For Jofre Cullell, when he was planning for 2021, age was never a reason to shy away from the possibility of going to the Olympic Games. On the contrary, the sooner he went, the better: to live unrepeatable experiences and to measure himself on a stage where only the best go.
Curiously, his first Olympic memory is not of cycling: "I've always admired Usain Bolt a lot, I thought he was the best. I remember him already in London 2012, but especially in his last races in Rio de Janeiro. I have always loved athletics and he has always been at the top. When I saw him there on the track, with everyone cheering for him, I thought about the hard work that went behind him".
From cycling, images come to him of the race in which Marco Aurelio Fontana lost his saddle. "What a pity that José -Hermida- didn't catch him to get on the podium in London," he says. I also remember the Carlos -Coloma-'s bronze medal in Rio”.
For Jofre, the Olympic Games are the great event of the sport "but there's no need to get obsessed either. The race itself is similar to one of the World Cups that we are so used to run every year. It gives me some respect, yes, but you have to be brave, we are talking about a world event, very important also for the publicity of our sponsors, everyone will see us on TV.
He says the latter, knowing that there will be no public in the ditch: "It seems a bit decaffeinated, but it is what it is".
A quote that can change your life
Beyond the result, Jofre admits that "the influence they have is enormous, everything that happens there can mark our sporting career. I had proof of that when they announced my name in the national team, those days were crazy, with people calling and being interested in me".
Jofre was in the 2019 pre-Olympic. From then he knows the course "Very technical, hard and explosive. I don't know if anything will have changed, as I read that it was flooded the following year, but I remember it very uncomfortable."
He's going for it all, without even thinking about whether he'll have another chance in Paris in three years' time. "This goes step by step, but I have to take any opportunity that comes my way, without thinking about the future. We're talking about a one-day race, and anything can happen.
He has the same rivals that he has in the normal World Cup calendar, which he goes to with the Primaflor-Mondraker-X Willowthe team managed by Fran Perez that dresses Gobik since its beginningsHis clothes are a good ally, especially in the day to day, their pieces and second skin make you work very comfortable. It's as if you were not wearing anything".
They travel to Tokyo a week before the race, they will sleep in an accommodation near the circuit. Their date in Tokyo is Monday, July 26.
Photos Primaflor-Mondraker-X Willow
