In a place in La Mancha whose name I don’t want to remember… a cyclist was born with the face of a child who has won stages in four different decades. At 44 years old, Oscar Sevilla has just achieved a Top 10 in the Tour of Rwanda and is still active and has plenty of fight left in him. With the kindness and closeness that characterises him, this week he has chatted with us.
You have just finished two Top 10 overall in the Tour of Rwanda and the Vuelta a Colombia. What is the secret to riding so well and so fast at 44 years of age?
That’s right, I just came from racing the Tour of Rwanda, a very nice race that in addition to offering me a learning experience at the sporting level, has also done so culturally. It is a race that I wanted to run and that I really enjoyed. I am also happy to have achieved a good position, a TOP 10 in a race with high-level cyclists, so, on that note, I am very satisfied.
It’s a race very similar to Belgium because of the terrain, the steep slopes, the pavé? And the truth is, I’m very happy both for my personal result, I was a bit worried because of the injury of the Vuelta a Colombia, and for the team who did a great race.
And well, regarding the performance I get at my age, it is mainly due to the enthusiam that I put into it, to a high level of sacrifice and discipline. It’s true that you get older, but I still have the same enthusiasm as when I started.
Oscar, what type of training do you use BKOOL for? Do you focus specifically on any type of training session?
Honestly, I take advantage of the variety that BKOOL offers. In my workouts at BKOOL you can say that there is a bit of everything. There are days when I try to have fun and maybe I choose a softer route with friends and besides having fun, I obviously train, because I push myself. On other occasions, I use it for more specific workouts, such as time trials, uphill work, etc.
The truth is that with the BKOOL platform you can do many types of training and it is an important part of my preparation. It is a very important ally for me and a key factor to keep performing like this.
What kind of routes do you choose? Do you have a favorite stage? Do you use the velodrome more?
As I said, it depends on the day. There are times when I train on the road in the morning and in the afternoon I like to do a slightly softer route on BKOOL. Other times I push myself and choose mythic climbs such as Palmas, here in Colombia, or other very beautiful routes around here. I also choose in Europe, of course, Lagos de Covadonga… I vary. And obviously, a lot of velodrome too, for more specific work, especially time trials.
I also try to vary the bike. Sometimes I train with the road bike, other times I use the time trial bike to do very specific series and to be fully concentrated on the training.
I tell you that the sessions are very varied, it also depends on the state of my legs sometimes, on fatigue. But that’s the good thing about it, there is a lot of variety and I love to search, meet and explore new routes.
Do you meet friends or teammates to ride together on BKOOL? Do you socialize on the simulator or do you prefer to ride alone?
Yes, we hang out a lot. I hang out with teammates, with friends from a lot of places. That’s the good thing about the platform. My nephew, who lives in Spain, my brother, friends who are in Italy, friends from the United States. The truth is that this is very good.
Sometimes we meet up for a ride, we choose the route and we do it together. And then other times, as I said before, also alone.
I love cycling and obviously if I have company, all the better, but if not, I also ride alone and the good thing is that I always find people. I have met many people that I have ended up knowing and sharing more training with them and the truth is that it is a great experience.
We could define you as a cyclist 50% from La Mancha / 50% Colombian. Do you ride stages through your town by the Lagunas de Ruidera when you are in Colombia? Do you get nostalgic with BKOOL?
Yes, obviously in my land, my country, my Ossa de Montiel. I will never forget them and I feel very proud to be from there. As you say, I am 50/50 I would say. Of course, even here in Colombia I can’t be ungrateful with how well I have been treated and there is also part of my roots here with my family.
But yes, the truth is that thanks to BKOOL those days of nostalgia I can ride through the Laguna de Ruidera, through the Ossa al Bonillo, routes that I have done all my life and that it is a great experience to ride again virtually. It motivates me. I would say that more than making me nostalgic, it motivates me and helps me a lot because I go back to ride where I have trained so much and that seems to me very motivating.
You said yourself that you’re a freak. You’ve won stages in four different decades. Technology and simulators are helping you to extend your passion for cycling?
I feel truly privileged to have shared time with several generations and to have won in all my stages and to continue enjoying this beautiful sport of cycling.
I am a very open person with new technologies and since the birth of BKOOL it has always been by my side. It motivates me, it’s part of my training, sometimes because it’s my turn, sometimes because it’s raining outside, lately because of the pandemic? The fact is that it is always there and without a doubt, it is part of my improvement and, above all, as I said, I find it very motivating. I can ride alone or meet up with other people.
I think that in my case it’s the excitement that keeps me on the bike and the BKOOL technology helps me a lot to maintain that excitement and motivation in my workouts, to maintain the passion.
What do you like most about the simulator? What strengths would you highlight?
I like everything, to be honest. Days to ride, days of various workouts, maybe in the early morning a fasting workout that sometimes I like and I look for a smooth route with friends. Other times to give myself a hard workout and do, let’s say, harder races. Other times, specific workouts.
For me it’s a great tool, but I’m not the only one who uses it at home. My wife, for example, uses it a lot. For her, going out on the road is scary and she has become a big fan of BKOOL. So has my daughter. So I’m delighted to share this passion with my family as well.
I think it’s a fantastic tool that has improved a lot in recent years. I love choosing new routes and live new experiences every day. Being in Colombia and riding in Spain or vice versa, being able to do my FTP tests, then choosing a route in Italy. I think it’s a great tool for any lover of cycling and sport in general.
Oscar, you’re a legend in this and you’ve raced practically everything. What do you have left to win? Do you have a goal that you say “this is what I have to do before I quit?
The truth is that I have achieved many things in my sporting career to be proud of. Perhaps one of the things I thought it was going to be the most difficult was to win a Vuelta a Colombia because of the toughness of the terrain, the altitude, the topography of the country, the rivals. But well, in the end I did it and I was more relaxed.
I still have a great desire to continue winning. But more than winning, I’m motivated to help the people on the team, the young people. I give them advice, I try to transmit my enthusiasm for this sport and for the moment that makes me very happy.
Of course I would like to win more things. Why not a Spanish championship before I retire, right? I’ve been on the podium, I’ve finished second. I’m missing that medal at the Spanish Championships. Now I’m going there soon to compete and it would be nice. It doesn’t keep me awake at night, but it would be nice.
With these words of illusion and hope, Oscar Sevilla closed this interview with BKOOL, but not before sending a big hug to all BKOOLers. Although he says goodbye to us here, he guarantees that we will be able to find him in the simulator, as he spends a lot of time there.
