MARGA LOPEZ LLULL LIVES ON A ROLLERCOASTER
In the previous article about Mallorca, we wrote that there is no real cycling culture on Mallorca, so how did you get into cycling?
“It’s a real family bug that I caught. My father, uncle, brother, and cousins all started cycling for fun at around the same time. A little later, my cousins started racing, and my brother couldn’t resist the call either. That was very contagious for me as a young girl, so I started too. My father then opened a bike shop/bike rental company called Curro Bikes in Campos. So the cycling bug really ran in the family. It was a bug I couldn’t avoid and it will never leave me.”
So you got your first racing bike at a very young age?
“Yes, in 2005, when I was seven, I was already riding around on my first racing bike, a BH with the gears still on the frame. A year later, in 2006, I got a Specialized Allez for my first communion. It had an aluminum frame and was actually my first proper racing bike. The bike was already my best friend and becoming a cyclist was my dream.”
And when did you start training seriously?
“When I was eight, we went to the cycling school run by Toni Abraham. Riders from all cycling clubs could come and train with him on the track in Sineu. There I learned the basics of cycling and the skills needed to race on the track. From then on, I trained every week with my racing bike on the track, and sometimes we were even allowed to ride track bikes.”
And then you started racing?
“I was already racing on the road before I started training on the track with Toni. But soon after my first training sessions on the track, I rode my first race on the track in Palma. That went well and I wanted more.”
So the track quickly became your focus?
“No, not entirely. Between the ages of eight and fifteen, I combined road racing with track and mountain bike racing. But that was a bit too much in terms of equipment, so I had to choose. I gave up mountain biking and concentrated on road and track racing from then on.”
And with results?
“I became national champion on the track three times (points race, scratch and keirin) in the U16 category and won several titles in later categories. I was called by the national team and was overjoyed. However, it soon became clear that there was no coaching whatsoever and that they were only interested in the team pursuit for which they had selected me. That wasn’t my thing at all at the time. I had, and still have, the feeling that they didn’t support the athletes at all in developing their talents and only used the riders for their own purposes.”
And how did you start your road career?
“In Mallorca, we didn’t/don’t have many competitions and certainly no races where women could/can compete against each other at a high level. In 2016, I signed a contract with the Spanish UCI team Bizkaia – Durango and won the first race for the Spanish Cup. In 2017, when I was 19, I was contacted by the Italian C-Max team with lots of promises and great conditions. I signed a contract there, but it turned out to be a complete ghost team. There was absolutely nothing when the season started. No one responded to emails or phone calls, there was no explanation, there was simply no team. So there I was, without a team. I mainly continued racing on the track with the national team and started sending my CV to all the UCI teams.”
But then you ended up in Belgium?
“Yes, and that’s when the sky opened up for me! In 2019, I had a few options and chose the Belgian Health Mate – Cyclelive Team. There I learned what real cycling was all about. I ended up in a great team, with a good program and good coaching. I was told that it would take time to lay the foundations to transform me from a track rider into a good road cyclist. Patience, lots of endurance training, and perseverance were the order of the day, and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.“
"The athletes weren't really supported and were used for their own purposes."
And then you ended up on a rollercoaster of teams?
“The team stopped due to problems at the end of the year and I had to look for another team. However, I couldn’t find a place with a UCI team and joined the Equano Cycling Team (club team) for the following season. But that team also stopped at the end of the 2020 season.”
So you stayed in Belgium because the Equano team was also a Belgian team…
“Yes, because it was clear that if you want to make it as a cyclist, this is the place to be in Belgium. There are high-level races here almost every week. There are also many races that are flat or slightly hilly, where I can get results as a sprinter.
What’s more, there are also many Belgian teams where you can ride a good program. In 2021, I found a home with the Lviv Team (Continental Team), which was managed from Belgium. However, that team was also disbanded at the end of the year. The atmosphere and organization in that team weren’t always ideal, but it was tough to be without a team again. In 2022, I mainly rode national races in Belgium for the S-Bikes Doltcini Team (a Belgian club team).“
And then you ended up with the Proximus team…
”Yes, in 2023 and 2024, I was able to join the continental Proximus Team, where problems arose again. So now, in 2025, we are riding for the VELOPRO – Alpha Motorhomes Team, which is another Continental Team. We have a great program and I feel good here. Let’s hope we can build some continuity now, so I can take the next step in my career.”
Your results are also on the rise this year?
“Yes, I recently won two national races in a row and achieved some good places in UCI races. That puts me in 809th place in the UCI rankings, which is my highest ever. At the end of the season, I want to be in the top 500.”
What are the most important things you have learned in Belgium on a physical level?
“If you want to grow as a cyclist, Belgium is the place to be. There are many national competitions here that anyone with the right license can participate in. They are called national competitions, but riders from all over the world compete in them. There are always a lot of participants, and the international field automatically raises your level.
I also really learned to suffer! It’s easier to let yourself go on a long hill because, as a non-climber, you know the race isn’t for you. In Belgium, there’s no chance you can let yourself go on a hill because there are hardly any races with long hills. So you have to hang on when it’s tough, and that’s how you get better, both physically and mentally.”
And on a tactical level?
“Just about all the tactical and technical skills you need in flat or slightly hilly races: positioning, crosswinds, cornering, attacking, learning how to form a sprint train. Racing here is very different from racing in Spain. A flat race doesn’t mean it’s an easy race. People tend to think that’s the case, but they’re wrong. Every type of race has its difficulties. I’m sure we’ve lost a lot of good riders in Spain because of our focus on climbing. In Spain, if you’re not a climber, you have almost no chance of making it. Unless you leave the country and are really tough on yourself.”
Talk about perseverance! Where do you find that after all the setbacks with so many teams?
“It’s a dream that won’t let me go and I’m willing to do anything to achieve it. I got a taste of professional cycling with Health Mate – Cyclelive Team and it’s a dream, a desire and a drive that won’t let me go, to ride in a UCI team again. Children dream, but adults do too, and without dreams you can’t reach the top. Once all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place, I will make that dream come true!
We wish you all the best, Marga! You have plenty of talent, character, and perseverance. Now all you need is luck on your side and a team that really believes in you and gives you every opportunity, and you’ll be fine!
This interview took place on April 10 in Mallorca. Since then, Marga has won two races in Belgium (NAT) and finished sixth in the GP Beveren 1.2. Her rise on the UCI list is well underway, as she is now (July 25, 2025) ranked 700th on the UCI list.
Text and photos: Patrick Van Gansen
