FAREWELL TRIALS!

Little did I know back in 2002, when I started riding trials with 9 years old, that this sport would took me so far and would teach me and show me that much. It started as a “something to do” on weekends and ended up shaping my life.

I learned a lot from trials and made me who I am today. I lived countless experiences that I would never thought I did, met a lot of cool and strange people and I even inspired someone to start riding trials that I eventually met.

I thought that the day I decided stop riding trials would be a sad day but I realise I took everything I could from trials and I don’t regret anything I did, instead, I am super grateful of what I lived and super aware that I close a stage of my life when I feel I have to do it.

Anyway, I will keep riding bikes and travelling around and pushing my personal project ApperStudio. More and new exciting adventures are coming, so stay tuned.

Here is a little of storyline of my relationship with trials, thank you mom for these amazing and cool pictures!! Love you!! 😀

2002 – 2007

I don’t have great memory but I remember having really good times at competitions, some cries and deceptions too, but it helped me to learn that if you want something you have to work for it.

Also we had really nice trips with the whole family with the VW California. We took it everywhere, and at that point, competitions were only an excuse to travel and see the world. Which I have to thank to my parents that had this idea for me and my brother.

BELOW:

My last UCI Trials World Youth Games with 15 years in 2008 in Charleroi (Belgium) – I did 10th position, too many mistakes!

2008 – 2011 | CTER

The summer of 2008 it was my last year of the UCI Trials World Youth Games and I ended up 10th.

Mid 2008 trials got a little bit serious, the Catalan federation call me to invite me to be part of CTER, a high performance center in Ripoll. It was not only a huge step for me because it meant I was leaving home for the weeks days to live there. Now, whenever it comes to a conversation, I remember it like 3 years in a summer camp, training and living with my friends.

I still don’t know how we all passed the school really. We not only had the best time of our lives but we learned, we grew up, we met new people… and we were only 15 the first year we went there. After that, I went back to my home to start college in Barcelona.

2008 was my first World Cup ever and from then I started travelling around for the international competitions.

ABOVE

First Line: my first year in CTER with Andreu Miró, Rafa Tibau, Miquel Vendrell, Joan Figueras and Eloi Paré

Second and third line: My last competitions as a junior: 2011 European Championships (6th position) and 2011 World Championships (7th position)

BELOW:

My firsts World Cups and some national competitions with the Catalan Team

2011 – 2015 | KABRA BIKES

2011 was my last year as a Junior and I was called by the Spanish Team coach to be part of the national team for the Europeans in Biella (ITA) and the Worlds in Switzerland (yes, where Danny Hart blew everyones mind with his win, I was there).

2011 was also the year I got my first contract with a brand. Juanda de la Peña approached me because he wanted me in his team. I was honoured and it gave me a push of motivation; somebody wanted me to represent them.

From 2011 to 2015 I was training as much as I could while studying in college.

2016 – 2017 | INPULSE BIKES

The Inpulse era! I remember that I really loved Inpulse bikes and when Cedric Fontenoy told me I was in the team I couldn’t be more happy! I remember checking every 2 minutes the tracking website of the first bikes I got! In 2016 I entered my first final ever in a UCI Trials World Cup, in Albertville, I checked that box in my bucket list, it was really something.

Also I remember I was too nervous and I couldn’t rode as I wanted but the feeling was indescribable. The bummer of the season was not to be called by the Spanish Coach for the worlds… But it gave me drive for next season. 2017.

The first World Cup of the season was in Belgium, Aalter and I made it to the finals, but I was scared “af”. There was a huge kicker in section 2 and I never did a kicker before, but I though I would try and give a show to everyone. A few years later people still reminded me that “almost backflip” I did and not hurt miraculously. After that I put kickers in my trainings. That year I learned a lot of things technically speaking.

VIDEO RECAP OF 2017 SEASON BEST MOVES

2018 | SCORPIO

I started the year in Taipei, Taiwan, I had been there for 3 months and I was leaving in March. I was there to finish my bachelor’s degree in Architectural technology and building construction. Thanks to being there I met Frank and Anita (Scorpio owners) and, after a couple of meetings, we closed an agreement.

It was really difficult to train because there were no spots, so when I came back I remember it was hell. I went to train and I felt I had lost almost everything. But I pushed and eventually I got back my level and felt strong again.

Even more than before and the result was a 4th place in the fist World Cup of the season and the bronze medal in the Europeans World Championship. That was unbelievable. The Spanish team didn’t got a medal in 26” category for more than 15 years. I was flying. Also I did a 7th place at the Worlds. Best for me ever.

VLOG OF THE MEDAL AT THE EUROPEANS

2019 | PRIVATEER

Now, looking back in time I can say it was a difficult year. 2018 I got the best results of my life and this year I wanted more. The thing is that I put too much pressure on me and that made me do bad results. I was not happy and I didn’t realise at that time and I struggled all the year.

The only happy moment (trials competition wise) was when I won the C1 in Vic, where all the “frenchies” came and it was a really awesome win! After that it was bad result after bad result. I needed some time after season to be back, mentally.

2020 – 2021 | CLEAN TRIALS

After some talks with Abel, I entered the Clean Trials team, for me the best brand of the world. They are pushing the technology to have better bikes to be able to create better riders. Plus I got my first carbon trials bikes. She was really beautiful!!

Then covid came, and we didn’t had calendar because all the international competitions got cancelled, even the World Championships, so, in May I decided that I wouldn’t compete that year. I love to compete but I need a goal, and that year it was impossible to set it up so I hadn’t the motivation to train for “nothing” and I trained a lot but in the gym, with the road bike, the mtb and I really had fun.

In 2021 we got cancelled some competitions but we had the World Championships in Vic, and that motivate me, so I got back to hard trainings but with a different vision. I didn’t wanted to be it like 2019, so I tried to have fun all the time I was with the trials bike. Of course I had to do boring trainings in the gym and suffer on the road bike, but that was part of the game.

I am really happy I could change my mindset in competitions, this make me ride happier and I could take the most out of my level, which always had been a problem for me. I ended up 10th at the World Championships, which was really great, considering level of the riders. More important though, I had fun and that was a really nice feeling to have back in a competition.