Some people spent Christmas at the table, surrounded by relatives and loved ones. Then, there is Kevin Rivera who was in a group on December 25th and instead of cutlery he was holding the handlebars of his bike. The young rider was at the Vuelta Ciclista in Costa Rica, the home race, finished in fifth place in the overall standings.
"We ran the last stage at Christmas," Rivera replies from his home in Cartago. "It went well. I've been feeling better and better, both physically and mentally."
How long have you been back home in Costa Rica?
I've been here for many months, I was almost not used to it anymore – he laughs contagiously – for a long time now the longest I've spent at home was a month.
Were you able to do any races besides this one?
Yes. In June I raced the national championships, then the Tour de Panama and the Vuelta a San Carlos. I'm happy, I missed running continuously, since the Gazprom I've always tried to keep fit and give my all.
Do you miss Europe?
Very much, I consider Italy my second home. I can't hide the fact that my goal is to return to Europe to race. The level there is very high and I want to get back to competing with the greats.
What is the racing style like in South America?
Really, really different. I wasn't used to it anymore; I hadn't raced here since I was a junior. It was like I couldn't think straight to run on these roads. The races are very frenetic, there is not the control you have in Europe, this is because there is a lack of strong teams that can keep the race in hand.
Are these more brutal races?
Wow! Sometimes a breakaway of three or four riders breaks away, and you might think, "Now we'll check it out and catch up." But no! With 80 kilometers to go, people start shooting at each other.You have to always be ready and keep your eyes open, it's a "locura". Madness!
What are the routes like?
A constant up and down, all day long. There's no flat land. It's a great training, the thing that made me most happy is that I managed to win a mountain stage at the Tour de Panama and the Vuelta a Costa RicaWinning is always nice, but I missed going to the races and crossing the finish line first.
And the climbs?
"They're similar to the classic Colombian ones," he continues with another laugh, "very tough. And then, what's even more complicated is that you often find yourself above two thousand meters." At the Vuelta a Costa Rica, on the stage arriving in Perez Zeledon, we climbed Cerro de la Muerte: 23 kilometers with the summit at 3.324 metersWe had previously done two other climbs, in total we covered more than forty kilometers of climbing during the stage.
Completely different from Europe…
You have plenty of climbs, but you rarely get very high. What makes a big difference is the flat terrain, which isn't the case in South America. The greatest difficulty in Europe I had was in the plainsWe were going at sixty miles an hour and I'd be finished before the climb. To give you an example: the organizers of the Vuelta a Costa Rica marked the first three stages as flat: I didn't see any flat ones.
But now six years have passed since your first arrival in Europe.
When I first came to you I was a 18 year old boy, I'm 24 nowI met many strong riders from whom I learned: Masnada, Visconti, Bernal. This is why I want to return to racing in Europe, I've had a lot of difficult times, but now I have matured and I really want to grow and win.
What would you like to do: a general classification or a stage hunter?
I like to go fast on the climbs, trying to make a difference in the hard stages. I've improved a lot on the flats in recent years and This could be the step I was missing to try to make the rankingThat's why I want to return to Europe. I have unfinished business and I want to continue to grow, because I can always improve.
Team wanted
Rivera, a pure climber standing 165 centimeters (5'5") and weighing 56 kilos (120 lb), is still looking for a team for 2023. His name, as he himself told us, had been linked to some teams, even WorldTour ones.. However, it all came to nothing.
«In the summer – confirms Paolo Alberati his agent – We were close to signing with AG2R Citroen, the French had asked for all of Kevin's tests and data but then the negotiations stalled.BH Burgos was also interested in him, but that too fell through. The hope is to find a team around February, when he can find more space in the various formations. Rivera is an interesting profile with notable qualities and a rider like him could be really useful, especially in teams looking for a stage hunter who can hang with the best on the climbs."
