By Tara Fogarty
The latest rider to join the UCI Continental team An Post Chain Reaction is 21-year-old Albert Muela Galvez, a Spaniard from Girona.
Galvez rode Le Tour de Savoie Mont Blanc (2.2) last week which was his first introduction to continental level racing and says he enjoyed the race immensely despite admitting that it was difficult. The Alpine race was an ideal debut for Galvez as he loves a mountainous parcours with lots of climbing and lots of suffering.
“I was grateful for the support of my team mates during the first stages of the race as I was a bit nervous,” he admits.
“I loved having the opportunity to ride such a demanding race and I want to prove to team manager Kurt Bogaerts and Sean Kelly that I’m deserving of the opportunity to join the team and by doing so I can convey my gratitude to them.
Galvez who joined the team in recent weeks says: “I hope to contribute as much as I can to the success of the squad and my ultimate goal is to make my passion my career and I aspire to have a long career in the professional peloton.”
His talent lies in climbing and he intends to develop that skill during the team’s competitive UCI Europe Tour calendar.
When asked how he feels about joining the UCI Continental squad, Galvez says: “I’m extremely excited to be a part of the team. I know I’m in an environment where I can learn and grow as a rider. Already, I feel welcome in the team environment amongst the staff and riders and I’m anxious to learn all I can from them.”
Galvez started cycling later than he would have liked. At the age of 16, he took up the sport having focused on soccer until that point.
“I began to enjoy cycling more than I had ever liked football,” he says. “My love of cycling began on a mountain bike until my dad bought me an Orbea bike from the team Euskaltel-Euskadi.”
His uncle was a mountain biker and raced in his youth and Galvez would travel with his uncle and neighbour by car to the small, nearby village of Caldes de Malavella, so that they could ride with the Sunday group.
When asked who inspires him most, Galvez is quick to commend former Orica GreenEdge rider Christian Meier.
“Christian gave unrelenting support of my previous team,” he says, “spending hours on end riding on the front of the bunch in order to serve the team.”
