Interview with the CANNONDALE TB champions: Silvia Roura, Marta Torà and Jordina Muntadas

Today, in this special for Women’s Day, we interview the members of the CANNONDALE TB team. They are Silvia Roura, Marta Torà Milà and Jordina Muntadas. Let’s see, in more detail, who they are before interviewing them:

CANNONDALE TB Champions

Silvia Roura

Silvia Roura has been a TwoNav ambassador for some time. The runner-up of the imposing Titan Desert 2021 has a great track record, among which we can highlight the most recent highlights of 2021:

-Catalan Cup – Scott Marathon Sant Joan de Mediona: 2nd classified elite.
-Mediterranean Epic: 12 ranked elite general.
-Gigante de Piedra Open de España xcm: 4th classified general elite.
-Andalusia Bike Race: 9th classified elite.
-Championship of Catalonia XCUM: 3rd classified elite.
-2nd classified in the Rioja Bike Race
-Winner of Colina Triste Uci
-Champion of Catalonia XCM elite
-2nd Classified Titan Desert Morocco, 27th overall and winner of the last 2 stages
-4th Classified in the Vuelta Ibiza in MTB
-3rd Classified in the Costa Blanca Bike Race UCI s2

Jordina Muntadas

Jordina Muntadas is another great athlete from the CANNONDALE TB team. His highlights of 2021 are:

-Open Gerona overall female elite champion
-International Catalan Cup 6th general elite 2021
-Cx champion catalunya 2021 and champion catalan cup of cx 2021
-5th female elite Catalan ranking 2021

Marta Torà

Runner-up of Catalonia XCM and XCUM in 2021, she also stands out for her victories during 2021.

-3rd position XCUM European Championship
-3rd Open Spain XCM
-10th Spain XCM Championship

Interview with the CANNONDALE TB champions

TwoNav – Silvia, Marta, Jordina, congratulations on the formation of the UCI Cross Country Marathon Team. It is the 2nd year in history that the Marathon teams will have their individual and team rankings with the change in regulations. This has been the reason for this ambitious union or was it already on your mind before?

Silvia Roura -Personally, I have been in the XCM world for many years and I wanted the time to come when they would separate us from XCO. She had also been the only girl on the team for many years and this year having 3 companions is a luxury.

Marta Torà – Well, it is always interesting to have our own ranking for the modality in which we compete and that the points we get are not a mixture of other disciplines. Indeed, thanks to the change in the regulations, we can be part of an exclusive marathon team.

Jordina Muntadas – The truth is that I am totally new to this world. Before it ran xco and cx. But I am very happy to be part of this super team, and very motivated to run long and stage races.

TN – As you know, today is Women’s Day and, although you fight for equality every day, have you found obstacles in the sports sector for being women?

MT – Personally, no, beyond the general lack of visibility of the female sector on social networks or television.

SR – Many. Since ever. It is becoming more egalitarian, but you always find something, from differences in economic prizes, in circuits, starting grids, etc.

JM – The truth is that I have always played sports and yes, for example, at first I played soccer and I had to change sports because there were no women’s teams in my area yet and I couldn’t play with the boys anymore. Later, over time, things have been changing for the better, although there is still a lot to do in many sports. The boys charge more than the girls to be and do the same, at the same level.

TN – Do you think that the media do not echo when the victory is for a woman or a women’s team?

MT – Absolutely yes, fewer people look at them, less money moves. Here the fish that bites its tail.

JM – Well yes. It is not justifiable but as there are usually more boys than girls, moving more masses and having more visibility with the boys, well this happens. As there are fewer girls, it is not unfairly given the same importance since, after all, they have earned the same.

SR – In general, yes. There’s always a lot more say in male hits than female ones.

TN – What do you think is the future of women in sports?

MT – There are more and more women, and with a higher level, so the base will widen and we will take a place in the world of sports in general, just as we have been doing for a few years.

SR – It is becoming more and more equal to that of men, and there are more and more women athletes, so I think that with the passage of time and the strength that we are gaining, one day we will be able to be at the same level.

JM – Hopeful. This issue is evolving more and more, and there are more and more women doing sports, and I think we have to move forward because we have the same rights as men, although there are not as many of us. It doesn’t have to mean anything. In the end, the effort to be world champions is the same. Although the grid is smaller, the title is the same, whether you are a man or a woman.

TN – Tell us a little about your training. You use Land and our GPS Cross, how does it help you in preparing for your races?

SR – TwoNav Land and Cross are essential especially when you train outside your usual zone. Preparing the routes in unknown lands having these two tools is ideal for the training to go perfectly. It also works very well to later analyze the data and all the graphs.

JM – The truth is that the TwoNav GPS works very well to follow the routes. It is very pleasant and easy to use. As for training statistics, I track my heart rate with the potentiometer and all of this works well for me to follow the training I want to do and then see how I am doing (if I am doing well, if I am tired, etc). It’s great.

MT – They help us navigate safely and train accurately at home, something very important in the daily life of a runner.

TN – Is it easy for you to combine your sporting facet with other roles?

MT – The truth is that no, I have had to reduce my work to be able to train as much as I need since, currently, it is impossible for me to make a living from cycling.

JM – It’s not easy, and I get it because I’m working part-time, otherwise everything I do would be impossible! I am also the mother of a daughter. I have everything very well organized and I have the support of my husband and my family. They all help me a lot so that I have enough time to train and rest. I’m very lucky. On the other hand, at work, they have made it easier for me to make changes, to be able to do the stage races that take up weekdays.

SR – I’ve been doing it all my life, so it’s already part of my day to day.

TN – We have been able to see you at the Costa Blanca Bike Race and at the Mediterranean Epic race. What projects can you tell us about?

JM – Well, now I’m already thinking about the next goals, facing them with great enthusiasm, doing it as well as I can, improving and giving the best of myself.

MT – Well, that’s where we started, to pick up the rhythm of the race and see how we all were. From there we have been modulating the rest of the season, we go month by month.

SR – Well, the year is very long, there are many races in mind and you have to analyze them well to have a good season.

TN – What would you recommend to our TwoNav followers? And specifically to the women who are reading us and want to become professionals like you?

MT – That they navigate, that they try new routes, that they squeeze the GPS device because it really is the best guide for our training.

SR – I recommend that you use the applications and get lost in the mountains with the GPS. And to the women who don’t stop fighting for what they want.

JM – That to have a motivation it is very important to have a guide, the Twonav, to record your goals and see how day by day you improve yourself and you see that if you can, it is not impossible. And with it, everything becomes more enjoyable and you have a record of everything you do, which is very important to keep yourself motivated and to achieve your goals. And on the other hand, organize yourself very well with work and family life to find even a little time, 30 minutes, then dedicate it to yourself, to get in shape, if it can be better, but what little you have you have to take advantage of -to the fullest, don’t let the short time be an excuse. With 20 minutes you can do a short but very intense workout, that’s better than nothing.
I hope this will serve to inspire you and start doing sports. You can always, it doesn’t have to be so serious, but you have to take care of yourself to have physical and mental health, it’s very important.

More about women in sports

Did you know that women, during ancient Greece, held their own Olympic Games? They were called the “Hereos Games” in honor of the goddess Hera and consisted of races divided into three age categories that were held every four years. Read the complete article!