Juan Camacho: “It’s very important to be regular and it’s something I’ll be working on next year”

In a squad with an average age under 22, Juan Camacho is one of the veterans. Since last July, the former Spanish time trial champion in the junior category and national runner-up in this sub23 discipline, is already installed in the 24 years. Within the Kometa Cycling Team, he is an expert. The cyclist from La Mancha and Diego Pablo Sevilla from Madrid will be the two veterans of the continental structure of the Alberto Contador Foundation. Both are present in the professional project from the first campaign, they already came from the lower categories promoted by the Foundation and in 2020, in what will be their third season they will face their third season.

Camacho, a slanted and stylish cyclist who on occasion has confessed his admiration for the Dutchman Tom Dumoulin, is a rider valued by his teammates and his directors. The 2019 campaign has not been easy. The course was soon twisted, but it ended the year with interesting performances. The turning point would come in the Spanish Championships, where he signed a double eleventh final place both in the time trial and in the route. In the Vuelta a Burgos he was one of the protagonists of the third stage. “He is one of those fundamental riders in any team because of the enormous work he does in each race, taking care of and protecting his leaders at all times. It is not always a visible task, not very mediatic and also it allows little shining in front of the outside, but fundamental in any structure. He is a great professional,” praised the director Jesus Hernández.

What balance do you make of this 2019 in the personal and in the collective?

Personally, I would have liked to have started a little stronger than I started and to have managed to be a little more regular throughout the year, despite the fact that I managed to finish the season with good sensations. Collectively, I think we managed to do a good job and work as a team, although we didn’t achieve as many victories as we did last year, we knew how to do a good season together.

What are the prospects for 2020?

I’m already working on the pre-season with a view to 2020, I’m looking forward to the next season with enthusiasm and confidence that it will be a good year for the team.

What has been the worst moment of 2019, perhaps the injury, the crash of Turkey?

Both moments were very inopportune, as they happened one after the other. I had to retire in the Vuelta a Murcia because of the injury and I tried to recover as soon as possible to be in Turkey (Tour of Antalya), which was the next competition. I had two crashes and one of them was quite strong in the final part of a sprint. This strong crash made me take a little respect; in the following races I was more stressed. A bad streak (smiles).

How do you evaluate the structure in these three years?

Doing what they are doing is not easy: from the junior category, through amateur, to the professional category, which is going for its third year. The truth is to thank and appreciate the work being done by Fran, Ivan, Alberto and all staff members who make this project possible.

Your best moment came in the Spanish Championships, perhaps you lacked more competition after where to exploit that form?

Yes, I prepared well the nationals and I had a good performance. But I don’t know if there was more competition after: after all, the competition is what there is and you have to know how to manage the calendar well. That’s why it’s so important to be regular and that’s something I’ll be working on next year.

Facing your third year in the professional squad, what do you think about the distribution of cycling in categories as it has been until now? Doesn’t it generate too many inequalities in competition?

If it is true that you notice the difference when you compete with WorldTour, they have a different rhythm and the races take place in a different way. But cycling is like that and you have to adapt by working hard and trying to learn when you compete with first-rate people.

Who surprised you most pleasantly because of their physical abilities, their mentality…?

Matteo Moschetti, because he made the difficult easy. Not only is he a good cyclist, he is very professional. He was a great companion from whom I learned a lot and made you motivated when you ran with him. I’m sure he’s going to be talked about in the next few years.

(automatic translation, sorry for mistakes)