Free From Distractions

Girona might be the Spanish hub for Anglo-Saxon riders, but Cannondale’s new pro Hugh Carthy has carved out a life for himself in Pamplona. Procycling meets a young man with a strong sense of identity.

- Alasdair Fotheringham

When Hugh Carthy tries to explain why he is living by himself in Pamplona, a city fully 550 kilometres from the Anglo-Saxon colony of professionals in Girona, he makes it sound very simple: he just needs his own space. In the process, he can avoid making pointless comparisons with other riders.

“If you’re in a place like Girona and out shopping in the supermarket and your season is not going very well, and then you run into another pro who’s having the best year of their lives, then you’ll be most likely thinking to yourself: ‘Ach, f***ing dick,’” he tells Procycling.

“This way, by living in Pamplona, whether your racing is going good or bad, after each race you get your head back into your own training and a private routine as soon as possible.

“You’re quite isolated and that appeals to me. It’s not about me trying to be different. It’s more that if you’re in a place like this, it’s not so claustrophobic.”

This sounds a lot like common sense but it’s a much more unusual attitude than you may think. Witness the number of English speaking professional riders all clustered together in Girona, for one thing - upward of four dozen - and the grand total of those living in a Spanish city like Pamplona: one. He’s now aged 22 and has signed for his first WorldTour team, Cannondale-Drapac. Carthy’s determination to cut his own, very individual, path has marked almost every stage of his career to date. So far, his approach has worked very well.