Pablo Uría: “I would like to win one of those long stages, with several mountain climbs”

In the Uría family, cycling is not a trivial matter. Pablo, who will join the U23 structure of the Contador Foundation in 2022, is the latest member of a clan that is very active in the world of bicycles.

His uncle José Manuel, much better known in the world as Coque, was a professional rider during the 90s of the 20th century and wore the colours of teams such as Clas-Cajastur, MX-Onda, Estepona, Amica Chips, Kelme-Costa Blanca or the Italian Polti. His father also competed, although he did not reach the professional level. “My father’s family consisted of three brothers and only the youngest did not compete,” he explains.

It was his own uncle Coque who gave young Pablo his first experience of competition. It happened in Gijón, it happened on a mountain bike and it took place in a race that his relative had set up. “I was seven or eight years old. My uncle organised a race in a park and I wanted to try it. It was my first participation in such a race. I finished second, but I didn’t compete again that year”, he recalls.

The following year, Uría joined the Las Mestas Cycling Academy. “And until today”, he smiles. Campaign after campaign, he went through stages and promoted between categories. “From infants to cadets, I moved to MMR, where I was also in the youth category. Then I changed categories with Gomur, where I’ve been for the last two years. In the early years we did mountain biking, track and road races in the villages. That was just going to race and that was it, you didn’t have to train or anything. It was like a game”, he recalls.

The cyclist from Gijón is a quiet guy: “I like to go fishing some afternoons, I enjoy spending time with friends. I’m not much of a footballer, lately I’ve been playing a bit more paddle tennis and, above all, I like to go kicking in the mountains”. Ramón Fernández, another of the team’s signings for the 2022 campaign, is a friend and a regular training partner: “We go out a lot, we meet halfway and then we go to look for the interior”.

Asked about his sporting dreams, Uría comments: “I’d like to win one of those long stages, with several mountain climbs…”. The La Colladiella and La Colladona are two of his favourite climbs.