Could a video game like Fortnite help with a cyclist’s recovery? I put that question to Luke Valenti a few days before he headed to the Trofeo Guerrita. It was the second instalment of the under-23 Spanish Cup. Valenti won the first race, which put him in the lead of the 10-event series.
“I wouldn’t say it’s recovery because it’s pretty high cortisol for me,” Valenti said of the video game, “because I’m a competitive guy. So for me, it’s not about recovery.” He added that even his Whoop notices the increase in his stress levels.
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While Fortnite works Valenti up, cycling—the discipline in which he’s pursuing a career—doesn’t seem to be a source of tension. Ahead of Trofeo Guerrita, in which he and his team had to defend his lead, he appeared to be at ease.
“Normally, when it comes to these kinds of things, I’m quite relaxed,” he said. “If you do your training well, eat well, sleep well, there’s not much else you can do other than just try your best in the races. If it’s enough, that’s good. But if it’s not, then you go home. You try again and try to get better for the next one.”
For the 2024 and 2025 season, Valenti rode on Israel Premier Tech Academy (now NSN Development Team). His contract wasn’t renewed, so his agent, who is well-versed in the Spanish cycling scene, found Valenti a spot on Club Ciclista Padronés-Cortizo. It’s based in Galicia, the soggy northwest corner of Spain.
“It’s quite rainy in the winter, but I actually really like it when the weather’s good. I did a nice ride two days ago, five hours with some nice climbs and some nice roads. [The town of Padron] is also super close to the sea, so you have lots of good views of the ocean.” He was speaking from the team’s home base, a building that holds the service course, as well as living quarters for riders. “I think Cortizo is on the same level as a lot of the development teams of WorldTour teams. I’m pretty happy with it so far. I’m excited to spend the rest of the year travelling around Spain and racing.”
He also likes the squad’s general vibe. “It’s nice because the Spanish way is quite chill and relaxed,” he said, “so it’s a little bit different than other teams. It’s super laid back. All the guys are very inclusive. They’re all trying to help me learn Spanish. They’re guiding me through the races because a lot of them have done these races for four or five years so they know each one will play out.” Chill rider, chill team, good match.
On race days, however, the squad hasn’t been slack. In mid-February, Luke Valenti won the three-stage Memorial Manuel Sanroma Valencia. A week later, he took the one-day Circuito del Guadiana, which put him in the lead of the Spanish series. It was a strong start to his season, one that could help with his goal of going pro—landing a spot on a WorldTour or ProTeam—in 2027. “I think I’m heading in the right direction so far this season with two wins already, but we’ll see because you never know in cycling what can happen,” he said.
Luke Valenti wins the 2026 Circuito del Guadiana. Image: @sprintcycling
His words, spoken a few days before Trofeo Guerrita, held a bit of prescience. He caught a cold before the second race of the Spanish Cup. During the race, things didn’t go his team’s way.
“We got a little bit unlucky with the way things went over the climb. We had two teammates caught in a crash and then one with a flat tire,” Valenti said. “We were two and most of the other big teams had four or five. But I think we salvaged the situation the best we could with me getting seventh. I think my position in the sprint could have been a little bit better. It’s something I need to work on, so we know that for next week’s race.” Even though Valenti was seventh, he retained the lead of the Spanish Cup.
Later this season, Valenti hopes to participate in the world championships in Montreal. “For me, that’s probably the biggest goal so far in my whole career,” he said. But he was careful not to get too far ahead of himself. There’s still a selection process for worlds.
Also, a return to the Tour de l’Avenir, a mini-Tour de France for young riders, is something that could further his stage-racing abilities, which, considering he’s won the Tour de Beauce, aren’t too shabby.
“I would really like to go to l’Avenir again to try for a good result in the GC because I think from last year to this year, I’ve taken a really big step,” he said. “I think a good GC result would be possible for me.”