Ismael Ventura: “Lanzarote is a highly recommended destination for MTB”
The Catalan biker Ismael Ventura was among the participants of the XVII edition of the 4 Stage Race MTB Lanzarote Club La Santa, an event he attends whenever his calendar allows and which usually kicks off his season.
Ventura has been competing in MTB for more than 20 years and was one of the pioneers in Spain when he first put on a cycling jersey in the most extreme MTB competitions in the world. Although at national level he very quickly stood out, spending several years among the best in the country, even becoming Spain’s Bike-Marathon champion in 2017, he says that he has always placed more value on overseas races. “I’ve always got more enjoyment from being the lion’s tail than the mouse’s head.” His international curriculum includes being in the Top 10 in the Absa Cape Epic and his 2nd place in the International Marathon Estrada Real in Brazil.
From the beginning, I stood out in competition and I made more or less quick progress due to the times.
He has been coming to Lanzarote for more than 10 years to practice his sport and as the ex-professional cyclist Merkel Irizar said in an interview with a local media company, “Lanzarote is not only a paradise for triathletes, but also for cyclists,” and that includes lovers of MTB. In addition to his participation in the 4 Stage Race, Ventura has also competed in Ultrabike Lanzarote several times, achieving victory in two editions.
The truth is that it’s a sport that hasn’t stopped growing and I think that it’s going to grow more and more, and I think it will continue to grow in the end because most of the people who try it end up getting hooked.
Ismael is a fan of the Canary Islands and loves getting out on his bike to enjoy the countless routes between volcanoes that the islands offer. “Lanzarote is a highly recommended place to practice MTB, the terrain gives you many options to vary your training, you can go on rocky trails or find tracks to roll on. There are also more slopes than you might think and spectacular scenery.”
Although he led the race in the second stage, the Catalan athlete finished the 4 Stage Race MTB Lanzarote Club La Santa in 5th position this year. After crossing the finish line he said with a smile that next year he would again try to reach the final podium of this race.