We interview Pablo Dapena, Long Distance World Champion

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Pablo will participate this weekend in the Challenge Prague, where he will participate with Javier Gómez Noya.

Days after proclaiming the ITU Long Distance World Champion, we have been talking Pablo Dapena who told us how the competition was at Fyn, how he presents himself to his next race on Saturday at Challenge Prague and what his goals are until the end of the season.

Good morning Pablo, first of all we want to congratulate you for the recent title of long distance world champion where you made a carrerón and took the gold medal in a big way. How was Fyn's career? Could you summarize your performance there?

The race was as expected. It was not an excessively fast swim but just enough to create a gap and force many people to climb and put the heater on the bike to get to the top. I knew that Marko Albert is a great swimmer and I decided to stay the entire test on foot trying to save as much as possible.

Pablo Dapena: “My kids”, whom I lead are a great motivation for me, to see them how they train, how they organize to train, having jobs, fulfilling the family, they are the true heroes of this sport and not us.

When did you see a winner?

In the km.28 of running race. The differences they gave me were quite small with what I really was, that is, they were lying to me (damned). They sang to me that the difference was between 40 second and 1 minutes, when I reached the finish line with almost 3 minutes.

In the video of the finish you can see how I look back several times because I did not have them all with me either.

Congratulations @pablitopiny@ITUmultisport #Fyn2018 long distance World Champion!
//#sporteventDK#HighFiveFyn✋
? https://t.co/ADtQF8SSYu pic.twitter.com/7Rbq8ixGVC

- TriathlonLIVE (@triathlonlive) July 14, 2018

You arrived at the finish line with enough time to enjoy the victory. What did you think about the last meters before finishing when you felt you were winning?

As I told you, I did not have them all with me and I quickly went to the finish line; Now I think about it and I would like to have enjoyed it more, a World Cup is not won every day, but well I still enjoyed it a lot.

Being honest I did not think anything; There were moments between the 28 and the goal that excited me only, but luckily I wear glasses and it does not show too much. It was a mixture of emotion, body pain but with a happy ending.

Do you dedicate this World Cup to someone in particular?

This World Cup is dedicated to people who trusted from the beginning, especially Javi and Carlos, Diego Paz who has been fundamental for me this year, was the two months of Lanzarote at the foot of the canyon and today is still; to my physio Hugo Ogando, with whom I play wood and I have been injured for a few years and in this aspect it has a lot to do with it.

And then to "my kids", to whom I direct and train, because they are a great motivation for me, to see them as they train, how they organize themselves to train having jobs, fulfilling the family, they are the true heroes of this sport and not US.

This year you have taken a leap in quality, also shining internationally in Challenge tests. What has changed in you compared to last year?

I do not think anything special has changed, I think it is the result of the continuity of a year's work, of believing in what to do and that, fortunately, has come out this season.

I still maintain the same structure of training and habits in competition.

And now next Saturday you compete in the Challenge of Prague. Will the run of podiums and triumphs in the Challenge circuit continue?

I do not know if the streak will continue, we hope so, but it will be a tough test, due to the heat that it is going to do (the start is at 12 noon) and because of the level of the participants (Javier Gómez Noya, Matt Trautman, Maurice Calvel, Peter Heemeryck, George Goodwin, Jaroslav Kovacic ...)

In the last seven years, among Spanish triathletes only Mario Mola y Fernando Alarza They have managed to pass the finish line in competition before Javier Gómez Noya, and in Media Distancia none have succeeded.

It would be a utopia to think of crossing the finish line before Javi. Just running, Javi is more than 2'30” from me, so it's a big enough difference to even think that.

I hope to get as far as possible during the race with him, it would be something very positive, but thinking about winning, it does not come to my mind at any time ... Who could fight with the one to you!

And after Prague, what are your goals for the end of the season?

After Prague, I will go to Challenge Turku in mid-August to continue trying to score for the Challenge Ranking.

The Championship of Spain of Pontevedra still remains an unknown whether I will run or not, I still have to talk to Carlos to see if it matches well, at a time of the season where the body begins to take bill for so many months spanking, so I will listen to the body and the sensations you have to see if I run at home or not.

And in September run the Challenge of Madrid, a test that I will have to go to recognize the terrain and which, I'm not going to doubt, is scare me a little.

Then depending on how the body recovers and how it is going I will do some things to extend the season.

Photos: Juan Lius Pedrosa, Juan Luis Hourcade, Lise Cristiane Myltoft.