Adrian R. Huber
Madrid, Feb 8 (EFE) .- Spanish Lucas Eguibar, winner of the Snowboard Boardercross World Cup in the 2014-15 season and silver medalist in the World Cups held in 2017 at the Sierra Nevada station (Granada), will be again one of the big favorites in these championships, which will take place at the Swedish station of Idra Fjäll.
In a telephone interview with the EFE Agency from Sweden, where on Thursday he will aim again for the highest, ‘Luki’ -born 26 years ago in San Sebastián and Spanish standard-bearer in the last Olympic Games, those of PyeongChang’18 (Korea of the South) – explains how he faces these championships. In which he hopes to improve the fourth place achieved two years ago in the Solitude World Cups (USA), this time on a different track that he defined as “rare”.
Question: How were these first days in Sweden?
Answer: Pretty good. Fundamentally, we are adapting to the cold, because the temperatures are very low. On Saturday, when we had free training, I went out, made two descents and returned to the hotel, because my hands and feet were almost frozen. We are still getting used to this.
Q: With what taste in your mouth did you leave Valmalenco (Italy), home of the first two races of the World Cup?
A: Man, well, well it wasn’t, because I couldn’t do any good races. But the second day he was doing quite well. And I had a fall.
It is what there is, they are things that happen in this sport. And that’s it. I keep that it was going very well.
Q: How do you get to the World Cup?
A: It may be one hundred percent, it does not arrive. I spent a long time without training on the track, then the races in Italy were not good; and on top of that I injured my arm a bit (when I fell in the second race at Valmalenco) … so everything has come together a bit.
But I am glad to be here. And now to focus fully on this.
Q: What is your realistic goal in these championships?
A: The realistic goal is to compete as we have always done. I have the level to fight for gold and that’s what I’m going to try. I come for that.
Q: The circuit of this World Cup, do you like it? Can it come in handy?
A: It is a very different circuit, it is strange … I think it will not depend so much on who is the fastest on this track, because in the last section of the circuit, the final straight, a straight of 700 meters, more or less; there is going to be a lot of slipstream.
I don’t like too much that we have to watch out for slip-ups at races. Usually we always try to be the fastest; and that’s it. But on this track, with that straight, where there is going to be a lot of slipstream, you have to be aware of where you are going, who you have behind and all that.
I think my strategy is going to be to be in the middle of the group and catch slips in the final part of the straight; and try to overtake there.
Q: The fact that, due to the pandemic, it is a different and very reduced season, does this make the World Cup a more open race?
A: I think not. Not because of the pandemic. My sport in recent years has been growing a lot, there are more and more new people in the World Cup and everything is very fought. And in a test like ours you know that anything can happen; and that everything is always very open.
Q: Who do you think will be the rivals to beat?
A: (The Austrian) Alessandro (Hämmerle) … in this race some American, some German … Australian, anyway, can do well. What I have to do is a smart race. And be there: prepared.
Q: Ready for a ‘rare’ race. How do you do that?
A: Well that. It is a ‘rare’ race and before facing it I am thinking that it is better to start from behind; or get out in the middle. Do not try to go directly to win the race.
In fact, two weeks ago the ‘skicross’ World Cups were here and always, always, in all rounds, the one who arrives first on the straight does not finish first. It is second or third; and sometimes fourth.
So, it will be a bit of a pain in the neck. But we will have to be ready. Today we still have a training session (before qualifying on Tuesday) and we’ll see how I feel on the track. I will try to do some descents in groups, to see if what I say really happens.
Q: In the last World Cup, in Solitude (Utah, USA) you finished fourth. And being fourth is always better than any other worse position; but I imagine that finishing fourth in a final to four will not be pleasant at all. Do you want to remove that thorn, too?
A: Of course. Being fourth is always better than being fifth (laughs). The better it is, the better. If I am fourth, I have been fourth, if that is the best thing to do.
But of course I would like to get rid of that thorn, having done good races and finishing fourth more than once. Therefore, picking up a medal here would be the ‘host’. EFE