M. Angel Ballesteros: “I would do the Way of Saint James again”

Miguel Ángel Ballesteros is already one of the veterans of the team with only 20 years, because he faces his fourth season in the Alberto Contador Foundation. The Murcian knows very well the way of working in the team, but in spite of it also has been surprised by the stage chosen for the last ‘building camp’. He is a good example of what the Way of St. James has meant for the riders, in this case, for the members of the Polartec Under-23, which will bear much of the responsibility for the year 2017.

Ballesteros finished the Way of St. James happy, first of all “because I have reached the end without a blister on my feet. I can say that the boots that Polartec has given to us are great, just like all the material we have taken”. And also “because it has been a beautiful experience, we have seen some fantastic landscapes to which I am not used to, because I’m from the South, from Alcantarilla. I loved this track”.

Miguel Ángel Ballesteros says he was surprised by the harshness of the four days of walk. “I thought they were not going to be so hard, I hoped we would do less kilometers and now I see that the people who make the complete Way have much merit. Also, I really liked the hostels where we slept. They are very good”, he says.

Another of the things that he has liked about the experience is the opportunity to get to know the rest of the team, his teammates. “By doing so many hours walking, we have had time to meet the new riders, the sports directors and everyone. Being able to talk to each other has made the way more enjoyable. This camp is the one that has been the longest to interact and also, where we had most time of exercise”.

Ballesteros believes that difficult moments have also had their good side. “Suffering has also given us the opportunity to know each other better”, he says, referring to times when things got a little more complicated and the effort was greater. Something that, on the other hand, served them all to think about what they would ask Santiago when they arrived at the Cathedral. The Obradoiro Square, he says, “struck me. And when I hugged the Saint, I asked for much health for my family and me. Having that, everything else is fine”.

Including the Compostela, which made him excited to get. “I have not framed it yet, but I’m going to put it in my room. Since we started I also put all the stamps at the places we went through and I’ve been very excited. I think I would do the Camino again, I would like to do it by mountain bike”.

(Automatic translation. Forgive inaccuracies).