Felipe Orts (Ridley Racing Team) said that he will never forget his performance to finish third at the 2026 World Cup in Benidorm.
Orts won his eighth consecutive Spanish national cyclo-cross title last weekend but had not finished on a World Cup podium since December 2024.
“It was unbelievable for me,” said Orts, who performed a wheelie and waved to the crowd as he crossed the finish line.
“Everyone kept asking if I would be on the podium, and I said that of course I was going to try, but that it was very difficult with the best riders in the world being here.
“To be on the podium with Thibau and Mathieu, the truth is that it is incredible. I think we will all remember this day forever.”
“I attacked in the correct moment,” added Orts. “I opened a small gap and Thibau (Nys) rode really fast with me. We worked together and finally on the last lap I was absolutely on the limit.
“We understood each other well and we knew that the first thing was to open a gap and then play out the sprint.
“I knew that Thibau would be very strong in the last lap, so I’m happy with third place.”
The importance of a podium finish for Orts was not lost on Nys, who added: “It’s his (Orts’) home race. It was the perfect moment for me to turn the throttle open, and he (Orts) was right there in front of me.
“I thought it was nice to take him with me, so he could enjoy riding in…
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