The most difficult opponent to face? “Gianni Bugno, very strong”. The hardest climb ever? “I did it at the Giro d’Italia: the Mortirolo”. Longing for the life of a cyclist? “No, I did what I had to do: today I continue to ride my bike but only for fun, I don’t even know how many kilometers I travel a year”. Miguel Indurain, together with cycling legends such as Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault, managed to win five Tour de France, as well as two Tours of Italy (in 1992 and 1993). Today, at the age of 57, “Miguelon” retains a powerful physique but – unlike other former professional colleagues – perfectly dry.
He is also Ambassador of Enervit, a company listed on the Milan Stock Exchange and leader in the sports food supplement and functional nutrition market. In this capacity, Indurain races in the Marathon of the Dolomites on Sunday 3 July together with over 8 thousand great cycling enthusiasts, who will measure their strength and their ambitions on the hairpin bends of the pink mountains.
Indurain, what does the Dolomites Marathon mean to you?
It is a very important cycling event, which attracts many people with a passion for cycling and which has climbs such as Pordoi and Sella, mountains that have written the history of the Giro and of many stages. It has been a regular appointment for decades and I want to be there.
What path will you take? Short, medium or long?
I am not trained but it does the same, I am calm. The short I hope not, I think the medium. It will also depend on who I meet along the way, if I find myself a nice group we will see that it can be done.
You are here, as well as a cycling enthusiast, as an Enervit Ambassador. What does it mean to you?
I have relationships with very few companies. In Spain I work with Santander, which is part of the Banesto bank, sponsor of my team when I was racing. And then I work with Enervit, whom I met in 1992 at the Giro d’Italia: with his number one Alberto Sorbini and with the whole team I developed a wonderful relationship of friendship and collaboration. Thirty years ago there were only bars and salts, today there has been a very strong evolution in the world of sports nutrition and integration and Enervit is a leader in this: another world compared to my time.