to soon be among the greats.”
García Pierna has had the honor of premiering the UCI Pro Team category with Kern Pharma in a course full of competitions that has alternated with appearances with the national team in World Cups and Europeans. Among his first memories of the season, the requirement of the Itzulia-Vuelta al País Vasco, where the pace of the World Tour cyclists “is already something else.”
“It has been a hard year, adapting to professionalism is difficult because it represents a big change. What surprised me the most was the speed at which it was filmed. At first it is a ‘shock’, it is very difficult for you to keep up. In Itzulia, the people went to the top, the race is a mousetrap, with constant ups and downs, it seems that you will not be able to continue the march, but in the end you get used to it. I suffered a lot, the truth, “recalls García Pierna of his baptism of fire on the World Tour.
With the jersey of the Spanish team, García Pierna qualified 16th in the U23 World Cup and sixth in the European Championship, and on the continental route he ranked 13th. He was champion of Spain against the clock in 2020.
On the track he also stood out as a youth, being third in the European scratch and in the Bronze World Cup for points. In sub’23 third in the European in elimination and fourth in omnium.
Son of the former professional cyclist Felix García Casas, the Kern Pharma runner specifies that “being a cyclist” tIt also comes from his mother’s family, since his uncle and grandfather were cyclists.
He began to compete as a juvenile at 12 years old, with a second place in BTT. He still did not know that he was going to be a cyclist, something that he already knew at the age of 18 in youth, when competing abroad he saw that he had conditions for cycling.
“I do not regret having chosen to be a cycling professional, it is what I like And having this opportunity is a dream that comes true, “he says emphatically.
“I hope to become among the greats”
García Pierna, who has just concentrated with the U23 team in Alicante, sees the evolution of young talents “as something normal” who are conquering world cycling in recent seasons, standing out with 20 years at the highest level, such as the cases of the Slovenian Pogacar, double winner of the Tour de France or the Belgian Remco Evenepoel.
“With the training systems that exist now, development comes earlier, things are done better and the evolution of the runner is advanced. The results of Pogacar, Bernal or Evenepoel do not surprise me. In the first year of sub’23, if you are good, you are with the best “-
That is precisely one of the objectives of the Madrid cyclist, to be with the greats, something within the reach of a runner who performs on all terrains, especially against the clock.
“I hope to be one day among the greats. If I’m in shape I think I’m a good climber, I go well against the clock. and I defend myself on the plain, I consider myself a complete cyclist “.
One of Raúl García Pierna’s doubts is knowing how far he can go “on long climbs“, something that he will discover” as he goes racing “.
“Ayuso and Carlos Rodríguez fly”
Speaking of the new batch of young Spanish cyclists, García Pierna refers to those that the national coach Pascual Momparler considers “two super craks”: Juan Ayuso and Carlos Rodríguez.
“Ayuso and Carlos fly, they are the ones who walk the most and you have to be patient with them. They are different, they have a very high quality. The first one won the Giro sub’23 and Rodríguez was second in the Tour del Porvenir, the two most important races. I’m optimistic for the future, things will turn out well between them. “
In the personal aspect, García Leg is “very happy at Kern Pharma,” where we have a very good group and things are done well, step by step “.
Like any runner, the aspiration of the Tres Cantos cyclist is to race in a World teamAnd, set to dream big, he points to the rainbow as his supreme ambition.
“If it’s by dreaming, I’ll take the World Cup. It’s a different race. The Best wins on the Tour, but the World Cup is a one-day test and there are more options for someone to surprise, a more open race, although of course a good runner always wins. “
For 2022, García Pierna hopes to debut in one of the greats, although for this his team must obtain one of the invitations de la Vuelta for the next edition. “I would like to go, it is the home race, if we do it well it is possible.”
In the rest of the objectives for the next season, the Kern Pharma cyclist’s agenda houses the appointments of the Spanish Time Trial Championship in its category, the World Cup and the European Championship, but above all, “take a step forward as a cyclist”.
In his facet of adventurer, García Pierna met a few months ago with a picturesque challenge that allowed him to live “an unparalleled freedom” covering the 874 km route that separates the Puerta del Sol in Madrid from Cabo de Creus on a gravel bike. A trip divided into five stages that began on Wednesday, November 17 at 10:00 a.m. and ended on Sunday, November 21 at 6:00 p.m., at dusk.
“I wanted to do something like that, Miguel Silvestre offered it to me and I accepted to enjoy a different week, to enjoy.”I like to train alone and five days on my own was very good for me, they have plenty of time to think about your things, you feel free …. “.