Brustenga finished the race that inspired him to start riding bikes

After Marc Brustenga made the short journey home from the Volta a Catalunya, he realized: “this was a super hard week of racing, but it is so great to have finished my home race.” The Volta was iconic for what he is going through: an intense journey as a neo-pro with Trek-Segafredo.

Brustenga, who was born and raised in Santa Eulàlia de Ronçana, would every year visit, when he was younger, the last stage of the Volta a Catalunya in Montjuïc. Sometimes, the race even passed his house, close to Granollers. The Volta inspired him, and his parents one day allowed him to compete in a mountain bike race. Like most professional cyclists, Brustenga won the first cycling race he ever competed in.

‘Brus’ continued to ride bikes, and ended up on the road with the Caja Rural development team, before joining WorldTour team Trek-Segafredo in 2022. Before that, he was living in France, racing for several French teams, to develop himself into a Classics rider. That is also still how the Catalan cyclist would describe himself as a rider: “I like racing in Belgium, and in the north of France a lot. I like the Classics.”

Racing the Volta a Catalunya was very special The Volta a Catalunya was, therefore not quite a race that suited his characteristics. “I raced to help the team and my teammates”, says Brustenga, “but it was really hard and I suffered a lot. It was my first WorldTour race in Europe, and I found out the level is very high.”

Racing so close to home was a very special experience for the 22-year-old Catalan. “I came from watching the race and being impressed by the ambience, to competing in my home race being surrounded by those who followed my development and supported me since I was a child. I knew most of the roads: I am used to training and racing there. It was very special. The week passed by so quickly, and I think I will never forget this experience in my life.”

The Volta a Catalunya was another chapter in Brustenga’s journey in the professional cycling scene. “I am constantly learning and adapting”, he says. “So far, I am happy with the races I have done. I feel they are preparations for future races. Finishing the Volta a Catalunya was a dream come true, but I have more dreams. Hopefully, I can compete in the biggest Classics in the next years as well.”