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One of Portugal’s most promising cyclists talks about the ‘revolution’ that took place in his career last year
Afonso Eulálio feels like “a little boy”, but he is already one of the most promising Portuguese cyclists, still adapting to the “revolution” that took place in his career last year and which attracted the attention even across borders.
A year after being called up at the last minute for the Tour of Portugal, to replace Luís Mendonça in the Glassdrive-Q8-Anicolor block, the young man who spent so many hours at the front of the peloton working for the final triumph of Mauricio Moreira appears in the 84 .ª Volta a Portugal as one of the cyclists to watch until August 20.
“The season has already been long, we have already arrived here with many races. At the start of the year, I wasn’t quite used to it. I come here with the same objective as last year, which is to help my team, and to be one of António Carvalho’s main right-hand men and to see what we can do.” he listed, in an interview with the Lusa agency.
There is, however, a small nuance in the mission of the cyclist from Figueira da Foz, who last year was on the Tour just to work – “my objective was just to control the race and then rest for the next day” – and, in this issue, will try to “do something funny”.
Afonso Eulálio is still surprised by the (deserved) curiosity he arouses, after a season that has revolutionized his status in the peloton, due to the results he had both in the service of ABTF-Feirense, in namely fifth place in the Clássica de Ordizia (in Spain) and sixth overall in the Joaquim Agostinho Trophy, or with the colors of the national team, for which he placed seventh in the Corrida da Paz, the prestigious Cup of Nations under 23, reaching the best position in the history of Portugal.
“I didn’t know I was going to race for the national team too, I have to thank the national team [José Poeira] for calling me and giving me this opportunity in my last year under 23. Things went well, I got on the podium one stage and I took an overall place in some races, and I think I had a good projection.
The performance in the national colors almost earned him a passport for the World Cups in Glasgow and also for the Tour de France du Futur (August 20 to 27), but the coincidence of the dates with the Tour of Portugal prevented him from Make a dream come true.
“The World Cup and the Tour de France of the future are important races that I would like to do. It was my last year as an under-23 and it was my last chance to be there, but I am in the Tour of Portugal and my head is now here”, he assured.
The very sympathetic and embarrassed Eulálio is pissed when asked about his feelings regarding the absence of the Tour de L’Avenir, but says he is not disappointed, although he assumes that “of course” he would like to participate in the race. “If you ask any cyclist under the age of 23, everyone would like to be there…”, he argued.
Ahead of the 84th Tour of Portugal, which started on Wednesday, in Viseu, and ends on August 20, in Viana do Castelo, ABTF-Feirense director Joaquim Andrade revealed to Lusa that the Figueirense man is followed by international teams, but today the young man preferred not to open the game: “There is not much to say. It’s just to continue doing my job and what can happen will happen”.
“I did a great job, I evolved a lot. I’m a very young cyclist, I ended up getting into cycling very late and I think that’s why I’m also starting to evolve now and to stand out a little later”, it is estimated.
Eulálio only tried road cycling at the age of 17, after starting his adventure in the sport in BTT, and “soon” became a professional cyclist in the Santa Maria da Feira team, in 2019 , in a “very rapid” evolution which has also been affected by the covid-19 pandemic.
“I am still a boy. I consider myself a boy and we will see what I am capable of. Nobody knows the future”, he revealed, not hiding that it would be “a dream” to reach the World Tour. .
National Under-23 long-distance champion last year, the ABTF-Feirense kid is still adjusting to the abrupt transition he went through, namely to the position of leader.
“I like being a working cyclist more, that’s the truth. But of course, if I get to the end and do a good place, or if I win… I would like to give a victory to the team for believing in me. But no, I feel under pressure. If it comes out, it will come out,” he concluded.
AMG // RV
Lusa/End
By Lusa
