'They wouldn't let me race with boys because I was beating them' - Paula Ostiz ready for WorldTour step-up

Paula Ostiz (Movistar) has been making waves in the junior ranks and has enjoyed her first few months racing as a stagiaire for Movistar since August.

Ostiz recently became World Champion in the junior women’s road race in Kigali, Rwanda, becoming the first Spanish rider to do so.

In a tense finish, Ostiz, the pre-race favourite, timed her sprint to perfection to claim the rainbow jersey, a moment made even more sweet by the fact that she had to settle for second in a sprint after a rain-soaked edition twelve months earlier behind her now trade teammate Cat Ferguson (Movistar).

In fact, it’s been a majorly successful period for the talented Ostiz since making her Movistar debut, finishing 2nd in the time trial event in Rwanda, before doing the time trial and road race double at the European Championships, and this success is something the 18-year-old reflected on in an interview with Mundo Deportivo.

“These are goals I set for myself this year, and I've achieved them thanks to the work I've done with my coach, and in the end, it's reflected in the results,” said Ostiz to Mundo Deportivo.

“I've always said since I was little that I wanted to win everything, although I know you have to take it step by step, and now that I'm about to make the leap to the World Tour, it's a different world,” said Ostiz with regards to her winning mentality and the step up she will make to racing with the professionals full time.

Ostiz has become used to winning from a young age and even revealed that she faced some external complaints in the youth categories due to her supreme abilities.

"I don't remember where my first race was, but I started in youth races and I was already beating the boys,” said Ostiz. 

“I was growing up in youth races, until they wouldn't let me race with the boys because I was beating them, and there were parents who complained about a girl beating their sons. I went on to race with girls, and it got boring."

Her signing with Movistar came after being scouted early doors, with the relationship developing naturally. 

"Movistar Team is my home team, the one that suits me best, the one I wanted to be on, and the one where they take care of me and help me a lot. They speak Spanish, and it's like a family."

Now preparing for her World Tour debut, having raced six times as a stagiaire so far with Movistar, Ostiz approaches the step up with measured confidence. "Not afraid, but respectful. I've already raced a few, and it went well for me. I'm young."

Ostiz's cycling hero is a Spanish and Movistar legend who was present on the day that she became World Champion. 

"Since I was little, I've been a huge fan of Alejandro Valverde. Having him by my side the day I won the World Championships was incredible. I've always liked him for his ambition and because he never gave up."

Among current riders, she admires Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) in the men's peloton, while Demi Vollering (FDJ-Suez), Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime), Riejanne Markus (Lidl-Trek), and current teammate Marlen Reusser (Movistar) stand out as her favourites among the women.