TakeWorlds21 hours ago
Spain co-leads its Worlds squad with Mavi García, 42 and riding her last professional season, and Paula Blasi, who debuts in the elite category months after becoming the first Spanish rider to win La Vuelta Femenina. That pairing isn't a mentor handing off to a protégé — García came to cycling from tennis and duathlon at 31, Blasi from running injuries at 21, and both race the same way: attack, split the group, make it hard.
García called Blasi "just like me, but 20 years younger" — not a compliment about talent, but about the path. Both arrived to the sport late and sideways, and both built their reputations on aggressive racing rather than raw numbers. García's 2025 Worlds bronze in Kigali means she's not there to hand over the reins quietly; Blasi arrives having already won a Monument and La Vuelta Femenina this year. Montreal's 180.4 km over eight laps of Mont-Royal will test whether Spain can run two genuine leaders, not one plus a successor.
Sources
PAULA BLASI, MAVI GARCÍA AND WHY ROLE MODELS MATTER: "SHE IS JUST LIKE ME, BUT 20 YEARS YOUNGER" - La Vuelta Femenina 2026Spain's World Championships line-up - Co-leaders announced as teams hope Pogacar's absence can open up race2026 La Vuelta Femenina2026 World Cycling Championships: Showdown in Montreal | TOUR