With Víctor Sastre, El Barraco has become a whole school of great cyclists

   “Illusion, respect and sacrifice” , is the motto that governs in El Barraco (Ávila) the Foundation ‘Víctor Sastre’ , father of the last winner of the Tour de France and mentor of many others cyclists who have been trained in the shelter of their sporting knowledge. With Víctor Sastre, El Barraco has become a school for great cyclists.

 Carlos Sastre’s triumph in the gala round has brought to light a town that must be the one with the highest number of cyclists in the world. And let’s not say champions. Sastre, the disappeared ‘Chava’ Jiménez, Ángel Arroyo, second in the 1983 Tour, David Navas or Francisco San Román, make up a luxury lineup that is joined by other runners from the surrounding towns, who have also left the Foundation, formerly Peña Ciclista Ángel Arroyo.

 Among them, Francisco Mancebo, from the nearby town of Navaluenga (Ávila), ‘Curro’ García, from Sotillo de la Adrada (Ávila), and Pablo Lastras, from San Martín de Valdeiglesias (Madrid).

  Raúl Candil was the first student of this great teacher. “Later he took other children and a free and healthy human chain was formed”, made of “links” that came to be up to fifty, according to Sastre recalls, recently arrived from Paris and before leaving in the direction of El Barraco.

  Five years ago, the school became the ‘Víctor Sastre’ Foundation, so that its content could be diversified into other areas, “without thinking about sporting triumphs” , but rather that “the youth will occupy their free time”.

 Although there have been many social achievements, withdrawing the kids from drug threats, sporting achievements also began to arrive and culminated on Sunday with the triumph in the Tour de France of one of the more than 1,200 students who have passed by the hands of Víctor Sastre.

  He has tried to convince all of them that a champion must fulfill three principles: “work for others, overcome adversity and know how to win”. It seems that Carlos Sastre has put them into practice and has listened to his father.

  El vencedor del Tour de Francia, Carlos Sastre, será nombrado Hijo Adoptivo de la ciudad de Ávila, donde dará nombre también al nuevo polideportivo cubierto que se está construyendo en la zona sur.

   His town, El Barraco, where he grew up and trained in sports, and where he trains every day, will receive him with all the honors of a champion on Wednesday, July 30, 2008.

 Sastre will reopen the balcony of the City Hall of El Barraco, where he has always been honored after his performances in the Tour and the Vuelta a España, but this time he will do so as the winner of the most important race for the international peloton.

  At 6.30 p.m., the runner will appear before the media at the El Barraco City Hall before the Beijing Olympic event, and then he will be received in Constitution Square by his countrymen.

 

Comments are closed.