Barcelona“When something gets stuck in my head, it doesn’t leave, and now the bike has gotten stuck in it”, explains Paula Blasi, one of the Catalan athletes of the moment. This weekend she achieved the greatest success of her career, winning the 12th edition of the Amstel Gold Race, held between Maastricht and Valkenburg, with a route of 158.1 kilometers. A prestigious race where she beat the best female cyclists in the world with a great attack and in which she was not initially supposed to participate, but was called up by her team, UAE, at the last minute because other more experienced cyclists were missing. “I will need a few weeks or months to realize it. It’s my first time in the Ardennes and I’ve had problems with positioning, I can’t believe what has just happened to me”, she explained euphorically.
After completing her first season in the Women’s WorldTour, Paula Blasi closed out 2025 as one of the great revelations of the European circuit. She was the U23 European champion on the road and a bronze medalist at the World Championships in the same category at just 22 years old. Results that have already placed her on the radar of international cycling. “I think it has been a success, this season, but I wouldn’t say I’ve done anything out of this world or that it will be the best season I’ll ever have. The key is to face it with passion”.
Despite her growth in such a short time, the rider from Espluga aims to consolidate herself. “This year I’m asking to try to help the team as much as possible and learn from my teammates, because I think it’s the best way to grow as a rider”. A philosophy based on patience and constant learning that also marks her outlook for the future. “I think I’m still very young and there are many disciplines in cycling that I haven’t tried. So I’m not closing the door on anything”.
An injury that turned everything upside down
Her sporting career, however, has not always been linked to cycling. Paula Blasi suffered an injury in 2024 while still competing in duathlon at the Spanish Championship. The extent of the injury prevented her from continuing to run and she decided to focus exclusively on cycling. “I think the Paula of three years ago who did triathlon out of love for sport and had to spend her salary on trips and bikes hasn’t changed. I’m still me, with the same mentality.”
Blasi competed in athletics and participated in duathlon and triathlon events. Despite this, her passion and determination did not wane. “Of course, a person is always remembered for their victories and for all they have achieved. But I would like to go further and transmit a passion for life.” Sport has coexisted with studies, work, and summer camps as a coach. Until one day, unexpectedly, proposals from professional teams arrived. And what had begun as a devotion became her profession. “You keep going, you keep competing, you keep running, you keep training. I have never had the obsession in mind of being able to become a professional. Because my foundation has always been doing it because I like it.”
Rest, the key to success
“From the outside, the life of an athlete seems very beautiful, but rest is also part of training”. Despite competing at the highest level, Blasi follows a very structured routine. At ten in the morning, she is already on the bike to start pedaling. Then comes recovery and a hearty lunch. And in the afternoon, she seeks to disconnect completely from sport: she paints, plays the piano, or goes up to Llívia castle with a book. “I am a girl of routines and my mother always tells me that my day is the same. The key to discipline is not to change what works, what is good, and what you like.”
This lifestyle involves sacrifices that often go unnoticed. “An athlete has no weekends or set holidays. It is a lifestyle, and many people do not understand it. Perhaps when you make an effort to go to dinner and for others it is normal, they don’t quite understand it.” Despite everything, Blasi is clear that this balance is essential to perform at the highest level and, above all, to stay well both physically and mentally. “Discipline and perseverance set the direction of my career.” The cyclist from Esplugues de Llobregat has managed to transform adversity into opportunity. With a projection that continues to grow within international cycling, Paula Blasi remains faithful to a way of understanding sport based on consistency and passion for the day-to-day. “I want to be remembered also for that girl who wanted to live”, she explains.